kids

Here comes a Caravan The first Saturday of November we spontaneously decided to drive an hour to the Mission Creek in Kelowna, a trail wide and flat, as city trails often are.

It was wonderful to stretch our legs after a long week of school and work. Our six-year-old was so proud of himself for biking the 6 or so miles. The fall leaves were golden, the sky was silver, the river was a ribbon of blue, and we all felt like a million bucks. Unfortunately, since our wallets don’t feel the same way, to make this all happen, we had to plan ahead. There’s a few things that made this all work. The past couple years, we’ve waited for good deals so we could buy:

1. A good bike trailer for our 2 and 4 year olds. (A Thule Cougar 2)

2. Helmets for everyone

3. A bike rack that could fit 5 bikes. (also a Thule – The Apex 5)

4. Bikes for the 8 and 6 year olds.

As life would have it, we got the bikes second-hand, so we were able to splurge on the trailer and rack. We also picked up a free a tag-a-long bike for the 4-year old for when he’s ready. We picked up the ski/backpack kit with the Thule as well, which means that its life is extended into the winter months, making it a four-season investment.

As for picking our adventures, the Okanagan is full of them. We’ve been asking around at Vernon and Kelowna Tourism for ideas on kid-friendly local bike trails, and they’ve been a huge help.  So when the opportunity came up (i.e. weather permitted), we were ready to grab some water bottles and snacks and jackets and GO! Check out a short video of the trip below and share some of your favourite local bike trails!

Naomi The Outdoor Adventure Team

Last weekend we headed out to Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park in the Shushway area of BC, Canada to watch the 2014 Sockeye run.

The park has several trails that meander along the Adam’s River, offering many options to see the remarkable red fish splashing up the river in pursuit of their spawning grounds.

The word Sockeye apparently comes from the First Nation word Sau-Kai meaning Chief – most likely a reference to the large hump on the back of the males.

The Sockeye return every 4 years, changing the river from it’s demure brown to a crimson red colour. When we were there, only about 5% of the expected run was there, and despite that, it was remarkable.

We stopped for lunch on the river and happened across a dead female and a teacher and student from the University of Victoria. These self professed “nerds” were quick to turn the adventure into an awesome learning experience for the kids. The kids were enthralled with what they learned and were delighted to hold the salmon roe.

After the crowd of kids started to disperse, my daughter got the prized job of returning the sockeye to the river where it could give back to the riparian zone that it had returned to after all those years.

If you haven’t seen the sockeye run, there are a few more weeks to do so. Check out your local parks to find out more, or if you want the trip, head out to Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park to see it for yourself.

We’d love to head back in a few weeks when the run is at its peak and get even more video of this amazing sight.

One of the amazing things about British Columbia is that you can head out to backcountry lakes on long weekends and have epic family adventures without seeing another soul. Our recent trip to Greenbush lake was an awesome example of this.

Greenbush Lake Protected Area lies east of Vernon and about an hour north of Cherryville. You have to pass by the very popular “Sugar Lake” for about an hour until you come to a road on the right noted by an overgrown, painted sign. The road is lined with Thimbleberry bushes and takes you to a couple forest service campsites and a boat launch.

When we arrived, we heard a pickup truck pulling away, which meant we would have the entire day to ourselves for fishing, paddling and exploring.

Greenbush lake itself was amazing. It’s a mix of azure blue and turquoise from the run-off of the nearby peaks that slope steeply down to the water. The are loons on the water and, as we would soon discover, a beaver dam and lodge near the inlet of the lake.

After loading up the four kids, we set across the lake paddling, dragging our lines behind us as we went. Our target was a small delta at the inlet of the lake that I had seen from satellite images.

It turned out to be an excellent spot for lunch and exploration. Mrs. Adventure cooked up some sausages and pulled out a fine spread fit for a king and we tucked in. Fortunately, there were no tyrants in attendance.

Having fed up, we started our adventure looking for footprints, stones, and wildlife.  We found evidence of a branch that a beaver had chewed, so headed up the creek looking for more signs.

