WOW what a long day.

So as usual we packed all our bags at the last minute (except Vaughn). We have a lot of gear as you can see from the below picture. A total of 8 brand new Aircontact PRO 70+15′s weighing around 50lbs each have made travel a bit difficult. Fortunately there were no issues catching our planes and all of our bags arrived intact. We had no trouble getting through customs and were able to catch a cheap ride to the bus station right away. Unfortunately, Jason was feeling really sick when we arrived, but we still had a delicious meal at a local restaurant before catching the bus.

The bus driver was anything but happy to see us gringos with our sea of Deuter baggage and he made it known that he didn’t like us. That didn’t really phase us and the ride to Mendoza through the Andes was stunning with the highlight being Mt. Aconcagua (The highest mountain in the world outside of the Himalayas!).

When we arrived in Mendoza things took a turn for the worse. We took a “free” ride to a hostel near downtown that appeared to be a nice place. However, again the driver/hostel owner was unfriendly, very unfriendly. He was complaining about all our baggage and was basically insulting us the whole ride (which was only a mile or so). Then when we arrived at the hostel, he was being very aggressive and was just overall mean. When we said we were going to stay for one night he said no you cant stay here. We said ok, no deal, we’re leaving. He got even more angry and told us we had to pay for the ride from the bus station. Of course we told him no. At this point he told us “I’m not going to let you leave until you pay” and he locked the door of this very large gate with barb wire on top, with Jesse and Vaughn inside! Jesse immediately climbed the gate with ease which infuriated this miserable old man. He freaked out and called the police telling them to come arrest us and that we were stealing from him. We decided not to hang around and hiked back to the bus station with our baggage, which was NOT a fun walk with our 400lbs of bags! Luckily, we were able to find another hostel nearby and took a bus to that one. FINALLY we could drop our bags and enjoy the Mendoza nightlife.

We met a group of girls and went out on the town with them and another guy who worked at the hostel. It was a really fun time and so interesting to see all the different people and places. The women here are gorgeous!

The next morning we had to leave that hostel because they were all reserved, but we found another down the street which is where I am posting this from right now! We are about to head out for a dinner of steak and vino, so until next time! Hasta Luego!

–Jesse Spiegel (Outdoor Ambassador), Jason & Vaughn. For more about how these guys are climbing for a cause, check out, Your World Adventures.

Be prepared for your next big adventure!

• Learn all about the Aircontact PRO 70+15 at Deuter.com
• Pick one up from Backcountry.com

A few months ago I was planning to write a blog entry about two nearby ridge climbs where Cedar and I had been taking regular fall hikes with our Kid Comfort III. I had tentatively titled it “A Tale of Two Ridges.” It sounded very literary, with its reference to “A Tale of Two Cities.” However, the oft-quoted beginning, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…,” wasn’t really the feeling I was after, nor did it do justice to all the fun times we had been having, so I scrapped the idea.

It turns out I do have “A Tale of Two Ridges” to tell. It is a tale of one ridge, with two sets of memories tied to it. I love this hike because it follows the ridgeline all the way to the top and there are beautiful views into the Yakima River canyon and Kittitas Valley. From the summit on a clear day you can see the top of Mount Rainier in the distance. Some of my fondest memories of the fall are of hiking this ridge with Cedar.

In one memory, Cedar and I hiked to the summit, snacked, roamed, and headed home.

The other is the one I’m writing about now. First of all, I avoid this trail in the winter due to its rocky terrain and exposure, which can become challenging with snow and ice.

Since winter was slow to arrive this year, a warm January day I invited my friend and his daughter (with their Kid Comfort II) to join Cedar and me for a hike up the ridge.

On the descent I experienced “the worst of times.” We we reached a narrow section that is more exposed, and though I am always hyper-aware at this section, since it would be the worst spot on the whole ridge to slip and fall, and have traversed it numerous times, somehow that day in January I slipped.

