Category Archives: Gear Reviews

Every climber worth their chalk knows you can never have enough gear! Pros and cons of gear I’ve used, loved, and hated!

The NEW Tenaya Oasi: Comfort + Performance = Climbing Shoe Perfection!

Sep 09 2013

It’s been almost a year to the date that I traded in my La Sportiva Miuras for a whole fleet of Tenayas – Tatanka for overhanging terrain, Masai for technical edging, and Ra for everything in between. To be honest, I’ve never looked back. My experience with the product as well as the company has been nothing but top-notch, so I’m thrilled that Tenaya is adding yet another great shoe to their line-up! At this point I’ve done a wide variety of demo’s – at the New, at the Red, and at various climbing gyms across the Southeast. And…Read the rest of this entry →

5 Essentials for Eas(ier) Family Road-Trippin’

Aug 12 2013

The following piece was adapted from a piece I wrote for another site several weeks ago, but with those last fleeting weeks of summer on the horizon, it seemed relevant to post here for families looking to do one more trip before school starts! Not to mention, Diono has offered to sponsor a giveaway of not one, but TWO of the items featured on the gear list! So get comfortable and read on… Ah, the family road trip. There’s nothing like an 8 hour car ride to get your family vacation started on the right (or wrong) foot! If your adventuring…Read the rest of this entry →

Ever Thought About an Inflatable Kayak? Maybe You Should!

Jul 01 2013

This summer our family visited humbersport.net and added some new paddling gear to our already overflowing adventure closet! Though our purchase was made on a whim after some extra writing gig money came in, the idea has been brewing for a long time – as in, since the pre-Cragbaby days. Steve and I had always enjoyed paddling and kayaking in its various forms – we’d sea kayak using fishing kayak for two people in New Zealand, rafted numerous rivers including the Upper Gauley (with a guide), and even had an epic backcountry canoeing experience in the Everglades (probably SHOULD’ve had…Read the rest of this entry →

Soft Star: Minimalist Shoes for Toddlers (and GIVEAWAY!)

Jun 24 2013

A while back I wrote a post on why you should let your kids run around barefoot. Basically it boils down to the fact that bare feet is what nature intended, and that allowing your child some “sans shoes” time is a key component to healthy foot development. However, unless you spend all your days living in a warm-weathered hippie commune, there will be plenty of situations where appropriate footwear is not only recommended, but required. But just because your toddlers preschool enforces a shoe policy doesn’t mean that his/her tootsies have to feel cramped and restricted all day long.…Read the rest of this entry →

Piggyback Rider: Why Our Family Likes to Ride the Bar

Jun 06 2013

For the past 3 years, our household has relied heavily on two different carriers to see us through from point A to point B on our various family adventures – the Kelty KidCarrier (when we’re loaded down with climbing gear), and the Ergo Baby carrier (for day hikes). But over the past 6 months or so we’ve found ourselves that “in-between” stage, where the 3 year old crag-kiddo is transitioning from full-time rider to full-time hiker. Some days he is very adamant about hiking all by himself. Other days he just wants to ride. Most days he prefers to do…Read the rest of this entry →

“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN