Author: Jess

Categories
Airstream Accessories Holidays & Bdays Outdoor Gear

25 Gift Ideas for Adventurers, RVers, and Families

Looking for gift ideas? Check out our top gifts for the Outdoor Adventure enthusiast, the RVer, or even your own family!

Its time for the holidays! While we are avid “no Christmas tree before Thanksgiving” kind of people, I also like to get my shopping done early. Notably, I do most of my shopping at Amazon which is why you’ll find many of these items. No joke. Even as a traveler. We tend to be near friends or family for the holidays and its super easy to ship all our stuff a few days before.

While we have most of this gear already, there are a few I wouldn’t mind seeing under the tree this year. If you are looking for holiday gift ideas for an Outdoor Adventure Enthusiast, an RV traveler, or even your family we are here to help!

This post contains Amazon & REI affiliate links which help to fund the blog in a small, small way. Thanks for helping us out by clicking through to shop!

gifts-for-the-adventurer
Gifts For the Adventurer

1. Oru Kayak: I got to play with one of these at Outessa. They fold up into the size of a suitecase but are sturdy enough for any paddler.

2. SHREDLY adventure clothing or Zoic Bike Clothing: I just wrote about SHREDLY a few days ago, and Zoic is another company I’ve purchased bike clothing from. Both are great brands!

3. KEEN Hiking Shoes: Our whole family is decked out in KEEN now and we love promoting their fabulous shoes and great family values.

4. Nite Ize Radiant 250 Rechargeable Headlamp: We were just sent some headlamps to review this last week and are already blown away by them. These suckers are BRIGHT. Love that they are rechargeable so we don’t need more batteries floating around.

5. Darn Tough Socks for Women, Boys or Girls. My all time favorite socks. Period.

6. GoPro HERO5 Session. This is one of those things we could use under the tree from Santa. We have the Hero 3+ right now and the Session would be an awesome upgrade. Anyone?

7. To Live World Map: LOVE this map. We have their My Adventures map in our Airstream, but love this one for the non space constrained.

8. Rumpl Down Puffy Trekking Blanket. These look SO comfortable. I’ve heard great things about them and taken a look at REI. An all around, tough, outdoor blanket. Maybe I’ll get my hands on one to do a very thorough review.


gfits-for-rv-travelers

Gifts For the RVer

9. Audible Membership: We RV or Airstream travelers drive. A lot. Audible books are a great way to pass the time or even to listen to as a family. We’ve been gifted several books (doesn’t even have to be a membership). One of our favorite stories is Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry. Great series.

10. Gift Cards for National Food Chains (like this one for Coldstone): We LOVE getting gift cards. It seems silly, but cards for places like Coldstone, Panera Bread, or Texas Roadhouse go down really well around here.

11. Magma Stainless Steel Cookware Set: If you *really* love your RVer you could get them this pot set. I’ve had mine going on 3 years and couldn’t be happier with it.

12. Cute Adventure Pillow from Etsy: Lots to choose from if you look around! While we are picky about what comes into our Airstream I don’t know anyone that would say “no” to a good adventure pillow.

13. Airstream “Rivet Trailer” Pint 4-Pack: Sturdy, dependable, functional, and who doesn’t love Airstreams?

14. Leatherman Signal Multi-Tool with Nylon Sheath: I met some Leatherman people at Outessa and then again at an Outdoor Blogger Summit. Solid company and really great multi-tools. The Signal is my favorite.

15. Airstream Jewelry: Love this set from Airstream brands!

16. Collapsible Salad Spinner: Collapsible anything really. We love saving space. We also have a collapsible colander, a bowl, and I’ve had my eye on this collapsible tea kettle for quite some time.

17. Kindle Paperwhite & Fintie SmartShell Case Cover: Books are hard to store, and while a lot of our space is taken up by kids books we love having a kindle. Pair it with an Overdrive account at your local library and there’s plenty of easy reading to be had!


gifts-for-the-family

Gifts For the Family

18. Dominion Card Game: We’ve just gotten back into Dominion with all our kids. I love that there are a hundred + different card combinations to play, plus a gazillion expansion sets. Definitely for older kids. Cara (ages 6) does decently well but she’s been trained into it.

