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Renting. We live in St. Louis. Tons of river experience - multiple trips per year including overnights - but not Class III or IV. That said, with kids, probably won’t be doing anything crazy. Probably a mix of rafts and kayaks. We’re open to exploring.

My kids have a late spring break next year, and we’re pondering a multi-day river trip anywhere out West. My kids will be aged 10, 10, and 7 for the trip. They’re very hardy with multiple backpacking and multi-day Ozark Scenic Riverways trips. Everything I’m seeing is either a guided trip that...

As a Missouri boy, the ticks become part of the outdoor experience when the weather heats up, though they're more relentless during the heat of the summer. I've done chunks of the Ozark trail and have floated and camped most of the rivers in that region, and it's gorgeous. That said, we avoid...

There isn't much Midwest love on this site, so I'm sharing a recent USA Today article about the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Southern Missouri. LINK to article I grew up paddling, fishing, and camping in the Ozarks and usually do 2-3 river trips every year. Weekends get very busy (and...

Descent into the Hollow in the snow

Group of 4 of us were going to do the entire stretch from Hell’s Backbone to Escalante Town in late April...without wetsuits. Shortly before the trip, a couple of folks on BCP wisely talked us out of it (@Joey posted a video of cold swims from the prior May), and we switched plans at the last...

@Joey is probably off wandering, but hopefully someone can help with some route decisions in GNP. Here is my current campsites for an early September trip. This wasn’t my requested itinerary, but I’ll take what I can get. Many Glacier > Elizabeth Lake Foot ELF > Cosley Lake — This is a weird...

I couldn’t find any “kids” backpacks, so my 9 year olds have small women’s packs. My daughter’s is a Deuter Act 45 (w/ 10L detachable patch) and son’s is an Osprey Ace 50. Frankly, both are still too big for them, and we would not want them to have more than 10-15 lbs in their packs since the...

My kids are getting old enough (9-year-old twins and a 5 year old) to start joining Mom and Dad on adventures. In July 2018, we did an 11-day journey through Washington including 6 bag nights. The trip started with 4 nights kayak camping in Baker Lake and Lake Diablo, car camping in the North...

Headed out to do the BMT/Death Hollow in a couple weeks. A friend told me wag bags are now required, but I can't find anything on the official websites stating this. Can anyone confirm?

Looks like my group will have a couple days to kill in Escalante after completing our Death Hollow trip. Was thinking about just exploring Hole in the Rock Road for a couple of days and doing some car camping with day trips. The last post about this is six years old and didn't have much info...

I live in St. Louis and sometimes feel I’m the only Midwestern in here! Welcome! There is a lot of inspiration and help to be had from this site.

Definitely sticking to the lower section, though it looks gorgeous in the upper.

@Chuck the Mauler Based on this video, I'm assuming you would NOT recommend the upper hollows in late April? We were going to attempt the entire canyon, but are now leaning towards just the lower section via the BMT. May extend the trip and explore other canyons along the Escalante (probably Salt).

I've had my Xlite for a few years, so it probably has at least 50 nights on it. I pulled it out and compared it to the Sea to Summit UltraLight Insulated Large that I just received. The Sea to Summit weights 3 oz more, but it was markedly larger than my regular size Xlite. R value on Xlite is...

I used to live in Pamplona, and one of my favorite places in Northeastern Spain was Parque Ordessa y Monte Perdido. The Ordessa valley is gorgeous, and is probably the best dayhike in the region. It can get busy on weekends, but on an April weekday, there shouldn't be too many other hikers. l'm...

I've been using the NeoTherm XLite for a few years now, and I think I'm ready to ditch it. The NOISE...I can't take it anymore. On a recent trip, I could barely sleep since both my tent-mate and I were using the NeoTherm. We woke each other up all night. I'm considering testing a few options...

@Nick What map do you recommend for this area?

The area merits a longer trip than 3 nights/4 days. The Devon Lakes area would be a good base for a 2-3 day exploration, and peak baggers can hit three 11'ers that didn't appear to be too technical. At Fish Lakes, someone had cached food, and one could easily fill a week out there. We're...

In late August, my wife and I headed to the Banff region for 8 days to hike and backpack through the region's ample parks. This included a couple days exploring Glacier National Park of Canada, a 4-day trek in the Pipestone Highline region, and a couple days being tourists. I'll leave out most...