Camping with Kids (Book Review, Author Interview and Giveaway!)

Camping with kids is not the same as camping in college with a bunch of buddies.  No secret there!  It requires more stuff, more patience, more planning AND results in a whole lot of fun.  I get emails all the time from people asking for our own camping tips with babies/toddlers.  Some posts in response to those are in the works, but in the meantime I am SO excited to introduce a fabulous book to you all that I think is currently THE handbook for family camping (if I may be so bold in saying so!)  

The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids by Helen Olsson encompasses a whole range of aspects of camping as a family.  And yep, there is a WHOLE lot more to think about than just sleeping and eating!  The book is an easy read with cute vintage pictures, tons of check-lists (which I happen to be a sucker for!) and sprinkled throughout with "Smart Tips" to highlight the really important stuff.  Helen's writing is humorous, informative and will draw you right in saying "that's us!" if you are a parent!  I truly feel like she wrote the book I just haven't gotten around to yet. :)  And be sure to read her introduction - we're kindred spirits on the importance of having some Family Screen-Free time!

Photo by Julia Vandenoever

Because I wanted you to hear a little more about her book from her own witty words, I was thrilled to be able to track Helen down for a little interview (and um, I am still laughing about #4.....):

psssttt..... read to the very end for a chance to win a copy of the book for yourself!

1.  So very honored to have you on the blog, Helen.  I am a huge fan of your book and think your wisdom reaches out to a full spectrum of camping families.  Can you tell me, first of all, a little about yourself for people that don't "know" you? (yourself, your family, your blog, your passions, etc.)

 I’m a freelance writer and former executive editor at Skiing Magazine. As of this spring, I can add “author” to my resume. But first and foremost, I’m a mom. I have three small children, ages 6, 8, and 11. They run me ragged! We are passionate about skiing. I grew up ski racing in Buffalo, NY, and my kids are following in my footsteps. Although my 11-year-old is already faster than me (by 3/10ths of a second, which is truly galling.) In summer, we love to camp. We bike, hike, and paddle, but our favorite thing to do as a family is to camp.

2.  Loving your S'more section in the book.  It's a personal camping favorite of mine (and no trip seems complete without them!)  So, I have to ask- how do YOU like your 'Mallows/S'mores??  Traditional or fancy?

S’mores are the quintessential camp dessert, to be sure. But personally, I find graham crackers to be overly sweet and they stick in my back molars, so I prefer to make chocolate cherry bombs. You poke a hole in your marshmallow, stuff it with semi-sweet chocolate chips and dried cherries, and roast. Super yum.

The Big Move

For the first time since our family was established (all of 4 years ago) we made the life-changing decision to pack up everything we owned, switch jobs, change cities and move on.

Not an easy decision, not an easy change.

We have been surrounded by this:

We are looking forward to digging through this:

We have been exploring this:

This Moment....

*No words necessary, just a precious moment from our life.*

Jackson Hole Packrafts and Rentals Review + Giveaway

Despite the fact that Mtn Papa and I both grew up on lakes, so far we have not been a boating family.  We both LOVE water and spent many hours growing up water skiing, boating, canoeing, paddle-boating and ice skating (on lakes, so it's relevent. :))  The simple truth right now is that we live in an area where water is just not easily accessible.  The wind (which I find myself mentioning often) is also a factor when you have children and white-caps are fairly common.


Long story short, when a friend of a friend contacted me about doing a review of her Packrafts, I was psyched!  (in case you missed it, Amy did a guest post last week.)   Located 70 miles away from us, Jackson Hole Packrafts and Rentals not only rents boats locally, but also has a program where they will send you a Packraft for rent and include a prepackaged return label and box.  The perks?  Not having to buy a raft with the ability to keep it long-term (the rates drop dramatically with time.) 


A great list from the Packraft Site about what the rafts are good for (besides the obvious):

A packraft can…

1. Easily fit into a backpack, small plane, boat, or the trunk of your car.
2. Be used to cross a river that would otherwise be impassable on foot
3. Provide shelter during a heavy down poor or during an all night rain
4. Serve as a heavenly, soft ground pad for an afternoon nap or full night’s sleep
5. Facilitate travel during endurance races
6. Get you to that hot fishing hole on the other side of the creek
7. Haul your bike or skis during a multisport adventure
8. Be paddled around a pristine alpine lake9. Carry your sheep or caribou as you float out from a seldom visited hunting spot
10. Be filled with water and let to sit in the warm sun – voila, your very own hot tub
11. Our addition: They are REALLY fun coming down a hill on snow! :)

*Guest Post* Interviewing Tiny Trekker

This week the guest post is a little different.  I have had the chance to get to know a great little company over the last few months that I wanted to highlight. Meet Erik, the owner and family-man behind Tiny Trekker.  He agreed to answer some questions I had about Tiny Trekker, his family and WHY they have a great thing going.  Like I mentioned on our gear post on Monday, they are having an excellent sale right now (up to 50% off!) and free shipping over $45 (sale ends 5/28).