19. Woom Bike (any size!): Probably will be on every gift list I ever create. I absolutely love these bikes the company that makes them! Lightweight & good quality. Worth every penny.

20. OgoSport Mini OgoDisk: Remember KOOSH ball? Similar and super fun. We get a kick out of playing around with this as a family.

21. Perky Jerky: Gotta keep your family fueled! This is the best jerky we’ve ever tasted. Snacking, in the car, out on an adventure, you name it. We eat it ALL the time.

22. Complete Book of Chalk Art Lettering: We got into Chalk Art because it was an easy way to be craft without getting too deep. Super fun!

23 So Much S’more to Do with Fireside Forks: We put together gift baskets one year with this S’more book and the ingredients to make a few of them. Add in some Fireside Forks (see our review) and you’e got a pretty great gift!

24. GUBS Card Game: One of our favorite kid friendly games. Easy to play, and it only last 15-20 minutes tops.

25. Scientific Explorer Wizards Only Kit: We had one of these pre-traveling and the kids LOVED it. So easy to learn when they think they are just playing.

BONUS: Jamstik+ guitar: Rachel and I have been learning the guitar this year with jamstik+ and their jamTutor app. Its been super fun and I’ve been really impressed with the portability of this instrument!  **If you are interested in a colored jamstik+ (they only sell black & white on Amazon) use code “CurrentlyWandering” on their website and get 15% off! **


Also check out: Currently Wandering’s 2015 Holiday Gift Guide

If this isn’t quite what you are looking for, check out these other amazing Gift Guides from some of the best adventuring family experts I know!

img_3340

Categories
Biking Hiking Outdoor Gear

Gear Review: SHREDLY Women’s Mountain Bike Clothing

SHREDLY Clothing was born when founder Ashley Rankin wanted to spice up the world of women’s mountain biking clothing. Not only did she want clothes that looked good, she wanted clothes that were comfortable and maintained technical performance while they were at it.

I ran into her clothing while I was searching for something a little more comfortable to ride in. I wanted shorts, not just a chamois (like I had been wearing while road riding) and a jersey that didn’t exactly look like a jersey. I love having the back pocket for cycling specific clothing, but also didn’t want to look out of place if I had to run to the grocery store afterward.

SHREDLY has been perfect. I’ll admit that the short patterns were initially a little bold for my taste but they’ve grown on me. I love getting “nice shorts” compliments while I’m out riding, and while mountain biking at Outessa there was more than one of us sporting the SHREDLY style. Instant friends.

I’ve been wearing the JANA Women’s MTB Long shorts, the YOGOCHAM Women’s Cycling Chamois & the CARGO Women’s Teal MTB Jersey for a few months now and have been super impressed with the quality and comfort.

JANA Women’s MTB Long Shorts

The shorts all have thigh vents, and they are fabulous for when you are pedaling uphill and working up a sweat. Opening those up allows air to flow through, but you can zip them back up on the downhill or when you head to the grocery store.

I love the length on the Long shorts – they come down to just above my knee which is my preferred length. They are 3″ longer than the regular MTB short which is great for those of us with long legs.

All the pockets have snap closures or zip so nothing will fall out!

These shorts are versatile, and I’ve worn them hiking in addition to biking. Great all around short!

photos courtesy of SHREDLY

Two improvements for the shorts:

The side pocket is not quite big enough for my phone. I don’t necessarily keep it in there while riding, but for out and about its my go-to pocket.

In chatting with Ashely via email she mentioned that for 2017 the shorts will have bigger pockets. Hooray! With bigger phone sizes becoming the norm, she’s updating her line which makes me super excited!

The waist feels a little big for the size. The waistband is adjustable (like many kids’ pants), but I have to cinch it really tight and then I have the excess hanging around on the inside. Not a deal breaker but slightly annoying.

Ashley also mentioned the shorts are designed as low riders. They should sit low on the hips and your hip bones should be right in the middle of the waistband.

YOGOCHAM Women’s Cycling Chamois

The chamois liner is perfect for these shorts. The right about of coverage, they fit great underneath, and don’t move around. I’ve never had them rub me wrong or feel uncomfortable while I’ve been riding. Exactly what you want in a chamois.