After a short jaunt across a log-pile and through the ice-cold creek, we found a hidden dam that the beavers had been working on. We didn’t want to disturb them in their winter preparations, so we headed back to the canoe for some fishing.

We hadn’t had any success up until this point, so it was time for a quick lesson in “matching the hatch”. Matching the hatch is when you observe what’s currently hatching in the lake. It can be done by watching what’s flying around, checking the water, or opening a fish to find out what it has been eating.

My daughter looked through all the flies I had with me, and chose the one that looked like something she had seen flying around. The results were immediate. From the first cast, we had a fish. And that wasn’t the only one. As we paddled back across the lake, she hooked several more, of which we kept one.

After we unloaded the kids, they had a quick lesson in fish anatomy as we cleaned the fish. From there my daughter and I headed out into the lake to dispose of the entrails and practice our strokes on the water.

After packing up we drove the 2 and a half hours home, happy to add a new “secret spot” to our outdoor adventure list. Check out the video of our adventure below.

The classic picnic blanket leaves a lot to be desired, which is why you may want to take a look at Eagle Nest Outfitter’s Launchpad or Launchpad double. The Launchpad is the new picnic blanket, with a durable, water resistant bottom and fleece top. Add to that it’s ability to fold away into it’s own carrying case and the included padded shoulder strap, and you can see why we take it with us on a our adventures.

Let’s take a look at the features and then go into what we think.

Features:

• Soft Fleece Upper
• PU Coated Nylon Bottom
• Hidden stash pocket
• Detachable carry strap
• Folds and zips into itself when you don’t need it
• Double: 5′ 10″ x 4′ 10″, Single: 5′ 10″ x 3′
• Weight: 46 oz (double)
• MSRP: Double $84.95, Single: $64.95

Testing:

We’ve taken along our Eno Launchpad on our car camping trips, to the beach, to lakeside picnics, games, and even pull it out to use in our backyard over the past 8 months.

What do we think?

It’s plush, that’s for sure. The coated rip-stop backing is probably it’s best feature; it can be wiped clean and provides an effective barrier on a wet ground.

The fleece is comfortable and soft, meaning it’s comfortable to lie down on, and warm when the weather turns bad. That said, the fleece can be a bit frustrating to clean on site as it soaks up liquid spills. The good thing is that it’s easy to wash in the laundry machine, and dries quickly hung up or in the dryer.

It folds up into a messenger bag with a sturdy strap, making it easy to transport and store.

Pros:

• Easy to clean,
• Quick drying,
• Can be used as a blanket,
• Folds up into a neat messenger bag with space and pockets for extra stuff,
• light and easy to carry,
• Super soft fleece lining,
• Waterproof ripstop nylon backing.

Cons:

• Can be a challenge to zip up,
• Fleece lining is not wipe-clean,
• MSRP is a bit steep.

Conclusion:

We’re fans of Eagle Nest Outfitters. We love their hammocks, tarps and tree slings, and this blanket is typical of their high-quality, well-designed products. Aptly named, the Launchpad is a great place to dump stuff and a clean, comfortable and dry spot for the kids. You can pick up the Launchpad and other ENO gear at Eagle Nest Outfitter’s website, at amazon (affiliate link), or at many other gear shops.

Do you own, or have you tried any Eagle Nest Outfitter’s gear? What do you think of what they have to offer?

Paul and Naomi O
The Outdoor Adventure Team

disclosure: We received the Launchpad for review free of charge. As always, our opinions are our own, and advice that we’d give to family and friends.

When you have four kids (two of whom are under 4), excuses to not get outdoors abound. Excuses for not enjoying more involved experiences like backpacking are even easier to find. So, why not check out some tips that we live by for turning your backpacking, baby wearing experiences into a lot of fun? And then, why don’t you enter to win your own Onya Outback carrier?

A big reason why we keep up with The Outdoor Adventure . net is because we know how challenging it can be to get outdoors, especially with little ones. Just as important, is how much fun and how healthy it is for the family to get out and play in the outdoors.

