Outside. Everything about it delights me. Practically all of my fondest childhood memories happened outside. There's the night we stretched out on the summer grass in the front yard to stargaze. The silly campfire games and hijinks while camping. The icky but rewarding fishing trips. Heck, even the outdoor chores were a thrill. The common thread in all these childhood adventures? Dad.
Read MoreFind the perfect camping spot with The Dyrt
We're big fans of what our friends over at The Dyrt are up to. They're crowdsourcing a database of photos and videos and descriptions of each and every campsite across the country. Here's how it all started for their founder:
"After years of online campsite searching frustration, I decided to put an end to it and launch The Dyrt. I am committed to making the experience of looking for a
campsite online an enjoyable one. Document campsites and share them with your family, your friends, the world, or, with nobody but yourself! It is hard to remember great campsites so the mobile app from The Dyrt will change that."
They've got a sweepstakes going for anyone who pitches in:
"The Dyrt is giving away over $1000 in REI gift cards to campers willing to document campsites and help jump start The Dyrt community. A $20 REI gift card will be given to each of the first 50 campers from each state in the US who document a campground. That’s right! Be the first person in your state to document an official campsite and The Dyrt will give you a $20 gift card. There will also be a drawing at the end of the summer for a $100 REI gift card. Each time you send in a documented site, your name gets added in a drawing that will take place at the end of the summer. The more sites you document, the more chances you have to win. The winner of the drawing will receive a $100 REI give card. But that is not all. The Dyrt staff will be selecting one lucky winner to receive $100 REI gift card for the Employees Choice award. This award will be given to a Dyrt community member who The Dyrt staff thinks did the best job documenting campsites and helping to jump start The Dyrt community. Visit the “About” page now to get started."