If you’ve never tried riding with padding, I *highly* recommend it. So much more comfortable and you definitely are less saddle sore – especially on longer rides!

CARGO Women’s Teal MTB Jersey

I love the soft fabric on this jersey. I also love that its not a front zip. It feels more like a hiking shirt which means that it can be dual purpose. I’d never go out hiking in one of my other “real” jerseys, but I’d have no problem in this one.

SHREDLY sells an all-in-one zippered back pocket, or this two pocket shove – it style. Since I like to keep my phone separated from my snacks, I prefer the two pocket version. They are deep enough that I’ve never worried about anything falling out.

The cut is flattering, and I love having the v-neck as its my preferred collar style anyway!

photos courtesy of SHREDLY

One improvement for the jersey:

I like my clothes extra long (I’m 5’11”) so I’d prefer the jersey to be another inch or inch and half in length. Maybe they could sell a long version of this as well? I just wear a cami underneath to give me a little more coverage. Mostly a personal preference.

Overall I’ve been incredibly happy with my purchase of SHREDLY clothing. They do run rather pricey (shorts, chamois, and jersey can run $200+) so buy them in phases or just stick to the shorts if you’ve already got a jersey you love and a chamois.

Although Ashley has rad ambassadors to help spread the love (of which I am not one), she did give me a discount on my purchase in exchanged for a review. As always I never post about anything we don’t absolutely love!

SHREDLY will also do gift cards, so if you have someone you think would love a Holiday Gift but you’re not sure how bold they want their clothing this is a great option. SHREDLY also has some great tech tees, and leggings which maybe I’ll have to invest in once I have a bit more closet space!

See more outdoor gear & inspiration on Pinterest!

Categories
Montana National Parks

5 Family Activites on the West Side of Glacier National Park

Thinking of visiting Glacier National park with your family? The park is so huge we broke our visit into two - check out our top 5 activities for the west side!

Glacier National Park is a favorite for quite a few people.  Its always been high on my list, but we just hadn’t quite had the time to visit. This fall I was feeling spontaneous and ready for adventure so we drove a few extra hours in late September to spend six days on the west side.

It was magical. Every National Park should be visited in every season, but since that is unrealistic, let’s just say that Glacier is spectacular in the fall. Crisp air, changing leaves, and fewer crowds are just three of the perks for visiting in the off season.

dscf7543

Amid school, work, and church we managed to keep ourselves busy for almost a week and definitely left plenty to do the next time we visit! While this isn’t an exhaustive list of activities on the west side of this park, here are some of our favorites:

1. Go on a Hike

The park newspaper is fabulous for planning hikes! There are detailed maps, one-way mileage, elevation and locations for the trail heads. All valuable information when you are planning activities with kids. Three hikes we did on this side were Avalanche Lake, Hidden Lake, and Rocky Point. There were a few other hike recommendations, but we really just didn’t have time to do everything (as much as I wanted to!).

I noticed that many of the hikes in the park require some serious effort. When I asked a ranger for an 8-10 mile loop hike, she gave me a blank stare. “We have more like 3-4 day loops hikes here,” was her comment. She went on to suggest some easier 3-4 mile hikes, but that’s about as difficult as we got.

While we didn’t venture out in to the back country due to cold night time temperatures, we did keep ourselves busy by strolling along the shore of Lake McDonald and driving to the summit via Going to the Sun Road.

Avalanche Lake Hike: 2.3 miles one way, 500 ft elevation gain

This is a well used trail. Luckily for us Avalanche Creek campground was already closed for the season, otherwise I think the trail would have been packed. The trail begins in conjunction with the Trail of the Cedars boardwalk and is a nice meander through some beautiful cedar trees.

dscf7601

Just past the most amazing glacier waterfall (the water is SO blue) you take a turn to head up to the lake. The trail is not necessarily steep, but it is a pretty constant uphill. We did see a black bear WAY across the lake from us once we got there, but not close enough to even worry about the bear spray we had forgotten to bring.