Here are some tips to making your backpacking and hiking trips possible (and fun) with toddlers.

1. Take a baby carrier – Most baby carriers that are worn on the front can be used with a backpack on the back. Even if they start off walking, 1-4 year olds will get tired and sometimes need to be carried. Tired legs don’t have to get in the way of a family adventure!
2. Choose adventure over distance – Sure, adults can hike all day and so can some kids, but for children, It’s all about the adventure. Stop and examine that slow moving bug. Examine the leaves on the tree. 20 years from now they won’t remember how far you travelled, they’ll remember the adventure.
3. Take lots of breaks – Never underestimate the benefit of a 15 minute break. Stopping the official hike to explore, eat, or drink does wonders for young kids. This is especially important for kids in front carriers. Letting them down to snack may not be necessary, but allowing them to wander around or just to scrabble in the dirt can make a huge difference in how much fun they’re having.
4. Hydrate and protect –Kids burn through a lot of water, especially on hot days. Make sure their heads and skin is protected from the sun and stop regularly so they can hydrate. Proper hydration helps regulate body temperature and can make a huge difference in their attitude.
5. Snack, Snack and Snack again – When kids get tired and start grumbling, it’s often because they’re running low on energy. Whenever you take a break, pull out a snack. It can do wonders for their motivation and mood. We like to carry a variety of high energy foods and let them choose what they want. When hiking, we don’t bother taking a lunch break, opting for more frequent, but smaller snack-breaks.
6. Check the weather – I love to hike rain or shine, but if the weather report looks bad we’ll make a call. Will rain gear make it fun? or is it better to move the trip to another weekend or another location? It’s fun to talk about how you weathered out that monsoon, but the kids probably won’t want to go on another one of dad’s “adventures”.
7. Be Prepared – It doesn’t matter if you’re in the back country or in the front yard, kids are kids and there are unknowns. Prepare for the weather, prepare for an emergency, prepare for an unexpected overnight. Even when hiking the local trails, we always carry a first aid kit, basic survival gear and a GPS beacon. I even recommend a first aid or wilderness first aid course. I’ve found it incredibly useful in the front country (and back yard too!)
8. Focus on kids – Every time we go out, we remind ourselves that this isn’t about speed, distance or even destination, it’s about planting the seeds of outdoor adventure. These journeys are about discovery, strengthening family bonds, making them comfortable in the outdoors and instilling the spirit of adventure. Resist the urge to push on to the goal if the kids are truly tuckered out. Take a break, make the most of where you are, take photos and then head home.
9. Start small – You don’t need to spend a week out in the woods… to start. Why not begin with an afternoon stroll and work your way forward? Before you know it, the kids will be pushing you out the door for weekend adventures. 

We’d love to hear your questions and tips about taking kids out on adventures. Please leave your questions and/or comments below.

Tales of a Mountain Mama and Going Dad have both put together articles that are worth taking a look at. Head on over.

Interested in getting your own Onya Outback or Onya Nexstep? Enter the “For the Dads: Keep ’em Close and Carry On” Giveaway using the widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About a month ago I purchased my first canoe. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve canoed since I was a kid (and took two of my kids on the Bowron Lakes last summer), I’ve just never had my own canoe.

I saw a good deal on a project cedar strip canoe online and snapped it up the next day. It needs a bit of work, but it’s lake worthy as is. So, I had to try it out with one of my kids.

Unfortunately, the lake where we planned to go fishing was still covered with ice, so we traveled half an hour down the road to a slightly lower puddle that we knew was navigable and went for a paddle for a couple hours.

Armed with snacks, hot tea and no expectations, the absence of fish was a fact unnoticed by my 3-year-old. We were surprised by Herons, Canada geese, a loon, red-winged black birds, and even an airplane performing acrobatic tricks.

It was relaxing to get out, enjoy some quality time with my boy and get the rods wet after a winter off.

Take a look at the short video of the adventure below and let me know what you prefer: row boat, canoe, kayak, motor boat, or?

