Give the Gift of Adventure

by JasonNo Comments
Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Rush rush rush to buy Christmas gifts. Hurry up, act now, limited time! 24 hour sale! There is only a week till Christmas, and the pace seems to have quickened to try to entice me to spend money on stuff. Let me ask you, what did you get for Christmas when you were 7 years old? Maybe you remember one item, but I bet you can't name everything you got and from whom you got it. Backpacking in Arizona I clearly remember the first time I went backpacking. I was 9. It was in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona, near Weavers Needle with my grandfather. I remember the rain storm that came through the valley, which brought a thunderstorm we watched from our sunny perch, a mountain ridge away. I remember the lizard who was doing push-ups on the rock near me to show me he was tough and that I shouldn't mess with him (he ran when...
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When not to push your kids

by JasonNo Comments
As parents, it's not always easy to know when you should push your kids to keep going, or when you should abort a trip, and change plans. The beginning of the MRT to NCT loop Pushing with benefits The times I've pushed my daughter to keep going has usually been rewarding. Most of those times have been her wanting to quit because of fear, or it being physically challenging. She's very proud of herself when she overcomes a challenge, especially when it's her own thinking that has set those limitations. There are so many lessonable discussions that can happen too, that it's an awesome time to impart some fatherly wisdom when she conquers her fear and pushes on. In the short film we made together, Climbing Monster, she had a mental block about making it to the top before we filmed that scene. It happens to a lot of adult climbers during various times in their climbing activities, and is not unexpected in a...
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Keeping the Momentum with Challenging Activities

by JasonNo Comments
You've gotten your child interested in rock climbing. They go on mountain bike adventures with you. You've even got them excited for ice climbing: https://youtu.be/TyKNt5dsRNU So how do you keep the momentum? How do you keep them interested, and excited? Help them feel accomplished I have written an article called, "Creating Adventurous Children" in which I talk about keeping the activity challenging, but easy enough so they can feel a sense of accomplishment when they overcome. Feeling proud and accomplished is vital so they don't get discouraged. My praise only goes so far, especially the older my daughter gets. She knows I love her, and she knows I'm going to be proud of her. On the first few times of doing something new, she grins ear to ear when I tell her how proud I am of her. The praise eventually loses its luster though if I'm the only person giving it. Keep it fresh We've been rock climbing together now for almost 2 years. During this...
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Kids want to belong to your tribe

by JasonNo Comments
I've had a lot of new events happen in my life recently. I've moved from a house that I've lived in for a very long time (and consequently my garage is still mostly boxes). I've started this blog, my YouTube channel, and two weeks ago I took an airplane to San Francisco for a family wedding.Shortly before the wedding, my daughter was unboxing some more of her stuff from the move in her room. In a box, she found a book. "Dad," she said as she walked to the kitchen. "I think this book is yours."She brought me, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know. I have no idea where this book came from - it wasn't one I had ordered, and I don't recall anyone getting it for me. But here it was, brand new looking, and unread. Why it was in her stuff is a mystery, but it was not her book, as she just...
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No bad weather, just bad gear

by JasonNo Comments
Stay safe and comfortable in your backcountry pursuits. It all starts with good gear Technical Gear You'll hear a lot of phrases thrown around by marketing these days: "Technical Outerwear", "Activewear", and "Fitness apparel" to name a few. These terms are actually very common in today's products, and that's great! It means we as a society are getting more active, or at least more aware of being active.It's a lot different than it was 30 years ago, where these terms weren't so commonplace, when for most people, a jacket's warmth was measured in its weight.Today though, our textiles and advanced fabrics have put to shame what we used to think was a a good outdoor product. We've learned that having gear that works as a system makes our jaunts in the backcountry much more enjoyable. Having good gear usually means carrying less weight, and less weight is always a good thing when it's strapped to your back for miles and days.Let's break...
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Creating Adventurous Children

by JasonNo Comments
Instilling a love of the outdoors is so beneficial. In this article I want to discuss why it's important for us to create adventurous children. Self confidence One of the best ways to increase self confidence is to face challenges and overcome them. A sense of accomplishment, and knowing they were able to overcome an obstacle is key to fostering confidence. As parents, or those who work with children, we need to provide challenges that aren't too difficult; nothing can ruin a child's curiosity or ambition faster than defeat. This may take some experience or experimentation to understand the fine line between what is too easy, and what is demoralizing. Always default to the "too easy" side if you're unsure. It's rewarding to see their confidence and excitement  grow, as a new avenue of exploration unfolds before them.  Healthy habits If you are able to instill a love for adventure in anyone, children or adults, they will not only have new experiences and new...
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