Hiking is a Great Family Activity

Hiking is a great way to get everyone outdoors and into nature.

Hiking is a great way to get everyone outdoors and into nature.

Hiking is a great outdoor activity that parents and children can enjoy together. It’s also a good way for kids to learn about nature and the environment and maybe some wildlife too, if you can coax the kids into an early start.

Of course, you might have to do a bit of coaxing to get the kids to go hiking, at all! Our three children encompass the entire spectrum of motivation, when it comes to hiking. Our oldest daughter (8) actually bugs us to go hiking, while her younger sister (7) would never go hiking, if it were up to her. It’s too soon to tell which side our son’s (4) motivation will fall on.

Continue reading →

Family Camping Resolutions for 2009

Now is a great time to focus on family camping plans and goals for the coming year.

Now is a great time to focus on family camping plans and goals for the coming year.

More camping

One of our family goals is to go on a camping trip at least once every month. We did not achieve that in 2008, mostly due to my wife Lisa’s commitments in her Master’s program, so it’s a good time to refocus on family time for 2009 and start planning more monthly getaways.

Our typical camping trip is a Friday and Saturday night at some reasonably local location. Luckily, we have a lot of nice places to choose from, here in the San Francisco Bay Area, from beaches to forests in the coastal mountains. For short weekend trips, like these, it does not make much sense to spend a lot of time driving, so we limit ourselves to roughly a 2-hour radius around our home.

Continue reading →

Winter Backcountry Safety

Helmets can significantly reduce the risk of a head injury from sledding (photo by Adam Baker)

Helmets can significantly reduce the risk of a head injury from sledding (photo by Adam Baker)

Heavy winter storms have been blanketing mountains in the west this Christmas, leaving several feet of fresh snow. Unfortunately, fresh snow combined with steep mountain terrain has proven deadly for three people already, with two more still unaccounted for, as of Christmas night.

Continue reading →

Innovative Camping Products Debuting in 2009

Energizer will debut a portable AA and AAA solar charger at CES. (GoodCleanTech.com)

Energizer will debut a portable AA and AAA solar charger at CES. (GoodCleanTech)

Energizer® Solar Charger
If you are still using alkaline batteries in your outdoor gadgets, Energizer has a new product that should help you make the switch to rechargeables. GoodCleanTech offered a sneak peak of this new battery charger that Energizer will debut at CES in January. It can charge AA and AAA size NiMH rechargeable batteries via AC power, or its integrated solar panel. The charger also has an integrated USB port, for charging products with internal batteries.

Continue reading →

Across the Country, State Parks under Pressure

Numerous state parks across the country face closure

From Washington to Florida and New York to Idaho, state budgets are reeling from a combination of reduced property and sales tax revenue. Numerous state parks are already on the chopping block, in an effort to reduce budgets with minimal impact to union jobs and social services.

Continue reading →

Quick Takes