I made it a goal that I wouldn’t let the weather prevent me from getting outdoors. Living in the great white north (read: Canada), winter can last for 10 months of the year, so instead of waiting for those two months of warmth and sunshine my daughter and I decided to head out for a Saturday adventure down a local trail.

With our ENO Double Deluxe hammock, Kahtoola Microspikes, Tubbs Snowshoes, Go-Scope, snacks and lunch we headed up the Rose Swanson trail for a bit of adventure. It was great to find a close local trail that we could have spent all day on and that is so secluded.

Join us for 2-minutes of fun by watching the video below:

Sometimes a local hike and a hot soup make the best memories.

Gear used (you can support us if you want by shopping through these amazon affiliate links):
ENO Double Deluxe Hammock: http://amzn.to/1i0OfBX
Atlas Straps: http://amzn.to/1i0OlcZ
Olicamp XTS: http://amzn.to/XyEAfG
Tubbs Snowshoes: http://amzn.to/1kbgEGh
Kahtoola Microspikes: http://amzn.to/1glf14D
Terramar Sports baselayers: http://amzn.to/1iu1LSd

This summer we did something crazy… and had a blast doing it. We took our two youngest kids (3 years old and 1) on a week long canoe and portage trip through the Bowron Lakes.

To be honest, it wasn’t that crazy as we had a bomb-proof Clipper 18′ 6″ canoe and used a canoe cart (dolly) to pass the portages. We kept our gear light so that the weight was low in the boat and of course, we all wore lifejackets.

The length of the canoe and lack of a keel meant tracking on the lake was a challenge, but it had the huge benefit of being virtually unsinkable. For example, on our approach to camp on Sandy Lake we hit some pretty large waves side on. Even being hit sideways, not a single drop entered the boat. Not only that, but we were stable enough to set up a sail (the winds were strong enough to cut a day off our trip!)

To hit the portages, we carried our backpacks on the back and child carriers for the kids on the front. Out of interest, we used a Boba Air and Onya Outback. The Boba Air was the ultralight option and the Onya Outback  offered lots of padding and comfort while carrying heavier kids.

This trip was largely focused on the kids. They were kept busy with toys and a comfortable seat to let them nap if needed. We did take breaks about midday to let them stretch their legs (and let our 3 year old soak himself through while playing in the water).

Campsites are amazing on the circuit. There’s enough privacy and community at the same time. and the views are incredible.

We took off before 9 every morning and paddled and portaged until about 4 or 5 (although we stopped early the day before heading down the river).

Even though the weather was sometimes inclement, the views were amazing and we only once came off the lake to avoid trouble.

Going in the end of August was a great choice as there were an abundance of berries to keep the kids busy while we setup and took down camp.

Fishing wasn’t great as the fish were deep, but we did manage to catch a few. We even saw some salmon in the lake and going upriver to spawn.

This summer we did something crazy. We took our two youngest kids on the adventure of a lifetime. With my moderate canoeing ability and my wife’s only basic paddling experience, we had an amazing trip. Hopefully we’ll do it again.

Check out this video of our experience and consider heading out on the Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit soon with your kids.

There was a lot of items catered to the kids and camp category that stuck out at the Outdoor Retailer Show. Let’s grab a for and dig right in!

Grand Trunk Goods‘ Micro stool is 10 ounces of ultra-compact seat that can hold up to 250 lbs. It even has a mesh storage pocket underneath to keep that book you brought off the ground. This fella slips into its 6″x12″ storage sack when not in use.

This was the first time that I’d spent a lot of time with Joovy in person so I had a lot of catching up to do. Good for camp or home, their folding “Nook” high chair with Leatherette is stylish, compact when packed and easy to clean, two very important things when camping with kids!

To keep the kids off the ground these Foocots by Joovy come with their own sheet and can pack up and out of the way when not in use. For a bit of luxury these are a cool little option.

Ok, I geeked out with this one. New to the line, this folding stroller boasts a stand up space for a second child or alternative 2nd seat as seen above.

.

