eno, eno outfitters, eno double, dales pale ale, oskar blues, flambeau flowage, turtle flambeau flowage, flambeau flowage camping, northern wisconsin, northwoods

Two months of shocking reality after our three-week road trip in May, the family needed some quiet time.  Vacation days were in short supply, but we decided to take a 3.5-day canoe-camping weekend trip up to the Flambeau Flowage.  We had attempted this trip a year prior with Crosby, yielding dubious results; but he was […]

colorado, coloradopass, rockymountainnationalpark, rockymountainnps, rockies, mountainroad, epicroadtrip

Continued from WEEK 1 and WEEK 2… The ocean-withdrawal gloom was heavy as we left the coast and climbed into the Sierras.  However, with their massive lodgepole pines and spotless white snowfields, we quickly remembered that there are many other beautiful places in our world other than the ocean.  The higher we got, the more […]

epicroadtrip, bigsur, ca, california, camperconversion, 4runnercamperconversion, 4runnercamper, toyota, 4runner, thule, nacemiento

Continued from WEEK 1… Saying good-byes Monday morning was tough as always with our friends, but we were excited to see the place that we had been hearing amazing things about for so long, Big Sur.  Due to the recent landslides, only a small portion of the park was accessible and we would need to […]

pacific, ca, california, swingset, playground

How do you prepare for a three-week road trip with a two-and-a-half-year-old?  With the help of my dad, Molly and I built out our 4Runner into a 4WD camper, spent countless hours dehydrating food, researching routes, purchasing gear, and booking hotel rooms. After a year of thinking, planning, discussing, and anticipating the trip was finally […]

4-runner camping, car camping, SUV rv, arapaho national forest

**UPDATE** We easily retrofitted this platform for our 5th generation 4Runner and will try to get some pics/ dimensions posted!   **ORIGINAL POST** With a 10 day Colorado road trip looming and an early 2017 three-week epic family adventure in the planning stages, Molly and I thought it might be a cool idea to turn […]

Engineering student, college with a kid

 

The old saying “you get what you pay for” sums up the Clearwater 20 bag perfectly.  It is heavier than most synthetic bags and is nowhere near comfortable at 20 degrees; however, it compresses fairly well, is warm enough for most excursions, and is relatively inexpensive. I have had this bag since 2010 and it […]

Snowmass Lake Maroon Bells, Maroon bells backpacking, buckskin pass

Thank you REI garage sale!  I purchased this pack almost 10 years ago and it changed my perception of backpacking.  Previously, I had always used external frame or cheaper internal frame packs which lead to discomfort, fatigue, and general disdain for backpacking.  With this pack, I can throw 60 pounds of gear on my back […]

strawberry park hot springs, strawberry park cabin, steamboat springs, colorado hot springs

With a moniker suggesting a vast lake or river nearby but adjacent to neither, Steamboat Springs is an oddly named place.  A quick Google search will inform any amateur historian that the name comes from the sounds emitted from the area’s numerous hot springs which early settlers likened to a steamboat. History aside, our trip […]

Pictured Rocks National Shoreline backpacking, mosquito beach campsite

While definitely not the lightest or most compactable tent on the market, this three season tent has been both bomb-proof and roomy for us.  With 35 square feet inside, plenty of head and leg room (I am 6 feet tall), and TWO 7 square foot vestibules the Ouray more than makes up for its extra […]