We have loved Deuter packs for many years now, using their ACT and Lite series for backpacking, the Comfort Air kid carrier and many of their kid’s backpacks for a variety of adventure. So when I was looking for a day pack that would work for Backcountry ski touring as well as day hikes in the…

A good approach shoe will quickly become your most used shoe in your arsenal. Great for easy climbing and scrambling, they [usually] are also great for urban adventures, hiking, backpacking and for wear in the winter or shoulder seasons. After previously wearing out my Camp Four approach shoes by Five Ten, I’ve been on the…

Everything is just big! Huge! Our eyes were wide at the endless expanses of granite towering over our heads. Chris nearly pulled the car off the road. It was everything we’ve always been told it was. Mind-boggling-massive. That night we perused the guide-book by fire light. Inside I had a sinking feeling. Everything was long…

I took a deep breath. Exhaled. And with it let go of the stress of my day. I focused in on my next foot placement, moving my hand up into a finger pocket. More than any other sport, climbing helps me unwind and leave the chaos of life behind, if even for a moment. But…

I love spring. Probably more than any other season, there is so much you can do. From skiing to hiking and climbing, every adventurer can find some soul filling beauty. And every year, when the snow starts to melt, there are specific places that come to mind with a beckon similar to the chocolate in…

Someone posed a question the other day, “what does being an outdoor mom really mean?” For some moms it means teaching their kids to love, respect, and be knowledgable about nature. For others it means living in such a way as to preserve the environment. I know moms who have taken to the road with…

One last look at a year full of a LOT of first for us as a family. First snowshoe trips. First time on cross-country skis. First half and full marathons. First triathlons. First all-family backpacking trips. Even the first time trying Kipper Snacks (basically sardines….) And a ton of beautiful moments in-between. Here is a…

I have a love affair with this Stonewear Designs Dryflex Double Cross top. And a funny laundry rotation going with it right now. It looks like this: Wear under a cute black hoodie as casual day wear. Wear as a baselayer on a “low-sweat” adventure. (Ie. Skiing, climbing, hiking) Wear to a “sweat-a-thon” at the…

What a fun week. And today you have another chance to win a pair of climbing shoes and a new chalk bag! You can enter both shoe giveaways, so make sure you do! First, don’t miss this week’s other giveaways and don’t forget to come back tomorrow for a giveaway from I/O Merino, maker of…

Hey fellow climbers today’s giveaway is for you! And I’ll give you a little hint: Check back Thursday for another chance to win a pair of your choice of climbing shoes and a chalk bag from Mad Rock! We’ve worked with Mad Rock for roughly a year now and have enjoyed the shoes we’ve tried….

“In The Open 2014” consists of the gear we choose, use and abuse every time we step out the door. It is the gear we love and need. The gear we’d recommend. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and we have by no means tested or tried every great piece of gear out…

In case you are not well acquainted with the term “dirt bagger” or “dirt bag climber,” here it is: 1. Dirtbag Climber A glorified bum, who spends all of his/her time begging for food, drinking PBR, and climbing. They live the traveling life, taking to the road year-round in pursuit of adventure. Often in a van….

Finding a good seat in the backcountry can be hard. (Pun intended.) I’ve tried sitting on 3 legged stools, the ‘convert a therm-a-rest to a chair’ thingamabops and have generally settled on using a tree. None of them are very comfortable. When Alyssa said we were going to be testing the Joey Chair by Travel…

The dust swirls around our Xterra as we negotiate the last few miles of dirt road. Hwy 191 is up ahead, marking our last leg back into Moab. The kids sit sleepily in the back, giving Chris and I time to talk: She was bored. Bored! She told me she wanted to climb and not…

This last week we decided to seize one last weekend before snowfall by going to one of our favorite fall destinations: Southern Utah. And we weren’t disappointed. The leaves were peaking, the temperatures hovered right around 72 degrees, and the skies were cobalt blue. It was perfect. We headed out to a new crag for…

I hear it every year. And have already heard it a handful of times in the last week. There are only two seasons around here, Summer and Winter. Fall only lasts a week or so. I hate to be the contrarian, but I respectfully disagree. So why does it always feel like Fall comes and…

Not all outdoor sports require a ton of skill and gear in order to get out and do them! And that is what keeps us from pursuing certain activities as parents, isn’t it? Cost. Time. Cost. Danger. Cost. But certain outdoor sports are not only easy to get “into” but flow with their natural inclinations….

I think I found a pant designed for the iPhone 5. But that is just one of the many things I love about the Rockin’ Pant. More on that later. 🙂 I am hard to please when it comes to pants. I’d say I have a hard body to fit – round hips, short legs….

Balancing kids and climbing can be quite the task. This is what a weekend at the crag looked like for 9 adults and 13 kids: After the fourth reading of “Big Girls Use the Potty” we get the: Mom, I am hungry. Can I have some chips? It is only 9am. They just had breakfast…Imagine…

I do some “risky” things. Climbing. Backpacking. Some might even say skiing. But not that risky. I am that person who sits down after a fun multi-pitch 5.7/5.8 trad climb (for you non-climbers, 5.7 is easy) to read Climbing Magazine or Backpacker Magazine. I like absorbing other people treacherous tales and the lessons they’ve learned…