Intro to Backpacker Meals
Today we’re diving into an introduction to, and the theory of backpacker meals. We will detail how we plan food for backcountry travel while also taste testing a few different major brands of backpacker meals out there.
Backpacking on the Olympic Peninsula
As we crept ever closer to the US and Canadian border we found ourselves in the coastal rainforest of Washington. Those of you who have been following us for at least the last year, you know that we have fully become desert dwellers. The moss-draped trees felt completely foreign to us, but we were so hungry to dive deep into this incredible new terrain.
Leave It Cleaner Than You Found It
I’m sure you’ve picked up on the fact that I really like to leave places cleaner than I found them. We typically stay on public land where camping is free, I see “Leaving it Cleaner Than We Found it” as paying these places back for our stay. Today I’m going to be taking you through all the ways that we leave places cleaner than we found them so you can do the same while you are out camping and exploring!
Overlanding the Alvord Desert
We rarely drive from point A to point B. Instead, we like to take the scenic route when we are “commuting”. This spring as we started to make our way, slowly, towards the US and Canadian border we wanted to find a creative route to get us off the beaten path so that we can see something new, have some fun and still get to where we need to go.
How To Take The Alaskan Ferry
We’ve been getting a lot of questions about the ferry because it’s not a widely known option of transport to this area. When we were doing our own research we didn’t find a ton of information on things like how to prepare your vehicle, what to pack, the many ways you can sleep on board, food, boat amenities, and things of that nature. Since taking the ferry we’ve been able to clear a lot of those things up and now will be able to come better prepared in the future and I want to pass that wisdom on to you all!
How We Find Camping
Today we’re going to sharing how we find camping! We haven’t shared this info with you all yet because it’s a process that we’ve been practicing and evolving for the last five years. Often people ask us how we find camping so we are excited to finally distill the process into a video and blog post!
Camping Coffee: Gear & Recipes
Today we’re talking camp coffee brewers. The idea here isn’t to declare one brewer as better than the others, but to figure out which of these eight brewers will be best for YOU and YOUR needs when you head out camping! In addition to reviewing individual brewers, we also share our favorite brewing recipes we used for our testing!
5 Unsung Gear Heros
We’ve started referring to a few pieces of gear as our unsung heroes. Our unsung heroes are things that we use every day and often find ourselves wondering what we’d do without them, but for whatever reason always forget to recommend them. Maybe we forget them because they seamlessly fit into our lives and using them is second nature to us. Today the unsung heroes: Binoculars, walkie-talkies, utility knife, Garmin InReach, and the Garmin Instinct will forevermore get the recognition they deserve!
Backcountry Coffee Review
There is nothing quite like starting a cool morning in the backcountry with a cup of coffee. However, carrying in a big coffee setup isn’t an option when backpacking. Instead, we take instant coffee or single-use pour-overs when we’re heading out on an adventure because they’re more compact. Today we’re going to test a bunch of different options and share the results with all of you!
Renewable Gear - HOKA X Cotopaxi at REI
We love a good collaboration. When great minds come together with one goal it's a golden opportunity for something new and innovative to be born. Our friends over at Hoka One One, Cotopaxi and REI have done just that.
Video Equipment for Traveling
As our latest series, A Summer Adrift rolled out we got a ton of questions about what video equipment we carry with us to document life on the road so I’m really excited to finally be sharing this with you all! Not only will I be sharing what we use and love, but I also share some things that are now on our wishlist!
Summer Adrift Episode 16: Finale in Cirque of the Towers
Before we get into this final episode, I want to take a moment to thank you all. This series, A Summer Adrift, was the first of hopefully many. We had no idea how this format of video would be received, but we wanted to take the time to record, write, and make something more in-depth than we’ve ever made before as a way to process this turbulent year. At the time that we started putting this series together, we had no idea that it would turn into the biggest creative undertaking each of us had ever been apart of. This is the kind of work that we want to make in the future. It’s fulfilling to be able to go out and live all of this, but it’s something else entirely to reflect on it to make a cohesive storyline out of what this summer has meant to us.
Summer Adrift Episode 15: Anniversary Climb
We started this episode with a bang. We were waiting for enough snow to melt off of Teewinot so we could climb it. This mountain is why we were going in and out of Jackson countless times over the summer. For those who are not familiar Teewinot is the peak that stands just to the right of the Grand when viewing the Tetons from Jackson. When we arrived after the Winds we were warmed up and ready and so was the mountain!
Long-term Review - La Sportiva Bushido II
A good pair of hiking shoes/trail runners can make a world of difference when you’re out on the trail. Today we’re reviewing one of our most favorite pieces of gear we’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing: The La Sportiva Bushido II’s. They’ve carried us up many mountains and through countless miles on the John Muir Trail!
Summer Adrift Episode 14: Wind River Range
After being in Jackson and saying goodbye to Chase and Aimee, we ventured farther south to Pinedale, Wyoming with Peter, Shruthi, and Micah. We came here with plans to head into the backcountry for a four-day backpacking trip.
Summer Adrift Episode 13: Yellowstone National Park PT2
In Yellowstone, we had a few specific areas and creeks that we wanted to fish. Chase and Aimee know this area well and had an itinerary already in place before we arrived. For our second day in the park, we loaded up with a day worth of gear and hiked into the mountains to spend the day on the water.
Summer Adrift Episode 12: Yellowstone National Park
After being in Butte we finally started to make our way towards Yellowstone National Park. We’d been looking forward to going as a group since we first got together after leaving quarantine. We were excited to finally be getting so close!
Summer Adrift Episode 11: Ghost Towns of Montana
Feeling content with everything we’d accomplished in Idaho, we decided to relocate to Montana. Not moments after crossing into the state, over the radio Peter told us that he thought their van Blitz was having some problems.
Summer Adrift Episode 10: Thompson Peak
Just a day or two after the hike into the Frank Church Wilderness we were ready to head back out on our next adventure! This time we were heading back into the Sawtooths with our sights set on the highest peak in the range!
Summer Adrift Episode 9: Frank Church Wilderness
When we came to Idaho we had already done a lot of research on overnight backpacking trips. We knew that this area is choke-full of them, however, this one as not on our radar.