It was just an instant, enough to throw me off balance with my higher center of gravity (Cedar was on my back in the Kid Comfort). The next several seconds were a blur, ruled by instinct and self-preservation. I fell and tumbled several times down a steep rocky slope, hitting my head hard twice on rocks.

Amazingly, I did not lose consciousness and was able to stop myself after at least three full revolutions. I was a little stunned but could hear Cedar crying and was concerned for his safety. Years of wilderness medical training paid off as I immediately self-assessed my mental state, likelihood of concussion and grabbed a diaper to stop the bleeding. Cedar seemed scared but had no apparent injuries.

After comforting him for a few minutes, I gathered my belongings that were strewn down the slope and we immediately prepared to hike the remaining 10 minutes to the car before the adrenaline began to wear off.

On the hike out Cedar was laughing and babbling as if nothing had happened, further evidence that he was in much better shape than I was. I went to the emergency room for stitches and further medical assessment. I had deep lacerations that required stitches, some contusions and scrapes and a body that was thoroughly bruised.

Over the course of the next week, as I replayed the accident in my head, I thought a lot about how fortunate we were that Cedar had come away from the incident completely unscathed.

I tried to focus not on what might have happened, because that was too awful to consider, but rather to think about what went right. I largely credit the design of the Kid Comfort III for protecting Cedar during the fall. The initial impact bent the bottom of the frame and the side of the frame was likely bent during the rocky tumble but the structural integrity of the pack was retained.

On previous hikes we had joked that the high back of the KC III is like a baby roll bar to protect Cedar if one of us ever fell while hiking with him, not thinking we would ever have to test it. Although it is not marketed as a safety feature, I believe the high back with the integrated hood probably contributed to protecting Cedar from injury in the fall. We have appreciated the high back and hood on other occasions when navigating brushy trails, because it helps to brush off branches that might otherwise poke or slap our passenger.

Deuter packs are rigorously tested for safety in accordance with the European TUV standard. I am fully aware that what I subjected the pack to is not what the pack is intended for, or tested to withstand.

Deuter sent me a new pack to replace the damaged one, and included in the box was a copy of a letter that was also sent with some of my previous products for testing, however its words struck me differently this time.

At the end of the letter it says “Please…don’t be gentle…use this gear for what it’s intended and let us know what you think– the good, bad and best. We are proud of what we make, how it’s made and the thought behind it and look forward to hearing from you.”

I was not gentle and, although I was using it for its intended purpose, I subjected it to conditions for which it was certainly not designed, yet it still held up remarkably well, to say the least. Thank you Deuter for making a pack that is not only highly functional and comfortable for both passenger and carrier, but also helps to protect the most important cargo I will ever carry.

–Jesse Cunningham, (Family Ambassador).

Protect your most precious cargo!

• Learn all about the Kid Comfort III at Deuter.com
• Pick one up from Summit Hut
• Grab your own at Backcountry.com
• Buy one from REI

It’s deceptive to pretend that New York City’s outdoor life is comparable to Crater Lake, the Rockies, or White Mountain. And while there are some great outdoor experiences within a subway ride or short drive, the foundation for NYC-ers’ enjoyment of nature is the local park. Not the triangles amidst a busy intersection with benches and (hopefully) a garbage can, but something with acreage. NYC parks may not provide full escape from oblivious people and occasional aggression, but every one of the five boroughs has a larger park offering foliage and wildlife, giving temporary peace of mind outside the concrete jungle.

The other day, January gave a morning warm enough for an eight-mile run with my daughter in a jogging stroller, where I expand the regular Forest Park loop to include Juniper Valley Park. The calculus for a run like this involves traffic, hydration, snacks, proper layering, and accessories—music, stopwatch, and sunglasses. Sunglasses were a problem recently solved by Deuter’s sunglasses pouch: the Velcro straps attach to just about anything so I don’t have to shove them awkwardly in my pockets, twisting their temples.

