A last-ditch effort to cram in a little mother-son bonding before the freshman college drop-off means a camping trip and kayaking.
Luxe Camping Gear
August 2, 2017 by 2 Comments
Sounds like an oxymoron, but there is such a thing as luxury gear for backpacking, from high-tech pillows to whimsical lighting. Why not? My two sons and I just spent a superb three days backpacking in Colorado’s Indian Peaks. Our campground had a lake view and a perfect sawed-off stump […]
Camp Desserts: Beyond S’mores
July 12, 2017 by Leave a Comment
S’mores are the go-to dessert for most campers. But if you’re ready to try something different, there are tons of easy and scrumptious desserts you can make in the woods. One of our favorites is Bananas Foster in Foil Packets. Traditionally, the dessert is doused in rum and then ignited, […]
Gift Guide For Campers
December 19, 2015 by 1 Comment
It’s not too late to stock up on gifts that are perfect for campers. Herewith a list of some of my favorite pieces of gear–and a few items I’m putting on my own list for Santa. Trek-Light Hammock ($70-$80) A lightweight hammock is probably the single most loved nonessential gear […]
11 Best Camp Books for Kids
June 11, 2013 by 11 Comments
A Few of My Favorite Reads When I was writing my family camping book, I checked out a few camping-themed picture books from the library to read to my kids at bed time. One night, while reading the supremely clever Duck Tents by Lynne Berry, I had an epiphany. I […]
Need for Speed
February 4, 2013 by 5 Comments
Better than Band Camp: Steamboat’s Speed Camp for Ski Racers My tweenage son, who weighs in at a willowy 70 pounds, recently was clocked at 59 miles per hour. He was not in a car. Or on a bike, for that matter. He was balled up in a tuck, sliding […]
Island Camping in Maine: Part II
August 1, 2012 by 28 Comments
High Adventure on Isle au Haut Click here to read Part I It wasn’t total deprivation. We did have a bag of those enormous oversized marshmallows, dark chocolate chips, and graham crackers. The kids roasted the marshmallows over a roaring fire and stuffed themselves with s’mores. After dinner we climbed […]
Island Camping in Maine: Part I
August 1, 2012 by 2 Comments
High Adventure on Isle au Haut In my twenties, my hiking shoes were a well-worn pair of Timberland work boots. I’d trekked in them from the Uintas to the Black Hills to the Gunks. They’ left a trail of knobby prints around the Annapurna circuit in Nepal and through the […]
The Ultimate Camp Checklist
March 6, 2012 by 57 Comments
Based on a 1956 study by a Princeton psychologist, Miller’s Law suggests our short-term memory can hold a maximum of only seven items. My camping checklist has 214 items on it, I am not kidding. And unless your cranium has considerably more RAM than the average person, what you need […]
Reading List: Camp Books for Kids
March 5, 2012 by 2 Comments
When we took our kids on a llama-trekking/backcountry-camping trip in Southwest Colorado, we read them the book Your Mama’s a Llama cialis professional while snuggled inside the tent. It was perfect. Here’s a list of camping-themed picture books, early readers and chapter books for kids. My favorites–and some excerpts–can be […]
First Aid Kit Checklist
February 6, 2012 by 2 Comments
Camping with Kids Be prepared for common medical eventualities whenever you’re in the outdoors with children. Kids fall and scrape their knees on rocks. They step on prickly pear cacti in their bare feet. They get blisters when they hike. They get gnats in their eyes when they bike. uk […]
Backcountry Essentials Checklist
February 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
What’s in Your Pack? Here’s a list of 12 things you should have in your pack when you forge into the backcountry even for a day hike. Especially if you’re bringing the kids along, you want to be prepared for every eventuality short of the apocalypse. Because you are big […]
Camp Gear on Daybreak
January 30, 2012 by 2 Comments
So this morning, I was waiting in the lobby with two shopping carts of camping gear to do a segment on CW2’s Daybreak morning TV show in Denver, and the receptionist asked me to just hold up a minute. They were going to send another guest up first. Just happened […]
Camp Blueberry Pancakes
October 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Cakes in Camp A have a friend who was long in the habit of serving those little boxes of cereal for breakfast when camping. Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks. That sort of thing. And to be sure, her family could evacuate camp and get home in short order. We’ve always gone for […]
