Today I was reading through some promo material that I sent for last week. We have decided to do something we have never done before. We are going whitewater rafting on the Fraser River!! I know we will get a kick out of it and, after we’ve learned some useful information about how to have safe outdoors fun on the water, a river kayak is next on our wish list. But I know that first we need good PFD’s and, after looking through some ads on the web, this one looks pretty darn good to me. ...

   As the sun was starting to warm up our backyard again, I realized that it was time to go through the upcoming camping and hiking seasons’ clothing supply and – there they were! Horror of horrors! - My husband’s ugly, ratty, torn army surplus pants. I rushed to the computer for help and, phew, there I found the consummate pair of mountain pants to replace those disgusting old things! Yes, these US made Mountain Khakis Original Mountain Pants are outstanding. They’re soft and comfort...

  Isn’t it amazing the variety of snow hiking boots that there are available! A great choice to add to your hiking outdoor gear might  be these super light and very comfortable alpine boots that are noted for minimizing any blisters or hotspots that are often encountered on the trail. These snow hiking boots are very light at just over 3 pounds and they are designed for all types of climbing, from mixed climbing, big walls and dry rock climbing to alpine ascents. The reinforced heels provid...

   This camping grill stove is as versatile as it is cute!  It has been rated as “excellent” in stability, ease of operation and cold weather use. This remarkable camping grill stove has a 285 square inch surface area with dual burners that have independent controls that makes for perfect open flame grilling. It has detachable side tables and lid and folds to a compact, easy to handle and pack size. It comes with very convenient hooks for hanging utensils and has scissor legs that provide...

     I just had a great idea.  I’ve been looking at all the different kinds of tents there are out there and had this thought that, wouldn’t it be great to have a hiking camping tent that was big enough to put Aero’s  dogs camping tent inside during the night.  Cool.  Especially if we were camping in wild places and there were bears and cougars around.  I’d feel way more secure if we were all together in the night.  What made me think of this was finding the Kelty Mantra 7 Tent.  This...

  “Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful”… and I’m dreaming of a summer camping trip.  There are avalanche warnings on all of the local mountains so I’m sitting here fantasizing about all of the different summer outdoor camps we’ve enjoyed.  This year Conny and I will be treating Aero to her very own dogs tent.  We have found the perfect one.  It has a detachable floor for easy cleaning and a clear side window so she can see out.  It is freestanding a...

Oh, to be a capable outdoorsy woman. Even better, an outdoorsy woman with access to so many time and energy saving options! Forget about having to rely on a big strong man to carry around everything. I remember the first time I packed the truck up with all our gear for camping and equipment for boating for a fortnight camping trip. I was amazed that I did it! All by my lonesome! At that moment I realized that the door of backpacking, hiking and camping no longer needed to be opened for me bec...

Nothing beats sleeping in the outback… except when a big, heavy dog is squishing you off your bed! Luckily, Conny and I have found the perfect solution to Aero’s reluctance about  sleeping on her own bed while we’re backpacking camping. It’s the Adventure Dog Dream Bed found at REI that will let her feel like she’s still on our comfy bed but will give us all the room we need to enjoy sweet outdoor dreams!  This wonderful bed has an inflatable insert that gives it a truly people-bed ...

I think it’s finally time for me to listen to the experts.  I was just reading Cesar (the dog whisperer) Millan’s latest book and he strongly reiterates his recommendation to use a backpack for a dog that is not getting enough exercise. I have to admit that we’ve been falling down on the job lately due to tack of time.  I know it’s hard for our dog, Aero, to get only a short walk in the morning and be stuck in the house all day while we’re at work.  I’ve been looking at different ...

The Big Agnes is another great REI tent.  I think it's just about the perfect 4 person tent.  It's got two doors for easy access and the front door has a welcome mat attached. It is very roomy and, unless you're over 6 feet tall, you can stand up in it.  It also has a large poly-vinyl skylight so you can stargaze when you go to bed (very romantic).
Even though we are "tentally challenged", we still found Agnes fairly easy to put up. The only future problem might be the thin floor, since we som...