Once in Forest Park, we were pleasantly surrounded by different kinds of Oak trees and Wild Black Cherry providing canopy for dogwoods and the beloved Sassafras. Squirrels jutted around and people quietly walked their dogs. Recognizing the host of bad habits I will likely pass on to my Little One, days like that make me proud to have given her this ineffable connection to and enjoyment of our planet.

The first part of Forest Park is essentially a paved road with bridle paths to one side that culminates with Victory Field, a great track for doing sprints. The highlight of the second part is a 67-par golf course. As part of its knob and kettle terrain, this leg of the park overlooks the neighborhoods to the south. If you catch the rising sun you’ll see Ozone Park and its last glimmering streetlights peacefully bathed in reddish-orange.

Juniper Valley Park is more typical of “outer-borough” New York. It’s a place where suburbanites can walk around, visit the dog-park, or watch little league games. This particular morning, I witnessed a small, pit-type dog rip itself from its leash to harass a St. Bernard. I hung back with The Little One hoping for quick resolution. It didn’t come and soon a small crowd formed around the developing dogfight yelling at the pit’s owner. At the first angry use of “idiot,” I pushed the stroller across the grass, giving wide berth to the small mob. A woman in her fifties with a thick Queens accent passed us, finger pointed, “Lady! You are NOT controlling your dog . . . .”  Her lecture faded into the distance as The Little One and I embraced the growing quiet of a shining sun, warming air, and the remaining greenery.

After Juniper, we zig-zagged to our favorite luncheonette. We said a quick “hello” to Dom, retired NYPD, who smokes cigars out front, and bought a sports drink for me and a croissant for The Little One.

No golf game, but par for the course: a respectable variety of trees and other plant life, horses and dogs, lakes and its own brand of vistas. True, you are more likely to run into an irate Queens woman than a bear, but most NYC-ers appreciate our larger parks as the most convenient substitute for the great outdoors. What many NYC-ers don’t realize is the full extent of decent nature only a short distance away and I will give an example of that next time.

–Dave Faux, (Family Ambassador).

Have all your accessories on hand!

• Learn all about the Sunglasses Pouch at Deuter.com
• Pick one up from Summit Hut
• Grab your own at Moosejaw.com
• Buy one from Rocky Mountain Trail

We are happy to have Kirstin Peterson on board as our newest Deuter Ambassador. Kirstin runs Rim Mountain Bike Tours, a mountain bike tour company out of Moab, which has been operating single and multi-day tours since 1985. In addition to guiding off road bike tours, Kirstin spends her time hiking, kayaking and taking “a little time off” for month long surf trips to Mexico. We welcome Kristin and are stoked to add her passion and dedication to the Ambassador Team!

What is your core sport(s)?
Biking – mt & road; kayaking

What is your most epic outdoor adventure to date?
Hard to pick one… 1 day climb of Grand Teton; 7 Day off road bike tour from Boulder, UT to Moab

Favorite food?
Food, I love almost all of it, particularly fresh veggies out of the garden & eggs from my chickens

What is your “go-to” Deuter product?
I love my Trans Alpine 26 SL pack for all my big adventures

To learn more about Kirstin

Check out Deuter’s ambassador page.

We are proud to welcome the latest Deuter Ambassador, Jesse Spiegel! Jesse has transformed his childhood passion for climbing into an organization that incorporates outdoor adventure and environmental education as a means to helping people and the environment. Jesse’s organization, Your World Adventures, is a medium that provides climbers tools to aid them in fundraising activities associated with their climbing goals. Currently he and his climbing partners are “climbing for a cause” in Patagonia to help raise money for Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a comprehensive care program dedicated to improving the health and well being of HIV-positive children in South Africa by establishing community-based programs that provide life saving health and support services. We welcome Jesse to the Ambassador program and proudly support his mission to “climb for a cause”!

Here is just a bit of Jesse’s good nature and sense of humor…………..

