Parent Interviews – The Outdoor Kid Handbook

Interview: Audrey Withycombe (hiking, camping, biking, boating, skiing)

Parent Interviewsbiking, camping, canoeing, hiking, skiing

Our latest interview is with Audrey Withycombe who has created an amazing podcast called Outdoorsy Families - I suggest you all go and subscribe to it right now. I've been looking for a while for an outdoor parenting podcast and I was excited to hear about hers. In this interview, she shares what it's like to be an outdoor parent while raising kids full-time on a summer camp. I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful like I did! Name: Audrey WithycombeLocation: Northern Minnesota at a summer camp on a lakeFamily Activities: Hike, camp, mountain bike, motorboat, fish, canoe,…

Interview: Molly and Cole Foss (camping, hiking, fishing, biking)

Parent Interviewsbiking, camping, fishing, hiking, parenting

After a hiatus, we are back with a new interview, this time with a family I met through the Backpacking with Babies and Kids Facebook page. They have created a website and blog (Camping Critterz) dedicated to helping parents go camping with their families. We hope you enjoy the interview and also check out their website! Name: Molly Foss (Momma Critter) and Cole Foss (Daddy Critter) Location: Minneapolis area, MN, USAFamily Activities: Camping, hiking, fishing, bikingKids: 4 yo (aka Tiny Critter)Work Schedule: Cole works a standard 8-4 M-F job (working from home the last 1.5 years) and Molly is a…

Interview: Penny Hutchinson (camping, backpacking skiing, hiking, cycling, paddling)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, biking, camping, hiking, skiing

I am excited to share an interview with my friend Penny this week. What has impressed me the most about the outdoor adventures she goes on with her family are all the trips she takes in the winter. I haven't taken our kids snow camping yet, but hopefully we will try it this winter and I will be asking her for advice. I hope you enjoy the interview! Name: Penny HutchinsonLocation: Bay Area, CA, USAFamily Activities: Camping (including snow camping), backpacking. skiing (backcountry/alpine/telemark), hiking, cycling (road and mtn bike), some paddling Kids: 11 & 13Work Schedule: Before COVID I worked part time…

Interview: Dennis & Laura (climbing, camping, hiking, skiing, kayaking, canoeing)

Parent Interviewscamping, canoeing, climbing, hiking, kayaking, parenting, skiing

We're excited to share another interview this week! This one is really interesting because we have a husband and wife giving two perspectives on how they make outdoor parenting work. Name: Laura & DennisLocation: MA, USAFamily Activities: Climbing, camping, hiking, downhill skiing, kayaking, canoeing. Kids: 10 & 6Work Schedule: 2 full-time Transitioning to parenthood: What outdoor activities did you do before you had kids? Same, just much more frequently before kids! If you or your spouse were pregnant, did that person continue any of the activities and how did they modify the activity while pregnant? Laura: I climbed until my harness didn’t fit anymore. Skiing stopped…

Interview: Scott Turner (Orienteering, Hiking, Skiing, Camping, Biking, Backpacking )

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, biking, camping, orienteering, skiing

This week we have an interview with an outdoor parent whose children are grown up, so he has the perspective of taking them outdoors through all the stages of childhood. He is also a very experienced at orienteering, which I think is a great way to get kids outside that I haven't tried yet with my kids. He also happens to be my uncle, and when I was a kid I got to go orienteering with them. Enjoy! Name: Scott TurnerLocation: Suburban Boston, MA, USAFamily Activities: hiking, orienteering, cross-country skiing (and a little downhill), car camping, swimming less regularly canoeing, bicycling on dedicated…

Interview: Corbin Dunn (Mountain biker, skier/snowboarder, backpacker)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, biking, skiing, snowboarding

I have known Corbin for almost 15 years, most of it before he had his son. I have watched him go on many adventures and use his creativity, engineering talent, and mechanical skills to modify equipment and test out new ideas (which you can read about on his website Corbin's Treehouse). So I was excited to learn more about his approach to outdoor parenting and I'm even more excited to see what he and his family do as his son gets older. I hope you enjoy this interview also! Name: Corbin DunnLocation: Santa Cruz, CA, USAFamily Activities: mountain bike, ski, snowboard, camp, hike, backpackKid: 1.6…

Interview: Shannon (Skier and Backpacker)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, camping, hiking, skiing

This week I'm excited to introduce our friend Shannon. She and her wife are masters of organizing group camping trips, which we have been lucky to be part of for many years now. (They created the camping spreadsheet I shared last week). They have also started taking their kids backpacking and skiing, while impressively managing sports and activity schedules. She is right about how friends help kids hike more - when my kids hike with them they go much farther! Name: ShannonLocation: Bay Area, CA, USAFamily Activities: hike, camp, backpack, cross country ski, downhill skiKids: 5 and 9Work Schedule: 1 full time, 1 newly self…

Interview: Karl Klemmick (Skier, snowboarder, backpacker, canoist, climber, biker)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, biking, camping, canoeing, climbing, hiking, skiing, snowboarding

For our second interview we are excited to share Karl's experience as an outdoor dad. We have known him and his family for a few years. They are part of a group of families we go on group camping trips with a few times a year, until they moved back to Colorado. I have always been impressed with how they find the time to get into the mountains so often while they both worked full time jobs and also with the impressive hiking stamina of their daughter. Name: Karl Klemmick Location: Boulder, Co, USA Family Activities: Mostly downhill skiing, snowboarding, hiking, backpacking, camping,…

Interview: Emily F. (Climber and Backpacker)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, camping, climbing, hiking

We are so excited to introduce our first interview of an Outdoor Parent! We are hoping to do about two of these each month and use this information to improve our information pages. If you're interested in being interviewed, please contact us. Name: Emily F. Location: Bay Area, California, USA Family Activities: Hiking, camping, backpacking, climbing Kids: 6 and 2 years old Work Schedule: Both parents are full time with some flexibility. I have large chunks of time off because I'm a teacher. Steve is self-employed in event production so can set his schedule somewhat. Transitioning to parenthood: What outdoor activities did…