Category

Camping and Hiking

Whether you are an experienced camping and hiking family or just thinking about sharing the outdoors experience with your kids for the first time, Mother Nature has something for everyone. The great thing about camping and hiking is the evolution of your relationship with Mother Nature and the great outdoors over time.

FivePax

We started FivePax as a family of five, including a grade-schooler, a preschooler, and a baby. The summer we launched the website, however, Brittany and I went on a 4-day backpacking adventure without the kids. After re-grounding ourselves into our love of nature, we have since focused a lot of our efforts on inclusively and educationally maintaining the entire family’s relationship with the outdoors. We have found that there are so many different ways to enjoy nature, whether via backpacking, car camping vacations, or traveling in an RV. Even within camping there are many options such as KOA style camping, dispersed camping, or creative ways to enjoy nature such as camping on a farm.

Camping and Hiking Content

We hope you find FivePax and the articles in this category as a great resource for your family outdoor adventures. We cover family camping essentials, family camping checklists for both beginners and experienced backpackers, and fun activities such as the National Parks Junior Ranger program. As we continue to hike and camp with our family, as well as meet excellent people around the world doing the same, we hope to build our content that matches our enthusiasm. We hope to contribute to the community of nature lovers out there with tips, tricks, activities, and destinations that connect people to nature.

REI Quarterdome 3 overlooking the Yellowstone River
Camping and Hiking, Camping and Hiking Tips, Road Trip Tips With Kids

The Complete Family Camping Checklist

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If you are like most people, a family camping trip usually starts off without a camping with kids checklist. It comes with grand ambitions of leaving early in the morning, pitching the tent together, some sort of recreational activity, and then relaxing by the fire roasting marshmallows while the Instagram worthy meal heats up and the picnic table is set. What usually happens, however, is a mad scramble to pack the car that extends close to noon, you end up at McDonald’s for a late lunch, and you pitch the tent in the dark while the kids groan about being hungry. You then realize you brought hot dogs, but forgot condiments. Trust me, I’m not throwing shade, we’ve been there more often than we’d like to admit! And you have landed here so we are making a few assumptions.

Fortunately, after three kids and countless outdoor adventures, we feel pretty good about the essentials of camping with toddlers and young kids. This break-down has been curated after years of fine-tuning for a minimalist list of car camping essentials and fun activities, leaving behind the camping gear you just don’t need!

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March 20, 2022
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The right hiking boots can make a big difference on the trails, even for the little guys
Camping and Hiking, Camping and Hiking Tips

Actually useful guide to buying kids’ hiking boots

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If you plan to spend a lot of time on the trails, arguably the single most important piece of equipment you can own is appropriate footwear.  A lot has been written about how to choose the best hiking boots, and there is even a recent heated debate in the hiking community about whether hiking boots are even the best tool for the job, but factors that go into hiking footwear decisions for children varies wildly from those for adults.  This guide aims to help simplify the options and identify the best hiking boots or shoes for kids.

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January 11, 2022
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REI backpack
Camping and Hiking, Gift Guides

Best of REI’s Anniversary Sale

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Schools out for summer! Around here that means time to get busy planning summer adventures. And as we dig out our gear and take inventory, there are a few things we need and a few things we want but have been waiting to buy when they go on sale! Well, folks, we are in the final hours of the REI anniversary sale!

I have spent an embarrassing amount of time combing through the entire REI website for the best deals and realized I should share the results of my late-night research. This way I can call it ‘work’ and I won’t feel guilty about how much it blew up my screen time this week.

If you are looking for a more comprehensive list for car camping with kids or backpacking we have those as well as a post on the best gifts for dad this father’s day!

Getting down to business, here are our top deals in the REI Co-Op Anniversary Sale!

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May 30, 2021
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