If I could do anything, I would most likely…
Fly! Or help people and the environment through an organization that incorporates outdoor adventure and environmental education. Which is what I am doing! Or have an RV, that transformed into a boat, that transformed into a snow cat, that transformed into a helicopter, that ran on oxygen, had a fridge that was always full of food so I could travel the world climbing and skiing in style. ONE OF THOSE!

How do you take your coffee?
I don’t!!

What is your “go-to” Deuter product?
That’s so hard to say. I have so many packs and they each have their place. But if you’re going to make me choose I will name a few I couldn’t do without. First my Guide 45+ Not to big not to small, great features, love this pack. Then my Freerider Pro 30. So Sick, looks cool as hell and great for back country skiing and just around town. Just got this pack and stoked to use it some more. And last but certainly not least my Air Contact PRO 70+15. A must have for any big trip or expedition.

Do you like the nightlife? Do you like to boogie?
I do indeed, I’m a dancing machine. I love to get silly on the town, especially after a big day of climbing or skiing. Sleep is for the weak!

To discover more about Jesse

Check out Deuter’s ambassador page or at Your World Adventures.

Before our daughter learned to walk, we were used to hiking without stopping to look at every fallen tree part and bug. We’re all for admiring nature, but we were not ones to admire EVERY living, once-living or never-living thing we ran across.

She didn’t care. Once her little legs and hands started moving, we were on her schedule, which meant stopping every 3-seconds to pick up things. It was, admittedly, a little frustrating.

As educators, we realized pretty quickly that the key to her success and our sanity would be keeping her actively engaged on the trail.

We wanted to foster her independence, help her learn names for things. We wanted to let her experience the sensation of being outside and develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.

We also wanted to keep hiking fun. So we developed the following trail rules. As you can see, there are many more rules for the adults than the toddler.

Trail Rules For Our Toddler

1) Mind the Trail – As soon as she began to walk on the trails we started prompting her to stay on the trail. It’s important for many reasons ranging from ecological to safety. She does pretty well, although she will occasionally (okay, frequently) “make a break for it.” When that happens, by the way, we typically try to redirect her in a neutral way to a trail related activity or game. This helps to keep the “making a break for it” from becoming a super-fun game.

2) Bag it and Return it – One of our biggest “challenges” was her need to come in contact with EVERYTHING. Granted, this presents a lot of wonderful teaching opportunities and conversation, but I cannot emphasize enough that she touched EVERYTHING. We’ve found that letting her collect items from the trail helps her move forward, and this is especially true when we give her goals (see below).

We will typically verbally label what she finds and talk about its descriptors. After a little exploration of the object we prompt her to place it in the chalk bag attached to her waist. She responds really well and likes having a place she can collect items to revisit.

At the end of the trail we simply say, “these have to stay here today, bye bye _______ (leaves, sticks, rocks, and/or etc.)”, and she is usually amenable to letting those things return to the trail.

Trail Rules For Us, The Adults

1) Redirect – There are a number of things we don’t want our daughter to do on the trail. But as any parent of a two-year-old knows, when we say, “no,” she hears, “yes, please do that, it’s the best idea ever, everyone will love it when you do it, hurry up and do it now! Please!”

So we try to avoid N-O and instead redirect whenever possible. For instance, you’ll hear us say (repeatedly), “We carry sticks or build with them.” You won’t hear us say, “don’t hit mom with the tree limb again!”

2) Set Goals – She does really well when we set short-term (within minutes) and even some long-term goals (spanning up to the whole hike duration). We often look several yards up the trail to identify goals (e.g., “Let’s find a bug!”). Visual checklists may be helpful as well (e.g., pictures of sticks, bugs, squirrels, leaves, etc. to look for on the trail).

3) Don’t be afraid to communicate the following to your toddler: If you lose your s&^#, you’re getting carried, and at least you can loose your s&^# in style. OK, actually, we say, cheerfully, “It’s time to get in the KC II!” Toddlers are by nature a little nutty. They want one thing one second and another the next, then the cycle starts all over again.

