Child carriers and backpacks are not all that new, but you probably knew that already. The entirety of human history all over the globe show examples of slings, pouches and cradle boards used for hands-free baby transport. However, in 20th-century U.S.A., child carriers were absolutely non-existent. That changed in 1968 with a young Peace Corps volunteer named Ann Moore who witnessed the women in Africa carrying babies and infants in slings on their backs. Moore eventually returned from her service in West Africa, started her own family, and having loved the idea of keeping a hands-free active life while keeping her baby snuggled against her body, she went to the store to buy a baby sling. She couldn't find one, so she designed her own soft carrier, called it the Snugli (link) and practically launched an entire industry.
Kelty came along in 1992 with their iconic kid backpack and you could say the trails of the National Park system haven't been the same since.
And now there's a new, fancier, snazzier pack on the street from Osprey . . .
Last I heard, Jackson, Wyoming is enjoying a lovely 10-degree low and taking on an inch or two of fluff during some awfully pleasant snow flurries. They say the skiing's not that great this year, either. So prepare yourself. Corners of the American Sonoran Desert are invoking cliché lyrics to Jimmy Buffet songs at 74 degrees during the day and chilling the bones at night around 45. Those are facts, so pack the bikes and come on down. 38 Photos . . .
Around the middle of the summer, my wife left for a weekend in Austin, Texas so I took my daughter on a two-day adventure road trip. It was our first trip together as a duo. And it's surprising how the dynamics and vibes are so different when it's just the two of us on an adventure. Here's what happened.
The two little girls hiking in front of me are far from bumming. They're beaming. For the moment, I'm just here to silently supervise and swat the flies and watch for snakes. My own flesh-and-blood daughter has discovered a short piece of a cottonwood branch and declares that this new hiking stick makes her the leader. She's 3 years old, jamming down a footpath trail next to a desert river with a stick in her hand. She's unstoppable. Of course she's the leader. Even her 8-year-old cousin yields to the demands, looks at me and . . .
Welcome to today's Chillax. You're going to step into a forest of giant redwoods, look up at Yosemite's El Cap, walk along the dunes in Death Valley and then some. Be paying attention at 1:33. That's my favorite part.
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Ummm, The Sunday Morning Chillax? Here's the idea. You're up early. You're enjoying a cup of coffee in the quiet morning while your little turds sweet children sleep in. We'll share a video of something to give you happy, relaxing thoughts about mountains, fresh air, fun, or whatevs. Enjoy. Relax. You deserve it. Might be every Sunday, might not. Hey, that's the price of free.
Ahhhh-laska. Alaska. In the words of James Taylor - in a song about an entirely different place but sets the mood: "I've never been but I'd sure like to go." Now I have a whole new reason to get up there. The Last Frontier, as Alaska is nicknamed, is home to The Taiga Trekkers, a group of parents who meet on a weekly basis to hike. Adventure parents at the root, no matter the season.
All kinds of weird shit happens on a hike in the middle of Phoenix. Decorated Christmas trees, trail ethics, and a random family carrying a baby to the top of the mountain.
Pretty soon we won't have any excuses at all to stay home. With a bit of solar power on your backpack, think of all the possibilities. Sure, you can keep your iPhone charged run all those snazzy outdoorsy apps you bought.
Let's get a little more out there. Oh, you need to pump breast milk? Let's rest here on this precipice with a view of - go ahead pick one - Yosemite Valley, Canyonlands, the Sonoran Desert and plug in the breast pump. Wee-whirrr wee-whirrr wee-whirrr. Okay, not quite the sound you want while gazing at Earth's splendors, but you'll take what you can get.
Just how do you tell a mere 2.5-year-old blond that she gets to go see a 700-year-old house carved into a hole of a limestone canyon wall and make it sound fun?
Can she possibly understand it? Not really. So here's what we did: "Chloe, do you want to go camping and throw little rocks into a river and climb on big rocks?"
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 Brooke Stephens, Photography by Mark D. Stephens
The Phoenix-area is a great launching point for 2-3 day weekend road trip "mini-vacations." With a young daughter we try to minimize the driving and include more hands-on experiences that appeal to a toddler. Like everyone else, we prefer a short drive, to a not-too-crowded camping area, where it's scenic and there's something fun to do nearby.
JPFreek Adventure Magazine Logo --- what's real? What's not? I loaded up the Jeep with a backpack, a few vittles, a camera, and a GPS with the idea of landing myself in Guadalupe Mountains National Park for a number of days. This was my first solo trip in years, and preparing for it felt as foreign as walking on the moon. Just me and the Jeep, no family this time. 535 miles and four days. And somewhere out there at a campgound in the Chihuahuan Desert, a few friends awaited in a huddle around a campfire. They'd be waiting a while.
I didn't get there until 2:00 am. Strange things happened out there on the road.
Just how do you tell a mere 2.5-year-old blond that she gets to go see a 700-year-old house carved into a hole of a limestone canyon wall and make it sound fun?
I loaded up the Jeep with a backpack, a few vittles, a camera, and a GPS with the idea of landing myself in Guadalupe Mountains National Park for a number of days. This was my first solo trip in years, and preparing for it felt as foreign as walking on the moon. Just me and the Jeep, no family this time. 535 miles and four days. And somewhere out there at a campgound in the Chihuahuan Desert, a few friends awaited in a huddle around a campfire. They'd be waiting a while.
