Glacier National Park is amazing! Go visit!

Seriously, this is among our most favorite places to camp, and we're already looking forward to returning in the future. Tune in to hear about our longest day hike ever (the Highline Trail), a multi-day backpacking trip (to Harrison Lake), and fording rivers with toddlers (semi-safely).

We also have more listener questions. Listen to our thoughts about:

• Dealing with bugs
• Heavy vs light tents
• Getting out of the rain
• Managing a toddler while camping
• Taking your dog camping

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Springbar Family Camper

Zpacks Triplex

Coleman Screenhouse

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We're back after another long break without internet access!

Join us for a discussion of our four-day trip to Yellowstone National Park. Some things went well, some things were frustrating, and overall it was a great experience.

We also delve into some of your options for camp cooking. We don't cover all of the possible methods, but do discuss the pros and cons of most of them. The list includes campfires, charcoal, wood stoves, dutch ovens, and propane stoves of various sizes. These different cooking methods aren't exclusive, and we use almost all of them, so join in to learn more about how to cook when you're away from home.

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Lodge Dutch Ovens

Camp Chef Pro 60X

Camp Chef Alpine Cylinder Stove

Silverfire Rocket Stove

MSR PocketRocket Deluxe

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Hello again after another long break!

Today we're talking all about our trip to Grand Tetons National Park. This is a must-see destination if you love beautiful mountains, clear lakes, and outdoor adventure. We discuss our failure to get a campsite in the park, the decision to cancel a scheduled backpacking trip, and cold baths in mountain lakes.

We also have some listener questions, one regarding homeschool and several on family camping. Should you use double or single sleeping mats? Do you need camp chairs? How large a cooler do you need?

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Atherton Creek Campground

Kelty Bestie Blanket

Enlightened Equipment - everything we've gotten from EE has been excellent

Hammock Gear Economy Burrow - we have a couple of these quilts, and they've been a great lower-cost option

Kelty Low Loveseat - we have a couple of these, and have been happy with them

Coleman Rambler II stool - we also have four of these stools

Pelican 80qt Cooler - this is a bombproof beast, although you can probably find more cost-effective options

Dometic CFX 95DZW - our current camp fridge/freezer. Really expensive, but so, so nice.

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Like we said before, be ready for a few episodes in rapid succession!

Today we're talking all about backpacking, inspired by our awesome trip in Rocky Mountain National Park. Listen to learn all about our hike up the East Inlet trail to over 10,000 feet with five kids in tow. We discuss what worked, what didn't, and why we do these trips at all.

We also have a discussion on hiking with kids in general, focusing on distances, elevation gain, and pack weight. If you've ever wondered how far your kids can hike or how much their backpack should weigh, you'll find this conversation helpful.

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East Inlet Trail to Lake Verna - a description of our hiking route

National Park Service hiking difficulty rating - one possible way of measuring how strenuous a hike will be

Therm-a-Rest Z Lite - the sleeping pad our smaller kids use

Enlightened Equipment Protege - the sleeping quilt our smaller kids use

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We're back! We've been off the grid for 12 days as Epic Summer 2020 progresses, so we apologize for the delay in getting episode 6 out to you--it was recorded over a week ago! There's some tension trying to publish a podcast about camping while you're actually camping. We'll have internet access for a couple more days, so look for another couple of episodes to drop in short order.

Today we're talking about our week spent visiting family in the beautiful Pine Valley Mountains of Southern Utah. In particular we focus on our attempts to learn how to recover a capsized canoe with kiddos on board. We're very inexperienced paddlers, so don't expect to be wowed by our knowledge and expertise. This is an example of what Fearless Camping is all about--choosing a new skill or adventure that stretches your family, and then going for it.

Finally, we finish off with a campfire story we recorded while staying with Rob's parents at their cabin. Campfire stories have been a big part of our lives, and we're looking forward to sharing this family classic with you. More importantly, we're hoping to make campfire stories a regular feature on Fearless Camping Firesides, and we need you to help with that! If you have great campfire stories from your own family, whether they're scary, funny, or poignant, record yourself telling them and then email the .mp3 to us at fearlesscamping@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can type out the story and then we'll read in on the podcast.

PakBoats PakCanoe 170 -- so you can see details about the canoe we're using.

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Our first podcast from the field! Coming at you from our mobile studio (the car), here's an update on the first few days of Epic Summer 2020. We hit the ground running with a short visit to Petrified Forest Nat'l Park, and then an excellent couple of days at the Grand Canyon. Listen to learn all about it.

We've also got seven tips for you to make your family camping a bit more successful. These are things we've picked up over the past couple of years. We learned most of these the hard way, so avoid some pain when you take your family into the wilderness.

1. Ditch the cheap tent stakes.
2. Clean up camp before bed.
3. Bring lots of wet wipes.
4. Always plan on rain.
5. Refill critical supplies when you're down to one spare.
6. Put young kids on a leash.
7. Invest in a comfortable sleeping pad/cot/hammock/bed.

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Inexpensive nail stakes on Amazon. No specific brands recommended, but these are the type I like.

North American Rescue RAT Strap -- NOT something you need, but we had it laying around, and it's probably the best child leash on the planet.

Exped DeepSleep Mat Duo 7.5 (an updated model of the version we use x3 for the kids) and Exped MegaMat Duo 10 LW+ (for mom and dad). They even make a 15cm thick version for extra-reluctant spouses.

Disc-o-bed cots.

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A short podcast to kick off a long adventure! We're starting our crazy summer vacation, and you're invited to follow along! Join us for a discussion of the top three things that have us worried, and the top three things that have us most excited.

In this episode we give a very quick overview of our trip itinerary; for more information you can read our blog post Epic Summer 2020: Introduction. Read all about where we're going, how long it will take, and what equipment we'll be using along the way.

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Today we get to start with our first ever listener questions! Our homeschooling episode generated a lot of interest, and we have a couple of questions to answer. Also, check out Jill's blog post featuring all of her favorite homeschooling resources.

Then we jump into our main topic: snakebites. Listen to learn from a practicing ER doc all about North American venomous snakes, first aid should a bite occur, and what happens when you get to the ER. No dubious folk remedies, just actionable information. Go into the wilderness confident that you can handle a snake envenomation.

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