Backpacking

You may be asking, do my kids really need hiking backpacks? The truth is they don’t…if you don’t mind carrying all of their water, food, and gear.  Let’s do some math! I have four kids with a combined weight of 232 lbs. According to the experts at REI, hiking backpacks should weigh between 10% and 20% of a hiker’s body weight. No backpacks for the kiddos means I’ll end up carrying an extra 23.2 lbs and a max of 46.4 lbs!  My knees can’t take another 46.4 lbs. 😬😨   So … Read more

If you love to backpack and want an efficient way to cook without the hassle of fuel canisters, you’ll LOVE the Solo Stove Lite. Yes, it’s true. Fuel canister stoves are faster.  And it’s also true that some canister stoves are smaller.  So does the Solo Stove Lite still deserve a place in your backpack? Is it really worth it? You might be surprised at what this little wood-burning stove is capable of…I KNOW I was! So I want to share my first-hand experience with the Solo Stove Lite. And … Read more

If you’re starting to plan your first overnight backpacking trip with your kid, then let me save you a TON of time and share what I’ve learned ! We just finished a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip with our 6 year old, so it’s all super fresh! In celebration of my son’s 6th birthday and my husband’s 33rd, we wanted to try to summit Symmetry Spire in Grand Teton National Park. Thankfully we did already have a bit of gear since my husband grew up backpacking, but it was … Read more

Backpacking is usually a fairly safe outdoor activity. But it’s still important that even experienced hikers follow backpacking safety best practices.  Don’t underestimate how fast a few bad decisions and some poor planning can put you in an “uncomfortable” situation. That’s why it’s important to follow these 9 tips for staying safe while on the trail.  Do that and you’ll really enjoy your next hiking trip, instead of letting it turn into your personal reenactment of Man vs. Wild.  9 Tips for Staying Safe While Backpacking 1. Have a Checklist … Read more

Think you’ve got the outdoor skills to survive your first backpacking trip just because you’ve seen every episode of Running Wild With Bear Grylls? Think again.  Sure, you don’t need to know how to skin a snake with a stick or make elephant dung casserole, but you do need a few basic backpacker survival skills that’ll help you stay alive and find help in case of an emergency.  So let’s have a look at some outdoor skills every hiker needs to have. Fortunately, they don’t involve eating bugs or other … Read more

So you’ve planned out your first overnight hiking trip. You’ve got all your essential backpacking gear. Now it’s time to pack your backpack for hiking.  But does it really matter how you pack your gear as long as it all fits in your backpack? Yes, yes, and yes!  Just stuffing your backpack full of gear all willy-nilly will lead to a top-heavy pack that makes it next to impossible to lift a foot without falling over backward. Not to mention the extreme sense of panic you’ll feel when you need … Read more

“Hard work should be rewarded by good food.” – Ken Follett Backpacking is hard work. After a day of trapesing up and down a mountainside carrying what seems like a mountain of gear, you’ll be thankful you planned some simple backpacking recipe ideas.  The last thing you need is to set up camp and sit down to a mediocre meal of funny-tasting protein bars and trail mix that’s just basically peanuts, raisins, and a single tiny piece of chocolate at the bottom of the bag.  Wouldn’t it be better to … Read more