books for the outdoorsy toddler
We’ve found that reading books to our kids about the outdoors has helped inspire excitement for any family outdoor activity. We put together this list of our favorite books that have helped teach our kids about so many things: animals, plants, seasons, the sun and moon, camping, fire safety, bugs, colors, hiking…the list goes on and on!
Read MoreOur favorite packs to carry kids on the trail
Finding a comfortable way to carry your baby or toddler on hikes can be overwhelming. There are so many options, and the needs and size of little ones are always changing and growing. Our collection of packs and carriers came to be after combing through blogs, watching video reviews, testing, and even stopping random parents on the trail. We’ve got you covered from the first few days and weeks of infancy all the way up to toddler carriers. While no carrier is perfect, we found each of these options was a nice solution to meet our needs as an active family hiking everything from local parks to overnight adventures in the Sierras.
Read MoreSix tricks that keep our family on-the-go
Traveling can be cumbersome and exhausting, and doing so with kids only amplifies the challenges. Whether it is a road trip, an airline trip, a camping trip, or even a vacation to a resort, kids undoubtedly complicate things and the thought of the obstacles surrounding a trip can sometimes be stifling or even create such a road block to cancel or postpone the notion all together!
Over the past year and a half, we’ve tried our best to stay active with our daughter. Our trips haven’t always been easy, but we have learned a few things that have made our adventures more fun and most important, doable! Below we’ve listed six tips for traveling with a young family.
Read More5 Tips for Yosemite’s Firefall
Firefall is one of the most spectacular displays of natural beauty that Yosemite National Park has to offer. When conditions are just right, Horsetail Fall, located on the eastern side of El Capitan, lights up and resembles molten lava pouring over the side the valley. Words and photos don’t do it justice, you need to see it for yourself!
We’ve put together a few tips to help get you in place and ready to capture the big event.
9 Tips For Backpacking With a Baby
Before we had our daughter, we spent many of our weekends and holidays backpacking. Like most backpackers, we loved the feeling of freedom and solitude that getting out into the wilderness gave us. This feeling was a vital part of our lives and we did not want risk losing it. One of the biggest challenges we faced when we talked about of having children was a loss of our freedom to backpack. So many people with children told us that we would have to wait years before we could get back out on the trail. What?! To be totally honest, this type of mindset was a factor that led us to wait to have kids longer than we would have otherwise. We figured it must be true since people with kids were telling us it wasn’t possible, and we did not know anyone that backpacked with a baby. If you find yourself in similar shoes, let us tell you that IT’S NOT TRUE! We’ve done it and our family of three has lived to tell about it…and had fun doing it!
We took note of a few lessons learned to share with you in hopes it might give you the information you need to get out there and also inspire you that you can do it too!
Read MoreEmergency Preparedness Gear That You Can Actually Use
Being ready for an emergency is important, and preparing an emergency kit before disaster strikes is a critical piece of the puzzle. We built our kit a few years ago, and go through it each spring to see what needs to be replaced. In the past we always purchased separate gear for our kit with no intention of ever using these items outside of an emergency. While this plan seems prudent initially, it leads to a lot of waste down the road when items expire or stop working after years of sitting in the kit. Good news! Thanks to advances in technology and gear, preparing an emergency kit that is actually useful on a daily basis is possible. The items we’ve picked are versatile enough that you can use them for camping and outdoor adventures, and still have them ready in case the unthinkable happens. We selected items that also tap into renewable sources of energy, so you always have power and supplies when you need them. Plus, this type of gear is earth-friendly, and less expensive in the long run.
Read MoreSnow Chains For Mercedes Sprinter 4×4
Snow is falling and snowshoeing is calling! We recently traveled to both Big Bear and Yosemite National Park in California to get out into some fresh powder. While it was all fun and games when we finally got on the trail, prepping for and traveling on wintry roads to get to the trail can be a little hair-raising, particularly during a major snow storm. We are going to walk you through our experience selecting snow chains for our Mercedes Sprinter 4×4, what we learned about Mercedes tire chain disclosure, our experience with the van’s performance with the factory mud/snow tires plus 4×4, and what conditions prompted us to install our chains.
Read More7 Gear Tips For Hiking With A Baby
So you are thinking about hiking with an infant? Awesome! Getting out on the trail has been one of the most important experiences we’ve shared as a family. The fresh air and scenery helped us shrug off the cabin fever that set in while we were recovering after birth. Whenever you feel ready (and get the okay from your doctor), make a move! We found that getting out sooner than later helped us gain momentum early, and hiking has quickly become part of our weekly routine. Getting out on the trail can be tough at first, but having the right gear makes doing it easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
Read More10 Tips To Make Your Van Build Kid-Friendly
Adventure vans are everywhere! People are doing everything from day trips, weekends, longer trips, and even living in adventure vans. The beauty of these rigs is their versatility to be built out in so many ways. When we started our journey gathering ideas for our van, we were just a family of two. However, during the design process we found out we were expecting! Building a van for a couple is much different than building a van for a family. We wanted to share our experience designing and using our van as a family with a newborn for those adventures out there considering, building, or even renovating their builds to accommodate kids!
Read MoreHow-To’s of Hot Springs
Soaking in a natural hot spring is magical. It’s not just the temperature of the water, but it’s also the miracle of how the water is naturally heated by magma or hot rocks far beneath the earth’s surface that creates a truly visceral experience.
If you are new to soaking in hot springs, you might be a little unsure about the whole experience of heading out into the wilderness to soak with complete strangers…strangers who might or might not be nude. Sounds a bit awkward, right? It can be if you aren’t prepared for it. You might also be wondering if hot springs are family friendly? Not to worry! We’ve got you covered with a few tips how to soak in the springs safely and responsibly.
Read More