Published on TheDyrt.com, December, 2018. I have seen a variety of effective water filtration systems in the past, but over time my needs have changed. Instead of light and fast adult backpacking trips, covering miles each day, my husband and I now have more thirsty mouths and less pack space per capita. With three kids under... Continue Reading →
Can a Family of Five Sleep Comfortably in a Roofnest Tent? We Tried it Out
Posted on TheDyrt, October 29, 2018 I tested Roofnest’s hard shell roof top tent with my family of five. Here’s how it went. Our family loves fall camping. For us, it’s a season to rest and catch our breath between summer chaos and winter in a mountain town. We get to spend time together as a... Continue Reading →
Doctors Prescribing the Outdoors
When most Americans encounter the term ‘wilderness therapy,’ the images that come to mind can be quite colorful. Rugged peaks, brutal hikes, campfire therapy sessions, or shivering confessions in the pouring rain. Sometimes the associations can be even more unsavory; think Bear Grylls survival techniques. How about performing surgery with a Swiss army knife? Or drinking your... Continue Reading →
How the Have ‘The Talk’ With Your Boating Friends
Published October 9th, 2018 with the NRS Duct Tape Diaries How to Have ‘The Talk’ with your Boating Friends This is it. One of the most awkward conversations of our adult boating life. Far too often, we, as otherwise mature, responsible grown-ups, dance around the topic of Leave No Trace with the dexterity of a Russian ballerina... Continue Reading →
The Secrets to Better Sleep When Camping with Kids
Published by TheDyrt.com 8/21/2018 After a hot, sunny day on the Green River in Colorado, my two sons (5 and 2), and my 10-month-old daughter all snoozed deeply, sprawled across our tent. My husband and I settled in beside them as the last light of the sun left the canyon walls, and the Milky Way blazed above... Continue Reading →
Pennywise Pipeline
Kids. Camping. Gear. Money. How to make it work for parents on a budget in the Roaring Fork Valley. Read more -------> Mountain Parent Magazine
Mountain Parent Magazine
I was so excited to see my words and photos in print with a new client, Mountain Parent Magazine. It's the real story of camping with young children... https://issuu.com/mountainparentmagazine/docs/mountain_parent_april_2018_issuu_/28
Social Media is Bruising the Wilderness
Glenwood Springs Post Independent, October 3rd, 2016 We are leveraging the secret, beautiful places of the world for brand enhancement, and this is leaving permanent scars on both the land and our society. Let me start by saying that I am a part of the problem, too. For example, last weekend, my husband and I... Continue Reading →
A Case Against Multi-Day Rafting
Published on NRS Duct Tape Diaries June 6, 2017 Someone you know has invited you on the river. They have a ‘permit’ and think you should join them for several days to float through the desert, mountains, or canyons on a big rubber raft. This may be your first time, and you’re a little nervous, but everyone... Continue Reading →
The Next Chapter: Dirtbag Parenting
Published on NRS Duct Tape Diaries, September 12, 2017 “Do you think we should still go?” I paused in my frantic food prep and looked around the house. Every corner, couch space and countertop was covered with a staggering amount of carefully vetted gear, dry bags, grocery bags, ziploc bags, layers, nutrition and safety precautions. Outside,... Continue Reading →
Lindsay DeFrates 