Fall is fast approaching and for us families who are unwilling to hang up our hiking boots and close our door to exciting camping trips with our children, there is some great gear out there that will keep our children happy, warm and asking to head outdoors weekend after weekend.

This very light sleeping pad will not add much weight or take up too much space in your backpack.  They add comfort and warmth to your child’s sleeping arrangement.  If you bring this pad along you won’t feel like your offspring is adding a load to your outdoor experience.  Our daughter sleeps on her sleeping pad without a sleeping bag, which helps to control the weight of our packs.  She likes to help blow it up and push out the air in the morning when we roll it up. It keeps her busy and she will be able to use it throughout her life if we take good care of it.  We also bring our Thermarest along on cross-country  skiing or snowshoeing adventures to change the baby on the snow or to sit on while eating lunch.  They also pad the bottom of the sled very well.  A great investment for any family who is serious about continuing to explore the outdoors.

Therm-a-Rest Prolite 3 Sleeping Pad :  From the “Fast and Light” series by Cascade Designs®, these self-inflating pads are light and compact, designed for those backpacking long distances. Purchase a Short 51 x 119cm 2.5cm 2.3 27x9cm 0.370kg for $70 CAD.

Mountain Khakis from Jackson Hole Wyoming gave me the honor of trying out two of their pant styles (Teton Twill and Cottonwood Cord).  I have not purchased a pair of pants in a while and these pants definitely caught my attention. Both pairs of pants were well constructed, soft to the touch and obviously durable.  I especially liked the look of the corduroy ones, which had a modern but relaxed fit.   Both pants come with a quality guarantee and are built for mountain life.  You may find yourself thinking that you are a hot construction mama or rugged Wild West babe walking around in these pants, but rest assured you will also fit in well at a nice restaurant after a long day outdoors.   The pants are made with abrasion-resistant fabric, high-grade threads, unbreakable buttons, and solid brass YKK zippers.

Click on this link to access their website:  Mountain Khakis.

Heidi

Remember a winner will receive a fifty dollar gift certificate for Mountain Sprouts.  All you need to do is share a story, tip, trick, question on this website and one winner will be selected by October 31^st.

Friends of ours came to visit us from Thunder Bay, which is located on the north shore of Lake Superior in Canada.  The landscape were they come from is full of coniferous trees, enormous bodies of water (Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world) and literally hundreds of thousands of rivers and lakes.  There is so much water and greenery.

Somehow, it seemed the obvious choice but to bring them to Utah on their first visit of the Western United States.

We drove two hours south of Moab into the southeast corner of Utah with them and visited different archeological sites. In this part of the country there is very little water, if any, the earth is dry, the trees short, and the desert is sprinkled with sage, cactus, and rocks.  To get to some of these sites was quite easy.  A short hike from the car was all that was required to see ruins and to discover thousand-year old sites full of old pot chards and other little artifacts (which we put back exactly where we found them as archeological site etiquette demands). This proved to be a true delight for our ten year old visitor.

The other site that we visited required us to backpack in and to stay the night.  We found an amazing campsite on flat river rocks that overlooked an enormous canyon.  A cliff-skirting hike was required to get to the cliff-dwelling that we visited.  This was a scary but worthwhile adventure.  Although Cora (who is two years old) accompanied us on all these adventures she did not go on this part of the hike. She stayed behind and played in the dried up river beds, looking at frogs, tadpoles and snakes that were stuck in deep water pits that were filled by flash floods probably a few weeks earlier.  Since Zach is ten years old, he introduced Cora to exploring small crevices for live creatures.  It held Cora’s attention more than anything else ever did.

It is great to travel outdoors with another family. You get to learn how others interpret the natural world, what they do to get prepared for a trip and how they camp.  It was really a delight to share this terrain with them since they are very comfortable in the outdoors.  What was interesting was to see that most of their skills were very transferable to this new environment, but others were not. For example, they were suspicious of my concern that we did not have enough containers to carry the right amount of water.  I insisted that we stop and purchase a large dromedary to carry water.  This water became invaluable on the cliff dwelling section of the trip.    Having another child along during a trip makes it fun for your own child, even one who is comparatively much older. Coralie found it so exciting to see how Zach was a capable outdoors person and what he was interested in.  Everyone on a trip can really open their horizons when they are in the company of new people.

I really recommend visiting the area south of Moab.  It provides such an amazing landscape and has so many interesting historical sites to visit.  You would need to find yourself a book on the area to better find pictographs, petroglyphs and archeological sites.  If you are not a huge outdoor adventurer you can find drive-up sites near the town of Moab.