For ages my wife has been looking for a huge cargo wagon to carry kids and things. Joovy came through again! They had much more on display, but I could talk all day about their other products (like their Pre-bike!)

Scrubba is an australian company offering a laundry machine that doubles as a dry sack… or is that the other way ’round? They’ve improved the scrubbing board for this year claiming that 3 minutes of scrubbing in the scrubba is as good as a laundry cycle. It’s a bit steep ($65) but for doing laundry on the trail, it’s hard to beat!

Travel Chair has been in the market for a long time with their collapsible camp chairs. They even hold a lot of patents on some of the original ideas. This year they came out with both guns blazing by offering an extremely competitive and portable camp cot called the “SleepRite”. With a 300lbs capacity and weighing in at under 5lbs this 7 piece cot isn’t complicate to setup or easy to break!

The camp chairs are usually first to go for me because of how much space they take up. Travel Chair‘s Joey can hold 300 lbs, weighs under 2 lbs and folds down to 4″ x 4″ x14″. It’s the biggest innovation to come out of the camp chair industry in a long time!

I had the pleasure of flying home next to the company’s founder and it was great to hear the company story and celebrate their successful sales contracts. Expect to see this in stores everywhere next year.

Biolite has been around for a while now, but they’ve come out with another reason to buy their stove. The KettlePot. This simple kettle is nothing special, but it’s designed to house the Biolite when not in use. The entire Biolite system slips inside the Kettle for easy storage. Enjoy your tea!

One of the struggles about backpacking with kids is not getting enough fresh fruits, etc. for the kids. As a treat and a try out for the kids we took along some Alternavites Kids vitamin mixes.

Alernavites vitamin powder can be used as juice mix, to add to smoothies or even eaten straight up as a powder.

When we headed out on a family backpacking trip (with four kids) our plan was to mix the pouch into the kids’ water bottles. We let them choose between the two flavours (Strawberry Bubble Gum and Raspberry Cotton Candy) and were about to add them to the bottles when they said they wanted to try them straight up! The two older ones loved them and wanted more, while number 3 gave the “yucky” expression. I wouldn’t take number 3’s opinion too seriously though as he normally rejects food the first time he tries it!

I should mention that Alternavites Kids are made without aspartame, corn syrup, gluten, dairy, wheat, eggs, soy, peanut, shellfish, fish or tree nuts. As a Gluten free, corn free, dairy free family that can be a deal breaker!

I like the idea of having a convenient way to get vitamins into the kids while outdoors, especially if it can be consumed in a number of different ways. I would definitely take them for the kids on future trips as a way to make sure they have the vitamins they need to stay healthy and energy to enjoy themselves.

A special thanks to Alternavites for sending me these to review.

It’s summer and there are few predators as pervasive as the mosquito. My son already bears the battle wounds on his arms and neck of these nasty creatures. I don’t like putting chemicals on their clothes so an alternative is in order for the troop. As a camp combo item, I was sent the Thermacell Outdoor Lantern / Mosquito Repellent combo item to test.

We first used it at a party in the back yard. We had a group of mums out with their 0-2 year olds and it was prime hunting grounds for the mosquitos. I pulled out the lantern, installed the butane cartridge and batteries, installed a cartridge and fired it up.

In a minute or so I could see (but not smell) a small bead of smoke coming from the top. Within a few minutes the mums were able to stop their swatting and carry on their chat uninterrupted. The addition of the light meant that even as it got darker they were able to continue their mom-chat into the darkness.

The mat uses allethrin, a chemical copy of pyrethin. The natural insect repellent pyrethin comes from the pyrethin flower, a member of the chrysanthemum family.

It was a great test of the product that has proven itself a great tool for backyards and car camping.

One of the restrictions on the box is that it supposedly covers a 15 diameter circle. This isn’t a lot of space. It makes it more keyed to a picnic table, but on a still night (and that’s when the mozzies are out) it worked on a larger area (20-25) with only the people on the outside of that range swatting every now and then.

The light on this device is powered by the 4-AA batteries and puts out a moderate amount of light via the LEDs inside the shroud.

