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If it's one thing we're guilty of, it's giving jalapeños an awful lot of air time around here. In one sense, we should apologize. In another, hey, we pay the bills. And in another, well, all can be forgiven when presented over a hunk of grilled red meat. So I dedicate this to you. This is pretty easy because you create the marinade and prep the meat at home, which means cooking at camp is that much quicker and simpler . . .
If you've been to this space before, you might already know about our little love affair with funky and cool campervans. But this Volkswagen LT 40 inspires a whole new level of bliss and wonder for classic, or not-so-classic, Griswolding. Uh oh, and she's for sale. Alas, she's all the way across the pond in Scotland. It's a 1988 unit that underwent a two year rebuild by a dad who intended to take his family of five through Africa, but as Jed from Campervan Culture tells us, the plans changed. The project was completed in 2010, including a shiny new 2.4 TD motor. It's almost a shame to put so much energy (and cold, hard-earned cash!) into a such a significant project only to have to part with her before a grand voyage. The van in its current state has hardly been driven around the block with a mere 3400 kilometers (2100 miles) on that new engine. Watch this video and hang on till 0:38 and enjoy the sweet sound of her purr . . .
This year, I've avoided to the core penning out a gift guide for you. Everyone's doing that now. But what I will do is show you one thing that's surely going to make a fella like yours truly feel kind of special. I say that because these beauties from Nau (pronounced "now") are proof of love at first sight. A friend linked to these on Facebook today and effectively flushed this chump. Why?: the usual. They look good, are priced for us lowly working class, and up the muchly-over-hyped green factor . . .
The forest road I picked out while combing the map at the kitchen table a week ahead of time looked like it would take us to a camp spot right above the West Fork of Oak Creek at about 6,700 feet under the pines and junipers. It always amazes me what a map will reveal. This time it showed tight bends and little space between the contour lines. Translate that to an abrupt and likely sublime view of the canyon below, one carved out of polished and peaceful sandstone and trimmed with the dying leaves of oaks and cottonwoods. The otherwise nondescript spot is down a long dirt road that eventually leads to nowhere resembling civilization. Sometimes this is a pretty good thing. However, as everyone knows, you can't always get what you want. Then again, what is an outdoor adventure without a series of bummers to solve? Camera: Canon 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm | Setting: f/4.5, 1/100, ISO 100 She found the tree with the right branch, but it took some time to find. As you can see, good, strong branches that are close enough to the ground yet far enough from the tree are few. But that's exactly what you need for a proper rope swing. My wife found the one that worked. I lassoed the branch, tied off the webbing, tied a big figure eight on a bight . . .
Yesterday, I took my 4-year old daughter to the gear shop to buy some new warm gloves and hat. Kids being kids, we can only find one left glove out of a total of three pairs she owns. We have some adventures planned this fall and winter so we had resupply this department. When we arrived, we found a whole 16' row packed full of gloves and hats just for kids. She couldn't contain herself.
There is little chance that anyone's pancakes on planet Earth can beat those of Chris "BajaTaco" Marzonie. He has the temperature dialed in just right on his camp stove that toasts each pancake with a joyous, nameless heavenly color. The sweet-scented steam rises with a gentle whisper. But is that all? No, there's more. It gets much better. He custom tailors each one to the indulgences of the stomach to which it's destined . . .
When another "Top 10 Best" feature in a magazine lands in my paws, I'm probably just as put off and pulled in as anybody with a moment of disdain and wonder: did my beloved _____ make the list? The perfect formula to spark your curiosity strokes both love and hate. We hate to see our little home town or favorite Sunday breakfast restaurant overused and under appreciated by the public but a part of us also loves to see recognition for the places, people and things that shape our personal lives. Right?
Oh, come on now, it looks much more complicated than it really is. Though they're atypical, roof top tents could very well be the answer to the comfort woes of those who don't approve of sleeping on the ground. Inside (and up top) is a pleasant foam mattress the size of a queen bed. Plus you'll appreciate that private stand-up space within the walls of the lower room when it comes time to change your underwear, take a shower, or bail out of the rain. As you can see, one entire side of that lower portion also detaches and rolls up; it could also be staked outward in awning fashion giving you a lovely veranda under which to sip morning coffee, listen to songbirds, and get amped up for a bike ride in the pines. Or whatever. Like all things in life, this comfort comes with a trade off or two . . .
I wanted to title this, "The S'mores That Are Probably Better Than Sex" but decided that might be too strong. And likely inaccurate. Say not another word about it, Mark. Not one more . . .
On the list of "Outdoor Product Reviews No One Really Needs," camp chairs are going to be near the top, and they're going to be jockeying for position along with shoes, socks, and water bottles. Give or take. So I figure I'll spare you that and file the Alite Designs Monarch Butterfly Chair in our column known as "Cool Find." Here's why . . .
I'm 35 years old and I've never owned an axe until June of this year. Here's why. Last September, my dad and I road tripped to Moab, Utah and once we were there, he decided he needed to get a new axe to dedicate to his Land Rover. For better or worse, we're kind of like this in our family: a set of tools goes in the garage, another set goes in the truck. It's a concept that will forever evade our eye-rolling wives.