Heidi

As parents who are interested in sharing the wonders of the natural world with our children, I think it is important to support the health of our children and our planet as well.

Think Baby provides  affordable plastic baby bottles and trainer cups that are made from safe plastics.  If you are concerned with toxic chemicals leaching from plastic baby products think of getting one of these bottles or cups for your child.  They are Free of Bisphenol-A, Phthalates, and PVC.  Their peach colored handles are easy to grip and the spouts are extra soft.

Think of purchasing one of these cups today at this very customer friendly store.  They also have other products to offer you: www.thinkbabybottles.com

For your chance to win a Think Baby cup enter your story, tip, or question during the month of September. You may be our lucky winner.

I enjoyed your article, Heidi, and wanted to share the system that we've settled on, as I think it works particularly well for traveling/hiking/backpacking. Most of the time, we use a system similar to gDiapers, but with an absorbent cloth pad inside of a diaper cover. It looks like this. When traveling, we wash the pee-soaked items by hand, and store the poopy ones for home or a laundromat. If we don't have the time (or good weather) for laundry, then we can replace the cloth pads with the compostable gDiaper pads. These can be disposed of in a pit toilet or buried or packed out. At a minimum, we hand wash the diaper covers, but we usually only go through about two of those per day, and they're easy to wash inside of a gallon ziploc bag. Oh, and we also use cloth wipes, though we sometimes buy disposable wipes after they run out, depending on how easy it is for us to do laundry on a particular trip.

I was asked to shed some light on how to travel in the outdoors while using cloth diapers.  I have talked to friends, read some other websites and books, and compiled what I could into this entry.

My family uses cloth diapers.  If you are a frequent reader of my blogs you will know that my daughter came along on a weekend car camping trip when she was two weeks old.  The cloth diapers came along.  Our system?  We had none.  I would remove the diaper put it in a plastic bag that I had brought to pick up my dog’s poop and keep it in the tent.  Sound appetizing? Think it smelled good?  I don’t recommend either one of these methods. We used disposable wipes and threw those in the mix. It was wonderful to pull them out when we got to back home after four days!

Here’s what I’ve learned about cloth diapering since then:

·         Come up with a system that works for you.

·         Many families do cloth at home but bring disposables when they are on long outdoor trips.  This has its advantages and disadvantages.  Disposable diapers get bigger and heavier.  You also need many of them.  Carrying them with you will add weight and take up space.  It is my guess that this is a great way to teach someone about the ill effects of diapers on the environment.

·         If you only bring cloth diapers you can bring only the amount you need for one day. At the end of the day you can rinse and clean them out, dry them by the fire, and start again.  The disadvantage is that you have to clean them. Depending on how sanitary conscious you are this can be a challenge.  You may need to boil water and have biodegradable soap like (Dr. Bronner’s), then you need more water to rinse them.  In the desert if you are packing in your own water this can be very demanding.  Some folks opt only to clean the poop diapers and just dry out the pee diapers.

·         You also need to make sure your hands are disinfected and that you dispose of the dirty water appropriately. It is not o.k. to rinse the diapers in a lake, pond, river, or ocean.  The same goes with the wash water - it needs to be disposed of in the way recommended for the terrain you are traveling in.

·         Remember:  You need to dispose of a child’s poop the same way that you would an adult’s.  Depending on where you find yourself it may mean digging a cat hole, smearing, or having a container for it.  This goes for both cloth and disposables.  Even when you are home you are supposed to put poop from disposables in the toilet. You are not supposed to send poop to landfills.

·         I am just starting to learn the wonders of using cloth wipes instead of disposable wipes.  They actually wipe better then disposables and are definitely more ecologically sustainable.  They are so easy to use and are not noticed in your wash if you already use cloth diapers.  They are great on hike days too because when you have a diaper to change you can easily add the cloth wipe to a designated ziplock and be on your way. If you have the disposable kind you need to add them to your garbage weight and then use more and more.  The cloth kind can be cleaned with minimum water and used again.

·         Drying cloth diapers can be entertaining.  Hang them from your pack while you walk, or from tree branches to decorate your camp, or around the fire place.

·         Disposable diapers have a great advantage in that they hold more pee and wick it away from your child. If you are on a hike and your child falls asleep you don’t have to worry about the diaper as much as with cloth. You can keep going until you find a place to stop. This way you may be able to put more miles in before the diaper leaks onto the limited amount of clothing you bring on a camping trip.

·         If you are car camping bring a large plastic tub (Rubbermaid or other) or even ammo can with a lid. Place some Tea Tree oil or other odor distracter and add your diapers to this pail. Make sure it is a tight fitting lid that your child will not open or your dog visit. Make sure to lock it in the car at night and not in your tent so that critters don’t come to investigate.  This advice can be used for rafting, canoe or kayaking trips as well.