Owners Erik and Julie and one of their sons

1. Tell me a little bit about why Tiny Trekkers was started?

At the time, we were parents of two little boys and while owning and operating Mountains Plus, we soon came to realize that it was really difficult to find quality outdoor gear for kids and families.  Even as industry 'insiders' it was extremely difficult.  Hence the birth of Tinytrekker.com. We’ve used our experience in finding and accumulating the best gear available to put together a site where any parent can find the tools they need to share the outdoors with their own Tiny Trekkers.

2. I know Mountains Plus Gear is a sister company....would love to know more about that site too and how they are related

Mountains Plus was originally started back in 1995 when online retail was a bit like the wild west.  Originally we specialized in selling ski and bike equipment but our offering grew and adapted over time into what we now sell today.  We specialize in finding some of the best and hardest to find gear for outdoor enthusiasts of all types. At Mountains Plus Gear you can find the most popular lightweight tents, backpacks for any adventure, footwear for everything from trail hiking to crossfit, and more. 

Tiny Trekker is an extension of Mountains Plus and our selection of great gear for your little ones. 

Wait for the Gear Sales!

I know that we talk gear a LOT here.  It's not because we think everyone is loaded and should spend their money on gear, but I can think of plenty of things much WORSE to spend money on. :)

In our family, we value the memories we make outdoors and so we make the little sacrifices so we can own the equipment that safely (and happily) gets us out there.  Our life is by no means extravagant, but a Gear Closet is a must.  And we are ok with that.  And yes, we are MORE than willing to spread the love and loan it out too - we truly want others to take full advantage of those precious family moments.

I am not going to tell you that all gear/equipment is created equal, because more often than not, you get what you pay for (at least in the value of it.)  But, there is no shame in second-hand shopping (most gear lasts forever!) - garage sales, Craiglist.com, REI Garage Sales, etc.  And buying off-season helps a ton too (you just have to estimate growth for your kids if you buy that way!)

This week REI is having their mega Anniversary Sale and there are some smoking deals on things that don't usually go on sale.  Having lived in Alaska and Washington before I moved to Wyoming, REI was THE place to go.  I am FAR from one now, but they have great gear (and their return policy is unbeatable.)  I thought it would be fun to make a little wish-list of bigger-ticket things I, personally, would recommend when you can get them on sale!

Before I begin, I also wanted to do a little shout-out to Tiny Trekker (which you will learn more about later this week.)  They are an incredible little company that works hard to provide excellent customer service and keep the gear in stock that truly helps families get out.  They have free shipping on orders over $45 and a daily deal with a HUGE reduction in price.  By all means, PLEASE support the "Little Guy" first - REI is great, but the customer service at Tiny Trekker blows them away.  They are having a pre-memorial day sale right now on some great camping gear (tents, sleeping bags and kids' balance bikes)  Sale ends May 28th.


If I were going to take a family shopping to the REI Anniversary Sale.....And remember, Members get to take 20% off of one full-price item.

1. Chariot - these VERY rarely go on sale.  20% off is a great bargain if you can't find one use (which we never could.)

Cabin Memories (with a shout-out to Coleman!)

“Sponsored by Coleman and hosted by the Outdoor Blogger Network, this is my submission for the Coleman Camping Heritage Essay Contest.”  It's a little snippet into my personal life before I was married and had my own children.  Does it bring back any memories for you?  Anyone else depend on Kerosine Coleman lanterns for hours of game-playing?  

I grew up in Alaska with a dad who was trying to always get away from the phone.  He worked on-call as a doctor, and the phone meant having to leave his family and/or get up in the middle of the night (often working throughout the night and next day too.)  Therefore, we spent a lot of time at our remote cabin on his days off. 

“Cabin” to some people means electricity, running water, and no chores.  To us it meant lighting our Coleman lanterns in the winter for light (in the summer it never got dark enough to NEED lights), working to clear victims of the Spruce Bark Beetle for firewood (we literally had an entire shed full) and going through the endless task of sorting trinkets left over from previous owners.  The cabin (still) has character, and plenty of it!   The only access to it (besides bush plane) is via snowmachine (the “correct” term for ‘snowmobile’ if you are from Alaska) in the winter and hiking then boating across the lake in the summer.