All those new neurological developments are creating havoc on their little brains, which means havoc on their behavior, and thus, havoc in our adult lives. One of her go-to trail moves is this one:

Her: “Ride, please.” (With a sad little whimper; one of us wears our Deuter Kid Comfort II.)
Us: “Okay, you can ride.” (We unbuckle, remove and place the kid carrier on the ground.)

Her: “No ride!
Us: “Okay, we’ll keep hiking.”

Her: “No hiking!” (Bordering on a yell.)
Us: “Okay, you can ride.” (We begin to pick her up, and she crumples into a noodle.)

Her: “No ride!” (She’s lost her s&^#; we continue to put her in the carrier.)
Us: “Time to ride, baby.” (She goes in the kid carrier.)

We will ask her intermittently after that if she wants to hike again.

4) Let Messy Happen – So, trails by nature are…well, they’re dirty. Seriously, they’re dirty and dusty and muddy and sometimes gross, and so what? Of the two of us, Nea has always been the best about going with the flow. I’ve had to learn this skill, and it’s a definite skill that I am still working on acquiring competency in (not mastery – that’s a touch, okay, a lot unrealistic). However, our daughter has helped me make progress, too.

5) Monitor Limits (toddler’s, Mom’s, Dad’s) – We try to make sure the trails we pick are appropriate for her to be moving around on. We haven’t run across many that would be overly dangerous or difficult for her, especially since we are constantly aware of where she is and make sure to provide her with the time and guidance she needs to be successful.

We are aware of her limits and watch for signs that we are getting close to pushing them. We’ll provide a little extra support in terms of goals and activity, and be sure to respond as soon as she needs a snack, hug, ride, or all of the above.

Equally as important, we need to be aware of our limits as parents. Sometimes we just need to take a break from child duties. We may switch roles, trade the Kid Comfort back and forth, etc.

Trail Rule For All of Us

“Let’s have fun!” – As soon as it’s not fun on a consistent basis, it’s time to re-evaluate what we’re doing and how we are doing it. Fortunately, this really isn’t a problem for us!

What are some of the consistent rules you set for your kids and for yourselves on the trail?

Happy Trails!

–Pablo and Nea Juárez, (Family Ambassadors). Follow more adventures at their blog Family Wilds.

Ready to get out and explore with your little one!

• Learn all about the Kid Comfort II at Deuter.com
• Pick one up from REI
• Grab your own at Backcountry.com
• Buy one from Summit Hut

Who says winter has to be a string of cold, grey, dreary days? If you keep your eyes pealed and your ears open you’ll be surprised at the amount of fun there is to be had that is inexpensive or free and is right in your own backyard. Yes, I did just say FREE, and that makes it all the better.

With our Deuter Kid Comfort III, we’ve cross-country skied at Harriman State Park and, just recently, headed to the east side of the Tetons to Driggs, Idaho, for the community snow festival. They had amazing snow sculptures to look at, free hot cocoa and s’mores. There was an outdoors craft “room” where kids could color the snow by spraying it with colored water. (Note to self: kids LOVE throwing colored water on snow. Do not be afraid to replicate this activity at home).

Kylan spent half of the day in the Deuter Kid Comfort III where he could get the best view of the snow sculptures and watch a man that was making an ice sculpture while the festival was going on. He chowed the marshmallows and gleefully pointed at each sculpture every time we walked by.

The best part of the whole day was the fact that we were outside as a family and not stuck in our dingy little apartment wishing we were somewhere else.

Hopefully our next adventure will be a resort ski trip where the lift tickets are only $10 for the beginner hill. It’s not the amazing powder day with black diamonds as far as the eye can see but we’re out there and we didn’t break the bank to do it. Happy hunting.

–Jentri King, (Family Ambassador). Jentri and her husband Corey also blog about their family adventures at their blog: Backcountry Parenting.

Ready to get out and explore with your little one!