·         If you decide to bring cloth in the field think of purchasing a wet bag to keep your diapers from affecting the rest of your gear. The bag is plastic coated and durable, so it will not rip under most circumstances. It is easily rinsed out and reused over and over again.  I would also bring along some sturdy zip locks to put really dirty diapers inside the bag. This way the smell does not take over and then you can clean it when needed. You can reuse the zip lock and throw it out when you get home.

·         I think if you decide to bring cloth you should go with cloth wipes as well.  Bringing Tea tree oil can be good to because it acts as a disinfectant as well.

·         If you decide to bring disposables, think also of bringing cloth wipes.

·         Most people bring disposables (diapers and wipes) if they are traveling by airplane.  Some decide to pack there cloth diapers in there suitcase and then use them at their destination.  You need to have a plan and know that whomever you are visiting will be into you using their washing machine to wash your child’s poopy diapers.  If you are going to a hotel you need to make sure the sink is large enough to accommodate your washing and that you have appropriate soap.  Some countries may not have the soap your child is used to.

·         An advantage of disposable is that you can leave home without all the necessary amounts and always purchase more when you are on a car trip or other kind of city trip. The disadvantage with bringing them on an outdoor trip is that if you are out of disposables you are stuck. With cloth you can always clean them.

·         The disadvantage of cloth is that you have to be very organized and have a system. If you forget a part of your system you may have a wet baby.

Here are some great resources:

Before going out make sure to read up about poop disposal:

http://www.lnt.org

Links to websites that have good information about cloth diapers:

http://www.mothering.com/

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/care-and-dressing/diapers/cloth-diapers-4-07/overview/0704_cloth-diapers_ov.htm

http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-diap/45-diaper-cost.htm

http://www.greenandcleanmom.org/

Cloth diaper brands:

http://www.cottonbabies.com

http://www.lesliesboutique.com

http://www.fuzzibunz.com

Heidi Ahrens

So how can you go green regardless if you tow a camper behind you, drive an RV or pitch a tent? It is possible.

Click here to read full article

Hello Tony, Thank you for asking your question.

My initial response to your question is that it is not irresponsible or out of reach to attempt this camping trip, but I do have some thoughts for you to keep in the back of your mind.

I don't know if this trip will be a car camping trip or a backpacking trip so I am going to suppose that you don't have any  warming source at hand.

I am also thinking that you are a seasoned camper with knowledge of how to keep yourself warm and alert during your adventure.

Obviously newborns have a harder time of letting us know they are cold, but  an obvious signs is that they are not being themselves during the specific hour in question.  You should not let your child get cold to the touch ( any part of there body) or damp.

This means be prepared to keep your child warm during the day as well as at night. Make sure you have proper rain gear, and warm layers to change your baby into.

Make sure your baby eats well and is well hydrated.  Make sure your child does not get a sunburn during the day.  Your baby should wear long sleeve and pants and socks during the day even if it is hot, with a wide brimmed hat and socks.  You don't want your child to have to go through hot/cold/hot/ cold.

Make sure you have an isolation pad for your child to sleep on and a warm bunting etc.  Your baby can sleep between you and your partner or next to you if you are alone. Make sure your read about co-sleeping if you have never practiced this. There is a portable co-sleeper available that you could use if you were car camping but it may not be necessary.

Warm water in a outdoor water bottle can be a good source of heat to put next to your child.  Make sure it does not leak and can't be opened.

Bring the warmest tent you have - 3 or 4 season.

Dress your baby in fleece hat, mitts, and socks along with a bunting or a snow suit.

Remember you don't want your baby to overheat. This causes sweat and then turns to cold.

Make sure to change your baby often so that their diaper does not dampen their clothes.

I camped in cold weather with my daughter when she was 1 1/2.  We had very warm days during the day and very cold nights. She does not like sleeping bags so she wore: long underwear, her cotton pyjamas, fleece top/bottom, and a wool sweater. She also had on two layers of wool socks, a neck warmer, a fleece hat and fleece mitts.  She did just fine.

The Zavitz family ( see all sections for pictures/stories) have camped in Canadian winters with their babies inside of quinzee (snow caves) with success.

Make sure to make sound decisions and to bail out if the trip does not work out.

Let me know if you want specific brands and gear examples.  I know that more then one kind of fleece can work fine but maybe you want specific details. I did not want to include them in here so that it would discourage you that you did not have the proper gear or enough money to attempt this great adventure.

It will be great to read your story when you get back.

Heidi

Gulp, Gulp!