Bonus: There is an outhouse just before you get to the lake. Hallelujah.

img_20160926_154306

Hidden Lake: 2.6 miles one way, 460 ft elevation + dropping 780 ft down to the lake

The temperature steadily dropped as we drove Going to the Sun Road up to the top of the pass. Once we got the top it was actually really cold and we quickly put on ALL our layers.  The trail to Hidden Lake starts behind the Logan Pass visitor center. It is mostly paved or a boardwalk until you get to the overlook about 1.4 miles down the trail.

While the overlook was nice, continuing on the trail down to the lake was GORGEOUS. Even if you don’t hike all the way down, go out on the trail a bit. I promise its totally worth going past the overlook. While the goats were not out in abundance (perhaps they don’t like cold wind?) we did see a fat marmot. Much more exciting than goats anyway.

We had a nice lunch down by the shore of the lake, and I was amazed that not just one, but TWO guys jumped in the water to swim. They were out quickly, but apparently its a thing? Wow. I was not tempted to get in.

Bonus: There is an outhouse down by this lake as well. Hooray for an easy place for kids to go to the bathroom!

Rocky Point Hike: 1.1 mile, gains 85 ft elevation

This is an easy 2 mile lollipop loop with a great overlook of Lake McDonald. We drove from the campground over to Fish Creek Campground and the trail head was pretty obvious from there. While the trail itself wasn’t anything spectacular, this was a great “we just need to get out in the evening” type trail.

2. Drive Going to the Sun Road

This road is famous for a reason. It twists and turns and gains some serious elevation on the way up to Logan Pass. We were so excited to be on it that you would have thought we won the lottery. There are a few pull outs to get out of the way and take photos and we used more than a few. We also had some great clouds moving across the valley below us which helped shape the already dynamic landscape. Even if you aren’t going hiking up at the top, its definitely worth the drive!

3. Eat ice cream and watch the sunset on Lake McDonald

In Apgar village there’s a little ice cream shop that was open until 8pm. We each grabbed some ice cream (my flavor was huckleberry! yum!) and took them out to sit on the dock and watch night settle over Lake McDonald.

img_20160926_195253

You can also rent boats on the lake, but we opted out of that for the time being as we’d rather have canoes not kayaks. The outfitter only had the latter this late in the season. Bummer. It would’ve been a good time.

4. Camp in Apgar Campground

There’s a lot of turn over in the campground, so even though many of the sites were first come, first served we didn’t have trouble snagging one on a Wednesday night.We did notice that things filled up over the weekend, and then magically emptied again on Sunday night. Typical campground behavior.

dscf7578

For trailers many of the sites put the door on the wrong side, so maybe just be a little picky. There’s a trail that you can walk/bike to the Apgar Ranger Station, or even just walk to Apgar village or down to the lake.

5. Attend a Ranger Program & Earn Jr. Ranger Badge

Naturally, we earned our Jr. Ranger Badges while we were there. I felt the book was well put together and easy enough for the kids to figure out on their own. There are A LOT of ranger programs in all areas of the park but we chose an easy one about animals getting ready for the winter at the Apgar Visitor Center. We learned about mountain goats, pikas, bears, and the marmots. Score one for road school.

dscf7551

I would have loved to visit Bowman Lake but it was a long drive out there on a dirt road, and we were unsure of boat rentals and/or the status of the road that late in the year.  We’ll make sure we make it up there next time as I’ve heard its gorgeous.

We’ll be visiting the east side – Two Medicine, Grinnell Glacier, Many Glacier next summer. We plan to hit some of the back country sites (possibly even from the Canada side!) so stay tuned!

Categories
Daily Life Outdoor Gear

Small Wardrobe Made Easy With Aventura Clothing

Looking for ways to simplify your outfits? I love using Aventura Clothing for my minimalist wardrobe. Their clothes are super cute, eco-friendly, and easy to mix and match. Check out this post for our favorite ideas! #sponsored

Having a small space for clothes has both its positive and negative sides. On the one hand, our closet for 5 has less space than most people have just for their dress shirts. On the other, I actually wear my clothes more often and even wear them out before I grow tired of them. We typically have at least a week’s worth of clothing for each of us, plus jackets, puffy vests, and rain shells.