• Learn all about the Kid Comfort III at Deuter.com
• Pick one up from REI
• Grab your own at Backcountry.com
• Buy one from Summit Hut

The crack climbing of Indian Creek, Utah is an acquired taste. It is perhaps the most masochistic of all forms of rock climbing; pain for pleasure. Might as well use a backpack that eases the pain. My Deuter Guide 35+ has been helping this winter. But why did it take so long for me to get a pack that eased the brutality of my favorite desert climbing location? Dirtbag tendencies, I guess.

Indian Creek grows in popularity each year, this I know for a fact, the government told me so. While researching an article about the awesome advocacy group, Friends of Indian Creek (FoIC), I interviewed the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and they reported what I’d suspected, each year the number of climbers grows at our beloved Indian Creek. That said, in the winter The Creek becomes quiet again. And if it is sunny climbing can be comfortable, even dreamy. But it doesn’t mean it’s going to hurt any less.

It’s January, 2012, Dave and I are out for a quick jaunt to The Creek. Dave is a skiing guide at Silverton Mountain, and for his days off he always tries to get some rock climbing in. I’m a self employed writer, so I always find some excuse for professional development or story research. Dave is checking out my new Deuter Guide 35+ and laments, “well, I always knew there would be someday when you had a nicer pack than I did.” He’s commenting on my dirtbag tendencies to use dumpster dived packs, but also that he can sense I am “growing up” and growing old. The older I get the more pain The Creek inflicts on my body, and I’m currently always looking for a way to minimize the pain factor. As we hike up to The Battle of the Bulge climbing area, I’m thankful for the comfort of this pack.

We climb at a leisurely pace, soaking in the rays of the sun, but also slamming our limbs into the parallel-sided cracks. The first jams inflict pain, adrenaline is released, and then the following jams feel more pleasurable. We’re hoping for the sun to blaze down upon us, but alas a cloud cover thwarts that. The pain only increases with the colder temps. We round up the day with a couple more pitches, then bail back to Durango. As we hike down the trail, I’m amazed by the support of the Guide 35+, it really feels lighter than any pack I’ve ever carried down a hillside at Indian Creek. But the weight is the same, the pack is just superior.

Just over a month later I’m back with another crew of friends.  It’s only mid-February but it feels like spring. It’s a three day weekend and the crowds are already starting to return. We head to the most stacked wall of them all, The Cat Wall, with supreme sunshine on this particular day.

We sample several difficult finger cracks, well at least difficult for us. Putting your entire body weight on your fingers jammed in a crack, with the tips of your climbing shoes shoved in, probably doesn’t sound like fun to most people, but we’re Creek climbers. This isn’t just fun, it’s living the high life. After a few of these the body is worked, and it’s time to savor the last rays of the sun and crack a brew. Spring may be in the air, but the nights are still cold in Indian Creek Canyon.

We hike down back to the car. I’m loving my Guide 35+ stuffed to the brim with cams and other climbing gear. The hike down doesn’t inflict any more pain. Is it the pack or the beer? Probably a little of both. Why did it take me so long to get one of these? Are my dirtbag tendencies fading, or am I getting smarter? Probably a little of both.

–Luke Mehall (Outdoor Ambassador). Read more about Lukes’s adventures on his blog.

Find your Deuter Guide 35+ for winter indulgence!

• Learn all about the Guide 35+ at Deuter.com
• Pick one up from Moosejaw.com
• Grab your own at Backcountry.com
• Buy one from Summit Hut

It’s Not Easy Being Green . . .

Or brown. This weekend I marveled at how my son and I both have bright green backpacks and green down jackets—all different shades of green, mind you. I have a Deuter ACT Zero 45 + 15 SL, and he’s got a little Deuter Junior. As we trudged up the climber’s trail I was thinking about how it’s totally acceptable (and even fashionable) for us to walk around the wilderness wearing all the colors of the rainbow, and more. Lime green, burnt orange, neon pink, it’s all ok.

But what about underneath all those Neapolitan layers? Is it normal for people whose skin is all colors of the rainbow to be adventurers?

