Every once and awhile I have some romantic, glorious idea…albeit ambitious. And last winter, when the snow swirled deep, I was dreaming of sunshine and wild flowers and high mountain lakes. I got it in my head to try taking my kid’s backpacking…not a long distance, but far enough to feel like we were getting…

I really don’t have any idea how to approach this post. Every person requires a different amount of food. Quantity also depends greatly on age of kids and gender! So what I am going to do is add in a bunch of qualifiers. First, we went with another family of four and there was much…

This last week we embarked on our first backpacking trip as a family, and our first trip into Willow Heights Lake in the Wasatch. Really it could not have been more perfect and our trip report is coming soon. But for now I wanted to share a glimpse into our time on the trails through…

Weather, snow pack, and location permitting, we are headed on the first of our family backpacking trips this weekend! And so, my posts have been less frequent because I am spending most my brain energy on packing lists. I figured I’d share my list and a few a guidelines in choosing our gear/clothing for the…

The #1 gear item on our list for this summer’s Backpacking Project 2013 was kid’s backpacks. Now I don’t expect them to carry much…but I NEED them to carry something!  But in my opinion kid’s packs are tricky. Most are designed for school, for obvious reasons. But we needed and wanted something with a little…

This last weekend we were side-lined by a small running injury so we decided to kick around close to home. Which led to a whole host of new adventures up near Rockport Reservoir and the High Uintas. But we also frequented one of our favorite Salt Lake hikes perfect for kids, Bell Canyon Reservoir. Not…

Enter: My new favorite backpack. Talk about a multi-purpose pack. But I’ll get to that. Summit 1500 Specs: Volume: 1500 cubic inches/ 25 L Pack weight: 2.4 lbs. Waist belt 24″- 60″ Torso length: fixed 17″ Features: Hydration-ready (2 liters) with right and left ports and clips for the drinking tube 2 side mesh pouches with…

For years we’ve been trudging along in stiff, hard, HEAVY hiking boots. And then trail running emerged on the scene. Along with it, the shoes began to change. People needed/wanted the lightweight comfort of a running shoe but with more stability and traction. Personally, I think this might be one of the best advancements in…

For awhile now, I’ve been wanting to share with you guys some exciting goals, projects, and partnerships that we are working on here at The Kid Project. Think of it as a map for what you can expect from us. I like to think of it as our blueprint for the next year: blue·print /ˈblo͞oˌprint/ Noun…

Honestly, this is mostly for myself! So next year or next time I can bring up the post and pack my bag. I looked up many a packing list for my three night, all-women’s trip into the Collegiate Wilderness. I added specific brands for items I was particularly impressed with! And I won’t say this…

“I was really nervous about this trip,” my mother confessed. So was I. But she went on, “sometimes you wonder if you can even do it, but then you’ll never know unless you do. You just need to step up. Commit.” I felt the same way. And I chuckled to myself. My mom, an empty-nester,…

I am back! And refreshed by the beautiful Colorado Collegiate wilderness. I will share all about my trip soon… for now I will tease by sharing my favorite moment I captured from the trip: But until I can collect my thoughts on everything I learned in Colorado, I want to share about a community of…

Things might be a little quiet on the Kid Project front because this mom is throwing on a loaded backpack and hitting the trail with a group of women for four days. Yes, four days of backpacking and hopefully in the end some refreshed spirits and successful summits of Mt. Belford (14,197′), Mt. Oxford (14,153′)…