Prior to becomming Aventura ambassador (free clothes!) my wardrobe consisted solely of outdoorsy clothes from places like REI. They are super comfortable, but occasionally I do like to feel more like a “real” person and less like I just came out of the back country. There is still a certain appeal to dress up on occasion.

Aventura does a great job of styling their clothes to blend well with each other. They use the same color schemes throughout their entire line (you’ll see a lot of “smoked pearl” and “blue indigo” in my clothing picks!) which makes it crazy easy to mix and match a few pieces to create a pretty extensive wardrobe. In addition to color, the fabric is generally soft and forgiving while still being flattering.

I did struggle with sizing on their fall collection, however. I felt like I was a solid medium (normally a large in other clothing lines) in their spring line, but a lot of the long sleeved shirts felt tight across the chest and short on the waistline. I found that if I went up a size the fit was better. I also ordered a size up on the Daria Vest to fit across my chest.

I’d like to think that its them not me, but there is also a good chance I’ve gained an inch or two in the last 6 months. Totally lame, but that’s real life.

I also have a puffy vest obsession, so that led to the absolute NEED to have something to wear underneath them. I may or may not have purchased  a few extra long sleeve shirts. Don’t worry. We’ll just stash the kids’ clothes under the beds instead of in the closet.

Favorite clothing picks from Aventura’s Fall Line:

Outfit #1: Sunday Style

Athena Top, Bryce Skirt, Daria Vest, & Bienne Leggings

This combo has been great for wearing to church on Sundays. I’m generally not a weekday skirt kind of girl, but this outfit makes Sundays kind of fun. The Bryce Skirt doe not have a thick waistband (despite looking like it does) but its just a smaller 1″ elastic in the top. Still looks cute, and we’ll see if it holds up over time.

The Athena top has some great crochet in stripes (I bought one in blue you can see better below) but it does wash a little funny. Wash cold and then stretch it out before hang drying or tumble dry low. That way it won’t pucker between the stripes.

The Bienne Leggings are crazy comfortable! I couldn’t find them on Aventura’s website anymore (hopefully they’ll come back) but I did find them at Zappos.com instead.

Looking for ways to simplify your outfits? I love using Aventura Clothing for my minimalist wardrobe. Their clothes are super cute, eco-friendly, and easy to mix and match. Check out this post for our favorite ideas! #sponsored

Outfit #2: Warm & Cozy

Tara Pant, Erin Top, Aldean Scarf, Adeline Hat, Granada Vest OR Jayla Jacket

I think I literally tried every pair of pants that Aventura offers, and the Tara was the only one I liked. I’ve heard other ambassadors having good luck with other styles, but they just didn’t fit me right. That said, they are still SHORT. I am a tall 5’11” and these are not the length I usually enjoy. I like my pants to hit the floor and I tend to wear them out with my heels.

However, I have learned its all about what shoes you wear them with (hello! Not very fashion savvy around here). Once paired with my KEEN Mary Jane style shoes and rolled up they look great. Sam compliments me every time I wear them, so naturally I wear them all the time.

All the pants have stylized stitching that really does look better in person than on their website. Trust me.

I adore the Adeline hat, and the Erin Top is exactly like the short sleeved version from their spring line. Super comfortable and looks great. The Jayla Jacket I kept in a medium as a large was rather baggy, and its my new favorite outerwear piece of clothing. I don’t have a “coat” as we just layer up so having a longer, warmer, jacket this winter will be nice. Assuming we go someplace cold enough to wear it!

Looking for ways to simplify your outfits? I love using Aventura Clothing for my minimalist wardrobe. Their clothes are super cute, eco-friendly, and easy to mix and match. Check out this post for our favorite ideas! #sponsored

jackson
Hanging out in Jackson, WY. Photo credit: http://talesofamountainmama.com/

Outfit #3: Chic & Comfy

Tara Pant, Leonie Tunic, Kennedy Sweater

I got another pair of Tara pants in Walnut, but the Leonie Tunic is a bit of a stretch in style for me. I really wanted something with longer sleeves and length so I went for it. The fabric is crazy soft, and I love that you can ruche the sides up with little string toggle things. It adds some fun styling to the piece. I do wear it with my Tara Pants rather than leggings, but maybe I’ll break my leggings out at some point. I have a lot of friends that like tunics to wear over the gym clothes after a workout, but since my gym is outside my house… well, I don’t have that issue. Looking for ways to simplify your outfits? I love using Aventura Clothing for my minimalist wardrobe. Their clothes are super cute, eco-friendly, and easy to mix and match. Check out this post for our favorite ideas! #sponsored

Extras

Samara Top, Mia Top

I did say I ordered some extra long sleeved shirt, right? I wanted clothes that would go under the Kennedy Sweater, the Daria Vest, and the Grenada Vest. I feel like all these pieces work well for that. The Samara Top has beautiful detail on the back, so I’ll probably just wear that on its own, but the other three look great layered.

I did go a size up on both the Mia and Samara Tops, and probably could have on the other two as well, but I’m going to hold out though and lose that pesky 5 lbs again. Its a close fit.

Looking for ways to simplify your outfits? I love using Aventura Clothing for my minimalist wardrobe. Their clothes are super cute, eco-friendly, and easy to mix and match. Check out this post for our favorite ideas! #sponsored

Apparently I also really like blue. I figured when you have a color scheme (raspberry, blue, gray) mixing and matching your clothes is a lot more simple.

There you have it! Small wardrobes can be fun if you find the right clothes to go in them. If you’d like to give Aventura a try leave a comment and I’ll email over a 60% off coupon! Its good for a single order up to $250 so you can easily ramp up your wardrobe for cooler temperatures!

Also check out these posts from other Aventura ambassadors to see what their favorite fall pieces are:

Colorado Mountain Mom
365 Atlanta Family – a Capsule Wardrobe
Kid Project
Real Girl’s Realm
The Simple Moms

Categories
Holidays & Bdays

Spending our Nomadic Halloween with Friends in California

Every year we’ve managed to spend Halloween with friends or family. We don’t always choose to spend holidays with other people. In fact, for many we’d rather be off in the desert (or at the beach) by ourselves. Apparently Halloween is the exception.

Travel Dates: October 24 – Nov 1

Last year we spent Halloween with my family in Utah, coinciding with both Andrew’s baptism and my cousin’s wedding. The year before that we were in Lincoln City with some Instagram traveling friends sporting some frosty costumes.

halloween-2014_36

This year Sam had a geek conference in Mountain View, California so we stayed a few extra days in town to spend Halloween with the Siminoff family. We met them last winter in the Florida Keys and they fast became some of our favorite people. They spent a year in their truck camper touring the US (with a side trip to New Zealand and Australia!) and are now back in their sticks and bricks.

Happily for us they have a very long driveway, full hookups, neighbors with chickens, and take payments for their “campsite” in chocolate chip cookies, staying up until 2am talking, and fresh pineapple.

It’s been a fabulous week.

The Costumes

In the last 6 months Rachel and Andrew both earned their Hogwart’s robes through our Family Store. I was impressed they thought that far ahead and made sure they would get their costumes with plenty of time to spare.

Sure, dressing up as Hogwarts students isn’t particularly original, but how many kids have you seen that actually wanted to be in Slytherin?

dscf7951

Andrew chose Gryffindor (since they obviously couldn’t be in the same house), which means Cara was left with Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

dscf7960

Cara didn’t earn her robe, however, so we swiped a knight costume destined for Goodwill, added  a cheap sword and cardboard shield and she galloped off into the sunset to save the day!dscf7967dscf7968

Pretty cute kids. We don’t have tons of room for costumes to hang out in the trailer with us, but the kids actually dress up in their robes quite frequently and play so we’ll find room for them somewhere.

dscf7980

The Events

We kept things pretty low key. We made some really easy Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats, attended the local LDS Trunk – or – Treat, and carved pumpkins. Rachel and Sam had been cooking up a microcontroller lit pumpkin for the last month or so and are happy that it worked out!

Halloween Night was spent out combing the streets for MORE candy (not that they needed it!) with the neighborhood gang and then staying up way past bedtime.

halloween-2016_22halloween-2016_09

We are all sugared out! I love being able to spend holidays celebrating with friends all over the country. It really does make each year unique and memorable – we get to not only remember WHAT we did, but WHERE we did it.

How about you? What was your favorite part of Halloween this year?