Here’s the stats:

• Repels mosquitoes, black flies and other flying insects
• Shields a 15 x 15-foot area
• Easy to use – no candle or open flame
• EPA Registered
• MRSP: $31

Uses:

• 4 AA batteries (for light)
• 1 Butane cartridge (lasts 12 hours)
• Thermacell Mosquito Mats (last 4 hours)
• MRSP: $7.50 (for 1 cartridge and 3 mats)

The Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Lantern is a nice alternative to spraying your kids with chemical repellents and burning the stinky mosquito coils. I found it to be an effective little piece of kit that I would happily include in my kit for family campouts.

I can’t say enough how much of an amazing hike the Ozette Triangle is. In my previous post I looked a little bit at the logistics, now I want to take some time to share part 2 of the video and talk about the hiking itself.

Day 1

We left at about 10 am from Seattle, boarded the ferry to Kingston and then drove all the way out to Port Angeles. The weather for the next three days was rain, but we wanted to take the risk. Light showers don’t scare us.

All the way to Port Angeles there was a mixture of sun and rain. When we picked up our permits at the Wilderness Center it was raining when I entered and sunny when I left.

From there it was another 2 hours of winding roads and some nasty weather. It got so bad that the wipers blew out of alignment and one of them flipped inside out! Surprisingly, when we disembarked at the Ozette Lake trailhead it had calmed down completely.

After filling up with water at the trailhead we crossed the bridge and entered the Temperate Rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula. All around are cedars, salmon berry bushes and dense foliage. The area is so wet that most of the paths are elevated boardwalks. We were warned of them being slippery, but the kids took the advice of their parents and navigated the course carefully.

About a quarter mile up the trail we arrived at the fork. The Ozette Triangle is just that. the trail drops down to the beach, then north to the next camp and then meets back at the original trail near the trailhead.

Being under the shade of old cedars made for a cool hike which made it easier for the kids. We spent lots of time telling stories, examining fungus and banana slugs and playing games. The next few hours blew b and we arrived at the camp with plenty of light to set up camp and make dinner.

The kids were tired, but had to push through the bushes to the beach to see the sunset and look for seals.

After a delicious dinner we slept soundly and warmly in our tents excited for the next day’s hike.

Day 2

After packing up and talking to the Park Ranger about weather and routes we consulted our tidal chart and decided to leave at around 12 pm. This gave us a receding tide and plenty of time to avoid the steep rope routes.

The weather was amazing. We had sunny skies all day as we trekked along the shore looking for crabs and other animals. For lunch we ate date bars and explored the sand for shells.

As a fun project we carved some dried out bull kelp heads into trumpets for the kids (see the video below) which they spent the next twenty minutes confusing sea lions with.

The kids had a blast taking turns navigating around the rocks to avoid fallen logs. Their trekking poles were a huge asset to their stability.

On one break a lone deer wandered by. It fearlessly stared at us from about 15 feet away and then carried on down the beach passed us.

Late in the day we arrived at the whale carcass that we had read about on the WTA site. We almost missed it as the odor had almost completely disappeared… although the crows were still looking for an easy meal. The bones were mostly exposed and we spent a little time examining it and guessing what type of whale it was.

At the camp we quickly met up with another deer and raccoon that eagerly tried to help relieve us of our dinner. Fortunately we kept the bear canister closed and the food packed away, but they gave us a good run for our money… err… dinner.

After spending a few hours playing on the beach, the kids came back for dinner covered in sand and dirt. We ate up dinner quickly and the kids went to bed listening to the sea lions off in the distance.

Day 3

We woke up the next morning to strong winds and a dark sky. We had planned to stick around until lunch, but changed our minds as rain started to spatter. We quickly packed up without any hot drinks and headed back down the trail. It turned out to be the right choice as the rain came down on us in buckets whenever we crossed an open meadow.

Buoyed by the promise of as much juice as they could drink when we got back to civilization, the kids powered ahead, only stopping for salmon berries along the way. We got back to the car tired but happy from an amazing 3 day trip in an almost untouched area.