Every parent who wants to get more exercise, keep up with their desire for, say, backpacking, or hit that goal to compete in a triathlon (or insert your own goal), wonders how other parents do it. And the big one, especially for first time parents, is as simple as how do you take a baby camping for the first time? The truth is none of us are experts at this business of juggling family responsibilities with our outdoor pursuits. We're all winging it in different ways because our children are dynamic critters with their own personalities, quirks, and soft spots. And so are we. Ah! But there's hope, good person. Read on.
I resisted a minivan for years. Instead I preferred to shove a kid, a dog, a weeks worth of camping/outdoor gear (and on one occasion 3 chickens) into or on top of our wagon. There was zero floor space anywhere, I couldn’t move my feet, rarely could you see out the back window, it smelled like dog breath and because we didn’t have tinted windows I once saw someone taking a photo of us with their cell phone. It was apparently a sight to behold. I finally caved after Isaac was born. It took one road trip with an additional kid/car seat and I was done, a 2001 Toyota Sienna it was. You may be asking why not an SUV? Well, minivans are just far superior. Theeeey ummm, well, . . .
Yes, cardboard box. What? Why are you laughing? Because I receive a good number of emails about our 12-volt fridge/freezer that we have in our truck, I posted earlier five things you should know about them to help answer the usual questions. I know and understand that an $800+ fridge inside the ol' family ride just isn't in the cards for most folks, so it came as quite a surprise when, as I was working on that article, an email slid into my inbox introducing me to this sustainably-minded cardboard cooler from Boutique Cascades. You read that right. Cardboard. I heard that chuckle, you. Take a look at this thing anyway.
We're four years into ownership of a 12v refrigerator, specifically an Engel MT35, and there's no shortage of questions about it from our readers who've never seen such a critter. The majority, of course, wonder what the downsides are. Is it really worth while for camping and adventure road trips? Won't it kill your battery? What's wrong with a cooler and ice? Can it really keep popsicles frozen? Well, read on.
Ah, Utah. Utah, Utah, Utah. You look so lovely today. Now check out Darren and Donna's 1964 Canned Ham trailer they scored on eBay. Like most of us first time parents with a backpacking habit (or insert your own form of outdoor adventure), they had a miserable time tent camping with their fresh-born little one who just couldn't manage to go to sleep at night in a tent. But they didn't give up too easily.
Much as I appreciate dirtbagging, and much as I appreciate my own outfitted truck, I don't see much wrong with just browsing the menu from time to time. At the end of the day, or, rather, come my three-day weekends I go back to my own beloved version of how to git-er-dunn. And it looks nothing like this beauty. Although we do ride in a Nissan. But we don't have a custom camper like this, and our candle light is a campfire when permitted. I like the refinement of those matching drapes and seat cushions. Do your truth. I know I called this "Camper of the Week." There's a little voice in my head saying, "YES YES YES YES keep doing this every week." Right now this is a fanciful whim of the moment, but what the heck . . .
At camp we don't let a 3-year-old halfling picky eater dictate what we'll cook for ourselves. We're wine drinkers, as you may know, and we like spicy food. Neither of which are for our daughter. And since this website is called Adventure Parents, we like to dabble in the guilty (or not-so-guilty) pleasures that make us happy. This quick appetizer - side question: who out there likes camping appetizers beyond a bag of tortilla chips and jarred salsa? - does the trick, and it's pretty easy to prepare.
My wife and I always used to pack along a sleeve of disposable 12-oz Solo cups for those camping road trips until we came to our senses. I'm on a personal campaign to cut my consumption of disposable anything, particularly plastic. I'll admit that it's not always easy or convenient, and I'm not claiming that I've cut it all 100%. I'm still a person. But those Solo cups? Yeah, no longer need them thanks to the GSI Stemless Wine Glass.
As of today, the Wallow Wildfire in eastern Arizona has burned over 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 acres and it's still going. The big cloud you see in this video is the smoke rising from the forest near Alpine, Arizona. It's amazing in the holy-shit-that-makes-my-stomach-drop sense. Right now, officials believe that the fire started from an abandoned campfire. <taps foot> You might know about my little fondness for campers. Vehicles with not just living space on board, but a sense of style that taps into the heart of your inner creature (or your inner Clark Griswold) who longs to retire early, go to happy places to do happy things. While cars can be an extension of your personality, campers become an extension, or realization, of your dreams. But yikes. This one's left me speechless and amused and wondering. Sure, it's clearly someone's afternoon musings with Photoshop and a fleeting moment of inspiration. What is it that this camper says? What runs through your mind when you look at it? I think I need your help to sum it up, because all the fun shouldn't be just left up to me. Caption this sucker, win a Lonely Planet book . . .
Slacklining: first you say, "Oh, I'm too old to do this. I look like a fool." And it kind of resembles an idle waste of time, much the way skateboarding did to adults 20 years ago when we kids were scraping the paint off (or trying to) of every handrail around with our Powell-Peraltas. But it's fun and addictive and silly and challenging. What I love about this video is the mood set by Matisyahu's One Day. Idealistic and young and naïve - which isn't really a bad thing, but a beautiful thing: they'll be no more wars / and our children will play / one day. And now nothing pleases me the way Chloe's voice asks, "Can we do the slackline, Papa?"
Each night, Mark sits down with the guitar and his Macbook and looks up new songs to play- he is itching to lead some campfire songs this spring. It's fun to listen- he's got a great ear and is naturally coordinated enough to already make the guitar sound alive with music. I have no doubt that in a month he'll master the chord changes for some great songs and will get to shine at our next campfire circle. His biggest challenge remains....the singing. |
