Towels

The last time we went camping we forgot almost everything. The dish soap. The dishpan. Forks. And most tragically of all, the corkscrew. OK, so we packed in a hurry. But if we had a list, our packing would have been foolproof. Here is a basic checklist put together with the help of avid campers and the folks at Coleman, the manufacturer of all kinds of camping gear. Chances are you'll have your own additions - but this is a good start. Well-insulated coolers Stove, with fuel Grill Lantern Nesting pots with lids Skillet with lid Pot gripper Dish towels/dishrag Plates and bowls Utensils (forks, knives, spoons)

Q: When I line-dry my laundry, the towels end up stiff. Are there any tricks to keeping them soft? A: You're smart to line-dry your clothes. Among home appliances, only refrigerators and washing machines use more electricity than dryers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Although the airy scent is a plus, line-dried towels can feel stiff. Try using less detergent, especially if you soften your water. Or add 1/4-cup of white vinegar or baking soda to the wash (the vinegar smell dissipates during the rinse cycle)

Philadelphia fans are clever. Remember the Sign Man at Flyers games? Or the creative banners that used to be draped all over Veterans Stadium on football Sundays, before team management and the NFL became latter-day Cotton Mathers? Surely, left to their own devices - and I'm not talking batteries here - Philadelphians could come up with something better than the rally towel. Maybe they could even come up with something original. Or something that will neither interfere with the game nor endanger players.

The game's first pitch, a fly ball came his way - routine on most days, just not this one. Phillies rightfielder Jayson Werth should have known right then it was going to be a wild day at the ballpark. "I had to wait until the ball got out of the sun to really see where it was," Werth said later of how Dexter Fowler's fly ball caught the game's first wind gust, curling toward the right-field corner. "I realized I was a long way from it. I really had to go. " Werth made the catch after he noticeably turned on his afterburners, starting his Big Adventure.

Nicholas Sama, a heavyset 51-year-old former car wash operator, placed his hands in prayerful meditation and looked up and said, "Thank you, Jesus. " U.S. District Judge Mary A. McLaughlin had just sentenced Sama to five years' probation, with the first nine months in home confinement, and fined him $10,000 for his role in a conspiracy to employ dozens of undocumented Mexican workers at four Philadelphia-area car washes. He faced a maximum of five years in prison. Sama's Thursday afternoon sentencing was the latest plot twist in the 10-year saga of Mace Security International Inc., of Horsham, the pepper-spray dispenser that improbably - and disastrously - diversified into car washes.

Spain's Rafael Nadal beat Gael Monfils of France, 6-4, 6-4, yesterday, setting up a final against Britain's Andy Murray in the ABN Amro in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Murray overcame a slight injury to his right foot to rout two-time champion Mario Ancic of Croatia, 6-1, 6-1. Amelie Mauresmo of France defeated Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, 6-2, 0-6, 6-1, in the Open GDF Suez semifinals in Paris to set up a meeting with Elena Dementieva of Russia, who advanced after top-ranked Serena Williams withdrew because of a knee injury.

  I love the bite of balsamic, but sometimes hesitate to use it, especially when entertaining, because of the brownish stain it leaves on lettuce, pasta, potatoes, chicken. Problem solved with white balsamic. This zesty one, from Modena, Italy, is made with trebbiano grapes, and aged 12 years. Towels as art In addition to the very fine teas at Premium Steap, owner Peggy Stephens is now carrying a new line of Marimekko products, including these beautiful linen/cotton towels, made in Finland; pretty enough to frame.

When I first heard about nude beaches as a young boy, I was intrigued. Not because I wanted to get naked myself - I wanted to see women's bodies, which were still a mystery to me. Taking off one's own clothes just seemed like the price of admission. Somehow, I made it into adulthood without so much as skinny-dipping. But a recent trip to Mexico's Caribbean coast for a friend's wedding gave me a good excuse to try it out. I picked the clothing-optional beach resort in Tulum chiefly because it was affordable - at 26, I no longer found nude women all that shocking.

My five houseguests are due any minute. The guest rooms are ready except for towels. I head confidently to the linen closet. One of the few things I pride myself on is that I tie sets of sheets and towels in ribbons, precisely so I can easily retrieve full, coordinated packages for guests. I open the closet. It's been ransacked! Call the police! Ribbons are unfastened. Once-nicely-folded towels are shoved in wads on shelves, frayed and faded. Apparently, my ribbon system didn't prevent certain members of my family from having their way with these sets.

Chocolate indulgence Premium chocolate taste at a mainstream price. Hershey's newest offering aims at filling the gap between mass-market candies and the company's top-of-the-line Cocoa Reserve truffles. Bliss bite-sized, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates - in creamy milk and dark chocolate and milk chocolate with meltaway centers - even got good taste grades from our resident chocolate snobs. Green cleaning EcoTowl and EcoSponge keep cleanups eco-friendly. Made of sustainable, plant-based materials, they provide a durable, machine-washable, alternative to paper towels and non-biodegradable disposables.