Here we go again, sorting through our camping equipment and hiking gear for our first real outdoor hiking trip of the season. Yey!! Back to camping in wild places! Because our dog Aero loves all kinds of physical challenges (and eats like a horse), to pack dog food around, we decided to get her a new dog pack to share the load. We’ve been looking at various types of dog packs so she can get her much needed workout and at the same time carry her own water and food dishes, leash, coll...

          OK. Here we go. All ready for a fabulous weeklong family outdoor camping hiking trip. Now, the puzzle of how to get that big pile of very necessary outdoor equipment gear into (or onto) our vehicle. Luckily, I do believe I’ve found a solution to the problem. It’s a terrific roof rack system that makes it easy even if you have to load 4 bikes, 4 kayaks or 4 big backpacks. There is even a special tire-mounting bracket for if you want to temporarily relocate the spare tire to free ...