How do I answer this question?  For me, experiencing the outdoors and introducing my daughter to all its wonders includes sleeping under the stars, canoeing numerous miles or hiking with a heavy pack.  But, I also believe that my daughter’s backyard explorations have as much merit as our tent camping experiences.  I started www.outdoorbaby.net to support parents in transitioning into a more active outdoor life style.  I believed that families who have a lot of experience with outdoor travel could support families who were just starting to think about including nature into their lives.  That is the point of this website: to support families in their connection to outdoor environments where ever they find themselves on the remoteness factor.

Before I answered Sommer’s questions I asked her a bunch of my own. I wanted to find out about her reasoning around needing an RV to go camping.  Here are her answers:

“Okay so here it is!  My husband works like crazy and has his own business. It's hard to get away for long periods of time. We live in Northern Michigan where fishing and camping is common. We like to take long weekends but I'm a hoteler not a camper. I like to take a shower and sleep on a bed. I don't mind hiking, boating and all the other outdoor fun stuff; I just don't want to sleep in a tent on the ground. So we have a timeshare we are going to sell. We never use it because we can't get away for long periods of time. Flying is so expensive, too. Plus my hubby doesn't really like the beaches and resorts like I do. So were trying to compromise and find away to vacation, see things, enjoy the outdoors and do things we both like.”  Sommer Poquette

Reading her answer made it clear to me that she was in the same boat as my family.  We have very little discretionary income and we can’t really fly much or go to remote locations like we would love to do.  Sommer was ready to compromise with her husband.  My husband and I compromise with our budget and with our desires of what outdoor activities to do.  Sommer was ready to bring her family into the outdoors and experience some of its wonders but she was not willing to forgo all comforts during her vacation.  I understand this very well. That is why we tend to build into our trips a few visits to new towns so that we can do the city-dweller activities we miss.

I liked Sommer’s honesty about her time share.  She was willing to be more adventurous with her travels. Time shares can be very habitual, so she was ready to step outside that comfort box.  A good lesson.  I did wonder though if Sommer’s husband was into tent camping at all. I also wondered if Sommer and her husband should think about these questions:

What is the environmental impact of driving an RV?

What materials are used in the construction of the RV?

Why is not showering and sleeping on the ground such a ‘scary thing’?

What are key components to a vacation for this couple?

Why do they want to go outdoors/camp in the first place? What do they get out of boating? Fishing?

How could they get comfortable with the idea of sleeping outside under the stars for example?

I don’t need to know the answer to all these questions, but it does make me wonder how the answers could help me in making sure that my website helps a family like this one make a transition to a more natural experience and communion with the outdoors.

My recommendation for Sommer and her husband is to buy a pop-up tent trailer or a camper top that you put in back of a truck (if they own a truck).  I think that these options would be more ecologically sound (more “green and clean”) and they would allow there family to experience a little bit more of what camping has to offer.  With a tent trailer you hear the wind as you fall asleep and you are surrounded by the sounds of the woods.  In the camper you do most of your activities outside and therefore must take the time to sit and be in the natural environment.

The point of this website is not to compare all the different merits (or not) of different camping options and its environmental impact, but Sommer’s site looks at this stuff all the time. I am sure that if you stay tuned to her site she will shed light on her research in to the right environmental choice of camping assessor she selects.

Heidi

Five tips for outdoor travel:

http://aspen.plumtv.com/node/6025

So, I find it easier to have a backpack even when camping so that I can feed my child will he/she does not wander around the campsite.

Jason was ready to retire an old 0 degree down bag.  The zipper was bad off at the top and he was ready for more loft.  I drew a concave line on the upper top (red side) and a convex line on the upper bottom (black side) of the bag with a Sharpee.  These lines were around1.5 feet from the top of the sleeping bag.  This length was determined by how long I wanted the bag and how much I needed to cut off to get rid of the bad part of the zipper.  Then I sewed along this line twice to lock the down in to the lower part of the bag.  Taking the bag outside to the trash can, I cut 3 inches above these lines.  Too bad it was a windy day - the yard did look a little "goosey" afterwards.  Then I rolled the three inches down over itself (both layers of nylon) and sewed just about on the original line.  This created a casing to thread in elastic and also made the upper edge nice and clean again (not really nice, it is hard to sew neatly with nylon, and errant feathers).  I used elastic rather than cords since I didnt think it was a good idea for a toddler to sleep with cords near her neck.  The elastic also makes all the tucks and wrinkles of the sewing job "disappear".  I added a button at the top of the zipper to hold it closed.  Violet is about 30 inches tall and the bag will likely fit her for another two years. Check out Winter Sports for a detailed picture of the opening.