the kid project 
Labor Day weekend. 5 minutes prior we pulled into the parking lot at the ‘Bread Loaves’ area in City of Rocks National Reserve. The kids were running everywhere, climbing the rocks, throwing the rocks, and generally gleeful to be out of the car. The moms and I made a collective sigh and huddled up to…
Moab, UT. For me it is a little slice of heaven. Funny though…we went there many times during college and nearly every trip became epic in someway. Things just always seemed to go wrong – running out of water while backpacking, cold nights, injuries from biking… And yet we always go back and we always…
Join us for our series called the Camping Chronicles, for more tips and information! There is a segment of the climbing [outdoor] population that sighs and rolls their eyes every time they see a family come around the corner. They are bitter when their peaceful silence is interrupted by a crying infant. Honestly, I think…
This is the first post in our series Camping Chronicles, discussing all things camping with kids! Join us for more posts on topics such as packing, potty training, camper trailers, and good gear. Today we are attempting to answer the endless problem of how to sleep your babies in a tent AND keep them warm….
Welcome to part two of “Keeping your kids warm” in our series, Camping Chronicles! Today I am simply the messenger. I called it a bloggers “mashup” cause well, we are mashing it up! Taking lots of ingredients, from lots of places and mixing it all up for ya. I asked my fellow outdoor mom’s what…
Welcome to the third post in the Camping Chronicles. We’ve talked a whole lot about staying warm. Now we are switching gears entirely to potty training. I had to start this post off with this photo. Cause why not?! We all need a few more laughs when it comes to potty training. If you are…
OK, you are right. There is no such thing as kids getting bored around camp. Usually. But when you have been camping for 5 days and still have a few more before you leave? Sometimes you need to change it up a bit. Not to mention those famously few camping trips where weather keeps you…
This post is like my recyle bin. Useful little tidbits – that have no where else to go. It might feel a little all-over-the-place. And well…it is! No matter how prepared I think I am, I always forget something. We just hope it is a “cheap” something we can grab at the local store. Often,…
We were three pitches up on Bastille Crack, in Eldo. I was doing my first ever hanging belay and I had to pee. This is embarrassing to admit. But I had to pee really bad. Bad enough I felt like vomiting [though I am sure 50% of my nausea was do to nerves.] See, for…
It is 6 a.m. My coffee is keeping me company this morning. And you too! I am not a morning person. But my in-laws just hit the road back to Oregon and I find myself up and unable to go back to bed. And really there is no better time for this mom to write…
Good morning everyone! I am sitting her, sipping away at my coffee, and typing away at the keyboard. To be honest I feel sort of frenzied this morning. But I am going to try to SLOW DOWN. I am joining outdoor bloggers from across North America today and sharing our favorite campgrounds. We all know…
With the Fourth of July staring us in the face, I figured I would share some of our favorite camping items for family fun! These range in price and size but have each added tremendous value to our camping trips. 1. BugLit This little LED “buggy” looking light is my newest favorite piece of gear…for…
As a family, we’ve tried out a ton of different sleeping bags over the years. And for the vast amount of families, you cannot go wrong. Well…too wrong. Most sleeping bags on the market will keep your kids warm in moderate to warm temperatures. But there are significant differences that can affect a good night’s…
A Kid Project reader recently asked: How do you make your toddlers stay in their sleeping bags? My 21-month-old rolls all over the crib and she hates to wear any sleeping bag that covers her feet. She wears a Halo sleepsack at home but it won’t be warm enough for camping. Any suggestions? Ahhh! The…
It is Sunday morning and despite being early March, it feels like April. Temperatures are encouraging us out the door and even though I am operating as a single parent for a few days, I am still meeting some good friends for a hike in Mill Creek Canyon. But I’ll be honest: I am tempted…
As our kids get older, we have gotten bolder. Our adventures have migrated from family car camping to multiple backpacking trips a summer. But always the gear… sleeping bags that are heavy and bulky. So we jumped at the opportunity to try out backcountry quilts by Enlightened Equipment. And I must say, we’ve been won…
Every once in a while we willingly and knowingly enter into a “bad idea.” Last weekend, we decided last minute to head to Capitol Reef National Park. Without camping reservations. On Memorial Weekend. Just a tad crazy. But we had an amazing weekend, didn’t have too hard a time finding camping, and learned a lot…
Every year, March emerges like a butterfly from a chrysalis, and everyone (from Utah and beyond) starts dreaming of heading to southern Utah. And for good reason! Southern Utah is like the sweet taste of summer in March-May. Bluebird days in the mid-70s, a unique and wild landscape, and endless opportunity for adventure. Below are…
We are often asked about what sleeping bags we prefer for our kids when camping or backpacking, and our experienced with the variety of brands on the market. So here are all my answers regarding synthetic bags. But first some broad spectrum tips regarding kids sleeping bags for outdoor adventures. Tips for purchasing a kid’s…
If you are part of our Facebook community, then you know that a few weeks ago, we started our all new Kid Project Tip Series! This is the second tip in a series of new tip videos shared every week on our Facebook and YouTube channels! Since it is super easy to miss things via…
As the end of our 8 weeks of travel came to an end, we found ourselves at a bit of a low. If you tagged along on our adventures last summer, then you read the post on leaving Oregon, with wildfire evacuations hot on our heels. We passed from Oregon into Idaho and the smoke did…
The Eastern Sierra Mountains, stretching from Lake Tahoe in the north to Death Valley in the south, are some of the most magnificent adventure grounds I’ve ever seen. This May we took two weeks to explore the region, hike, camp and visit some of the amazing hot springs we’ve heard so much about. What we…