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

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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)

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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…

Bike touring routes for families

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This week we have a big update to our biking page - we created a list of recommended bike touring routes. It is inspiring us to get out on a tour this year and we hope it does the same for you! This list was created with help from the families in the Bicycle Touring with kids Facebook page - we highly recommend joining that group for more info on bike touring with kids. This list can also be viewed directly in the Google Sheet. If you have more routes to add, fill out this form to have them added.…

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

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

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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)

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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, backpack​Kid: 1.6…

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

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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,…

Bike commuting with kids

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In a perfect world for most outdoor families our kids walk or bike (or ski) to school each day. We don’t want to strap them into cars for the short journey to school, or we want to bike commute ourselves. This is great when the weather is perfect and the sun is out, but then there’s the rest of the year. And many of us (ourselves included) are part of a two working parent family, so the kids are in after-school programs or all-day daycare/preschool and have to be picked up when it's dark out. ​What are the best ways…

Bike touring with kids

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Bike touring can be a really fun way to explore new places with kids, including small kids. Our biggest concern was to find a place with bike paths or roads that we felt were safe enough to take kids on for longer distances. Ideally we wanted a place where we could go camping as well. ​ Since we were visiting family in Europe, we decided to try bike camping in France, which is famous for bike camping on the canals. We spent 10 days bike camping in Brittany, with a 3 year old and a 6 year old and all four…