Love to camp, but hate packing the truckload of things you need to create a comfortable set-up: tent, beer, sleeping bag, beer, marshmallows and, oh yeah, beer? Then venture to the Nampa Recreation Center today.

From 6-8 p.m., backpacking wizards will teach you how to downsize the amount of stuff you need to sleep in the great outdoors, so you can ditch the truck and haul everything you need to set up camp on your back. Fast and Light Backpacking will provide you with tips and tricks to downsize the size of your pack so you can feel a little less like Atlas when you go on a backpacking adventure. You'll learn about an array of food solutions and multi-use items, turning you and your pack into something like a Swiss army knife.

The cost for the class is $10 for Nampa Rec Center members, and $15 for nonmembers. To register, visit the Nampa Parks and Recreation website.

Yes, today provides you with a variety of mimosa-sipping, egg-eating, flower-giving Mother's Day options. But if you're celebrating the day by putting a present in the mail, or you have zero desire to battle the brunch crowds, treat your mom to a Mother's Day adventure that's almost as unique as she is. Round up some cowboy boots, hop in the car and head toward Mountain Home.

From 2-4 p.m. today, you can check out the Horseback Archery Festival and Faire. Marvel at the skill needed to launch an arrow from atop a horse with Hungarian-style horseback archery demonstrations, watch some equestrian vaulting and enjoy the outdoors at Dream River Ranch. There will also be a variety of entertainment, archery and natural horse-care items for sale and activities for the kiddies.

You can learn more about Dream River Ranch and find driving directions here.

Boise has been buzzing about cycling recently, especially since the announcement that the Exergy Tour will fill the city's streets with uber bike enthusiasts in July. No spokes about it, Boise is pretty much all about bikes. (You can learn more about how much Boise loves two-wheeled rides in this week's Boise Weekly, which we've dubbed our "bike issue.")

If you want to get in on one of the city's fave activities, head to Expo Idaho today for a basic bike-racing skills clinic. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., you can learn all about bike handling, pack awareness, cornering, basic rules and so much more. You'll also get a run-down on the lingo that the pros use and learn about local racing opportunities.

Gaining all this race know-how will only cost you $10 and registration opens at 6 p.m.

And while the coverage in this edition is extensive, there's always more to do when it comes to biking in the area. Here are even more reasons to get out and pedal—as if you needed them.

The design created by Lana Roth beat out the competition to become the official design that will grace the T-shirts for the inaugural women's multi-stage bike race. Her entry was selected by a panel of judges, who pored over the submitted designs this afternoon at BWHQ.

"I'm so excited," Roth said after learning of her win.

A graphic designer by trade, Roth owns L. Roth Designs in Boise and designs a collection of T-shirts that uses the distinct shape of Idaho as inspiration. Her most-popular design turns Idaho on its side reminiscent of a gun, shooting out a tree. Her work can be found locally at Idaho Mountain Touring and The Record Exchange, as well as on her website.

"'Local' and 'Idaho' is really something that inspires me throughout my work," she said.

If you've ever had an interest in innovative workouts—such as pole fitness, zumba, aerial yoga or burlesque cardio—but your fear of the unknown has kept you doing endless cycles on the elliptical machine, you should head to Ophidia Studio in Garden City.

Today at 8 p.m., you can watch student and instructor performances in pole dancing (more Cirque than stripper), burlesque, zumba, yoga, belly dancing, aerial yoga, power party sculpt and hoop dancing. Without the risk of embarrassing yourself, you can preview a slew of nonboring fitness options. Prizes and giveaways will be handed out, as well.

Last year's Pole-A-Palooza was so popular that this year, the staff added a second night. So if you're otherwise engaged this evening, you can check out the same performance Saturday, same place same time.

Tickets are $8 at Ophidia's website, or $10 at the door.

The season of events followed by a "K" is upon us. Almost every Saturday until the weather turns chilly, there will be a 5K, 10K, 50K fun run/walk for an awesome cause. But if your version of a weekend "K" has more to do with Krispy Kreme than lacing up your sneakers, you may not understand the "fun" part of the fun run.

Luckily, you can try out running with other people without diving right into a race. Every Thursday, including tonight, you can join in a 3-, 4- or 5-mile run/walk departing from Shu's Idaho Running Company. Things kick off at 5:30 p.m. sharp, and if you're a first-timer, get there a bit early so you can get all signed up. In addition to getting comfy running with others and upping your athletic abilities, you'll earn points toward prizes if you sign up for the store's mileage club.

Check out a map of different routes here and visit the store's website for more info.

Perhaps the region's most grassroots and informal publication, Banks Mag represents a group of Idahoans who take the thrill of white water pursuits to the highest level. Unfortunately, such endeavors come with a limited financial upside, making events like the Banks Mag fundraiser at the Basque Center imperative to their existence.

Members from the Idaho-based semi-annual rag hosted a mini film festival April 30 to help raise funds to publish their seventh edition this summer. The crowd was lively, and the collective passion of the audience and emcees was palpable. Several films were shown, including many high-end samples from Idaho boaters, excerpts from the Reel Paddling Festival and a fresh trifecta of elite productions by Forge Motion Pictures—makers of the critically acclaimed Wild Water film.

Banks Mag's Ryan Bailey is stoked to get back into the swing of things with the publication and the spring season.

"We are trying to get some money together for our next magazine, kick the paddling season off and get people fired up," said Bailey.

And not a moment too soon. According to Bailey, conditions are great at the moment for advanced boaters, but less favorable for other users.

"If you're a rafter or a swimmer it's probably a bad idea to hit the rivers when they are this high, but if you're a kayaker it's pretty much a powder day right now," Bailey said.

Keep an eye out for Banks Mag's next edition summer of 2012.

Want to scale a slew of rocks in the twilight hours, but a little afraid that climbing a mountain in the dark may be the last thing you ever do?

Tonight, you can get your rock-climbing fix without the risk of plummeting to your death with the Front Climbing Club's Late-Night Climb. From 10 p.m.-2 a.m., you can crawl all over the Front's rock walls, located at 3235 W. Chinden Blvd. in Garden City, while downing tasty Mediterranean food from Mazzah and suds from Payette Brewing Company.

For $7, you can climb, eat pizza, drink beer and maybe take home a killer climbing-related prize. Mazzah's tasty Mediterranean fare is not included in the admission.

First-time Front visitors will need to fill out a waiver. Psychedelic tie-dye attire is encouraged.

Gather up your guns and ammo, it is time again for the Hannah Bates Memorial Rock Chuck Derby in Bliss. Each spring, the Outlaws and Angels Saloon hosts the benefit.

Shooters from across the country and Canada gather in Bliss to see who can shoot the most gross weight in rock chuck in a given day. The world record is an amazing 15.8 pounds. The winners are awarded prizes like guns and gift cards.

While the winners might get cash and glory, the true reason for the derby is much more profound. It was established in order to help raise money for the Hannah’s Hope for Life Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Over the past five years, the derby has raised more than $200,000 in support of pediatric cancer patients, local schools and the needy. Last year alone, the derby donated $4,800 to Toys for Tots.

Registration for teams and individuals is open until Friday, April 27. Get out the guns and go raise some money for a good cause.

Read more about Bates here. And read more about my culinary adventures (pizza and pot stickers) with rock chuck here.

For more info about the author, check out chefrandyking.com.