We do a lantern hike for the harvest moon...  We also go camping for Thanksgiving/Black Friday. ... View more

Hi @REI-JohnJ !!   My kids are now 3 and 6.   How are you currently getting outside with your kids? What activities are you participating in? We have been participating in 1000 Hours Outdoors this year and have less than 20 hours left of the challenge!! This organization/campaign is awesome, definitely worthy of a quick look-see.  We are getting out while homeschooling mostly. Covid had forced our hand down the path and we've fully embraced it at this point. We take our entire school day into the forest at least once a week. We do road trips around Oregon and Washington and bring the schooling! National monuments, parks, forest... fantastic supports for homeschoolers (and all humans!) for education. We are camping, road tripping, hiking, backpacking, kayaking!, and completed one bikepacking trip this summer.   What motivates you to go outside with your kids? A life lived outdoors in never a life wasted. If there's any hope in saving this planet, it's in showing our children how vital, beautiful, and amazing it is. I grew up camping with my dad, he passed suddenly 4 years ago and that hit me very VERY hard. It also made me even more determined to give my children the connection to our planet that I experienced.   What are some of the challenges to getting outside with your kids? Full disclosure... my husband doesn't share this passion. My biggest challenge is doing it alone, or rather as a solo adult. Taking my 6 year old daughter into the backcountry alone took some bravery. Taking a 6 year old and 3 year old on a bikepacking trip, patience. Road tripping, dispersed camping, and seeing all 3 units of the John Day Fossil Beds this summer, ok that took lots of things.    What kinds of gear and clothing are your kids using? Is it more general purpose or specifically designed for an activity? We have the exact gear we need to get the job done and make experience easier and better in the process. Less is more. Lighter is more. Easy enough for a young child to operate is essential.  On trip this last weekend our Exped Synmat duo sprung the worlds smallest leak and I'm devastated. I'd love to bring it in to REI and get help finding this suggestion of a hole... it lost enough air that I couldn't sleep comfortably but my 42 lb 6 year old slept on it the next night and didn't notice a thing (reinflated)! I have 2 tents, a Kelty Rumpus 4 and a Big Agnes Tiger Wall Platinum 3... If that tells you anything... are we in a campground or the backcountry?  We LOVE LOVE LOVE our Reima rain bibs and REI kids rainshell coats... we live in Oregon. I shop REI year round to find all the garage sale items and outlet deals. We just HAVE to stay dry out there... If we're dry, I can keep us warm. At this point I've got us so well dialed in that I now buy the same items in the next size they need and don't mess around with trying out something else (now if REI toddler rain shells would come with velcro straps on the wrists hahaha!!). ... View more

What fantastic timing to tag me in this! We just did our first Bikepacking trip yesterday/day before. While it was supposed to be 3 nights and I pulled the plug after 1, they did simply amazing on the trail (but I don’t tolerate poor campers, and there was a disconnect at our campsite, zero help from either child… I adventure solo with the 2 kids, 3 and 6 years old… when you’re in the backcountry alone with young children you can’t take a chance that they aren’t listening… so I pulled the plug, I’m hopeful that the message was received even with the listening ears clearly turned off)… My daughter is 6 now, riding a islabikes beinn 20s… my son is 3 and on a strider pro. All I have is our experiences and a lot of research… someone mentioned 2 wheeling tots up ahead of me and I’ve found them to be the most useful over all… no matter you stage in the game or your financial level. My 6 year old began on a balance bike, she moved to pedals at a new 4 and never fell. I mean, she falls, especially while learning to navigate her bike for the first time 2 days ago with loaded panniers. My son is more adventurous and ready for pedals but they’re now hard to come by given how light weight he is.    My tips and advice?? Get the lightest weight bike you can afford, shop used. The younger the rider, the more important this is. Get out there. Try all different terrains and experiences. My son far prefers the pump park. My daughter, a nice paved trail…  Keep the bike available as often as possible… 24/7.        ... View more

Welcome to my beautiful home state!!!   I image you’ve done extensive research already on the area.  I can’t even begin to keep up with the endurance level needed for your exploration.  but if you need help with some short 2-3 mile hikes with kids and dogs, a million accessories, toys, gear, snacks... I’m your gal!! Haha 😆   ... View more

This will definitely work! I need to try a couple more configurations and see if I can’t get some more floor space. Lol    thanks for the advice!!    ... View more

Thank you for all of this.  man’s it’s true.  my he cost of it all is daunting but I’m also nervous of not calculating our needs properly and being ill prepared... or purchasing the wrong gear and needing to re-purchase later.  we have many things already as we are a camping and hiking family. Sleeping bags and such. But we mainly camp in a trailer at this point and have given much of our gear to friends and family... like the tent which would’ve required it’s own bag anyway 😂   so far I’ve only purchased a backpack and sleeping pad. Camp stove and such I figured we’d just pack simple foods for the first few trips... we’ll only be going a couple miles in and only a single night.  but yes, it’s true, I was looking for a tent to last us years and years instead of just to get us started. Either way, they seemed expensive and I’m not finding much used right now in this category.  I’m reassessing our tarp/tent right now. It should work perfectly for our initial needs.  ... View more

Thanks.  @hikermor - Do you have a hiking staph recommendation? Every point of the gear selection process is proving to be so mind boggling. Lol    This is the only set up I have down so far. Ha! I need to learn how to not rely as heavily on the trees... sticks and proper hiking staphs would be very helpful!    ... View more

This is a good point!  We are in Oregon. Weather will be mild for the most part since we will be new to backpacking and I’ll have a dog and young kiddo in tow.  but we also do much of our schooling outdoors (thanks to covid-homeschooling)... in our rainy climate, I already own a tarp like item with the seam sealed loops and such that we use as a canopy.  now I’m going to learn how to use it as more of a tent type structure!  ... View more

YES!!!  Fantastic resource!! No one should buy a children’s bike without at least a quick swipe through their website.  I’m thinking I’m going to make a list of all options within a reasonable distance of our home (Beaverton, OR) and just... DO THEM ALL!!  Of course, I’ll have to report back. 😂 🥰 ... View more

We have opposite kids. 😂   I actually don’t want a woom for him. It doesn’t seem much his style/interest and I’m afraid I’ll end up having to buy more components to make it work.  And I’m DEFINITELY taking his bike next time we head out!! We are homeschooling and have a specific forest spot we sneak out to each week. It’d be perfect!  Best recent photo I have, but there all sorts of little trails and such all around us here  🥰 ... View more