Thanksgiving weekend also means the start of Christmas. We are pretty diligent about not listening to Christmas music or putting up decorations before turkey day is over. However, I’ve grown increasingly sad with how stores are pushing the consumerism of Christmas. Do stores really need to be open on Thanksgiving Day?
In 2015, REI started the#OptOutside movement and it spread like wildfire. Their message was simple: Use Black Friday as a day outside. They put their money where their mouth was, closing all 149 of their stores, processing no online sales, and paying employees to take the day off and go outside.
At Currently Wandering, we fully embraced this idea as well! We already disliked the idea of spending an entire day centered around food. We were far from family and I had no desire to cook a turkey in our Airstream oven. Instead we took #OptOutside to the next level and spent 3 days backpacking at FDR State Park in Georgia over the holiday.
“We knew we wanted a Thanksgiving that was less about food and more about spending time together, and backpacking as a family does the trick.
Its hard to describe the feeling of accomplishment, satisfaction and pure happiness after two days out on the trails with our family. We did 7.8 miles over three days so it wasn’t hard, just lots of time unplugged with each other.”
It worked so well that we’ve decided to do it again! This year we are in California and plan to camp on Channel Islands National Park. We have a kayaking/snorkel trip booked , day hikes picked out, recipes planned, and books ready to read.
On this holiday of Thanksgiving, we have much to be grateful for. We love our family, our faith, and our friends. We also feel very grateful for this opportunity to travel, to restructure and re-prioritize our activities and circumstances in pursuit of a simpler life.
I hope that along with family time & eating yummy food you’ll consider “Going Out With Us” on Black Friday! Make sure to visit REI’s #OptOutside page and create your own graphic to share on social media.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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! **
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.
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!
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:
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.
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!
Hanging out in Jackson, WY. Photo credit: http://talesofamountainmama.com/
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.
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.
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:
Back in high school I worked on the rock climbing wall at our community recreation center in Sandy, UT. I loved climbing, so when I landed a job in college at BYU Outdoors Unlimited I was pretty excited to have a steep discount on climbing gear. Not only that, I associated with others who shared the same love. By the time Sam and I married I had completed a few lead climbs and felt pretty comfortable out on the rock.
Then came the small kids and the “dry years”. There are ambitious climbers that take their kids out on the crag (I follow a few on Instagram), but we just weren’t the type. While traveling we haven’t done much climbing either despite our kids getting older. Andrew & I had a date in Canada to a climbing gym, and last year we went out with fellow Airstream friends in Prescott, AZ for an afternoon on the rocks. For the most part though, our climbing gear just gathered dust and took up much needed space in our Airstream.
Just before we went to Manti for the month of June, we stopped in Sandy, UT to take care of some logistics. We put all the rock climbing gear in our storage unit as we weren’t ready to part with our harnesses, rope, and shoes permanently. Once in Manti though, I realized we were only 30 minutes from Maple Canyon! Whoops. Its a premier and unique rock climbing location in Sanpete County with some of the coolest conglomerate rock. I had climbed there once or twice in college and knew there were some easy routes the kids could handle. When Sam went back up to Sandy for a conference a few days after we arrived, he dropped by the storage unit and reclaimed our gear. We were good to go!
With our pageant schedule, we had Sunday and Mondays off so our first Monday we took the evening and drove up to Maple Canyon to check out some climbs. I had looked around on the internet and the best route I could find were Bob’s Bolts, a 5.4 in the Schoolroom area. I figured I could handle lead climbing a 5.4 and the kids would be able to climb once I did.
Unfortunately when we got there it was difficult to find the route exactly. We looked around for a bit, but I wasn’t super comfortable with any of our options.
A little farther up the trail is Road Kill Wall. There was a couple climbing there and after talking with them a bit, we decided to do an easy climb basically up a large gully. There weren’t any bolts but it was no problem for me to get up there, anchor and create an easy climb for the kids.
Turns out my kids aren’t really into climbing.
Rachel lacked interest before we arrived at the wall, and came prepared. She practice on the jamstik+ while lounging in the hammock while the rest of us climbed.
Cara made it barely up the wall and decided to come back down. Andrew did a little better, but he was still pretty nervous.
Since the kids were happy to hang out and eat snacks I decided to tackle Tomato Man, an easy rated 5.5 with “great clipping stances” and only 6 or 7 draws.
I was terrified. Despite having done some lead climbing, I’ve never taken a real fall and I hear the first one is always the worst. I took a deep breath and started up the wall. Right hand, left hand. Feet placement. Stand up. Reach for the rope. Clip in. Despite my nerves I managed to make it up to the top without any serious problems.
We managed to coax Andrew about half way up the wall, Sam climbed, and we had brought a friend who did awesome for her first time ever climbing! Overall we had a great evening and finished the night with dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.
We will never be an avid rock climbing family. Sometimes I’ll look at kids or families on social media that are easily climbing 5.10 routes and simply be amazed. We are social climbers – its great to go with friends or when its really convenient but I doubt we’ll go out of our way to make it happen.
That said, I was super stoked to know I could still pull off a lead climb. An easy one, turns out, but I still felt pumped when I reached the top. Sometimes a sense of accomplishment is important for us adults too!