So let’s go through an exercise. Picture an adventurer. Ok, what does your picture look like? I picture a rugged leathery-faced mountain man in an old-timey wool cable-knit sweater, pocketed vest, and a canvas satchel replete with important adventure tools like a sextant, a treasure map, and a pistol. Clint Eastwood maybe? Or Harrison Ford? Oh, and he’s smoking a pipe.

What I don’t picture is the photo above. Yeah, that’s me. And I am pretty much the opposite of Clint Eastwood. I’m not leathery faced, although with age and exposure to the elements I’m definitely headed that way. But more importantly, I’m not white. And I’m not a man.

I remember ten years ago being the only South Asian climber at our climbing gym in the San Francisco Bay Area. And this dude came up to me and said “hey, you remind of the girl in Bend it Like Beckham.” I wanted to tell him there are a few of us brown women out there engaging in physical activities besides yoga. But I bit my tongue.

So why is it that so many of us think of white men when we think about adventure? Is it Hollywood movies, which revolve around the swashbuckling pursuits of Indiana Jones? Is it our history books, which talk about the heroic deeds of Earnest Shackelton?

Face it, it will take a major paradigm shift to be able to see “adventure” as more than just white dudes gallivanting around the world finding lost treasure. But maybe . . . just maybe pointing out some role models can get us part way there. So, here goes:

Shelton Johnson is a ranger with the National Park Service (he recently took Oprah on a tour of Yosemite!). Shelton is Black. And he is an adventurer. Nina Roberts is a professor in the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism at San Francisco State University and Director of the Pacific Leadership Institute. Nine is multiracial. And she is an adventurer. Juan Martinez works with the White House and the Department of Interior on America’s Great Outdoor initiative, getting more American families out into nature. He’s Hispanic. And he’s an adventurer. M. Sanjayan is the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where he specializes in human welfare and conservation. He’s South Asian Indian. And he’s an adventurer. Jimmy Chin is a renowned adventure photographer and filmmaker whose work has been featured in Outside magazine, National Geographic, and the Banff Mountain Film Festival. He’s Asian. And he’s an adventurer.

And then there’s my family. We’re not famous, but we’re working on it! I’m a field instructor and the Diversity and Inclusion Manager at NOLS. I’m South Asian and a woman. And my son’s what my husband lovingly calls “a halfer”—half South Asian, and half a bunch of other things. And we are adventurers.

–Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin (Family Ambassador).

Ready to get out and explore the wild with your family!

• Learn all about the Junior Kids and ACT Zero 45+10 SL at Deuter.com
• Pick up Junior Kids from Backcountry Edge
• Grab your own ACT Zero 45+10 at Backcountry.com
• Buy the ACT Zero from Summit Hut

Our family of six, which includes two babies and their accompanying swaddling blankets, snugly stuffed bunnies, individual sound machines, and other assorted debris, just traveled to Florida for a week with carry-on luggage only. I could act smug, as if I have always been so streamlined.

But in fact, I was inspired to think beyond the original intended purpose when it comes to the gear my family has, and use it in the way that makes the most sense for our family.

Once upon a time, my husband Greg and I loved to hike and camp. We both had all the gear we needed to load up a pack, head for the hills, and spend a day or three or four roaming trails and sleeping in lean, lightweight, expensive tents that fit ever-so tidily in our huge, expensive backpacks. We sort of envisioned that we’d continue this sort of hiking when we had kids.

Sort of. Except that the exact kind of hiking and camping requires lots and lots of gear, and lots and lots of walking, and we now have lots and lots of kids, who have very short legs and can’t go very far.

So we diversified and welcomed car camping into our life, and we bought a big, cheap tent we could all sleep in on blow-up mattresses that plugged into our car lighter. And we were happy, much happier than our uppity college selves could have ever imagined we would be car camping in a huge Coleman tent.But we’re on the brink, here, folks. The big kids are 5 and 7 and they can hike, they can really hike. Accompanying our car camping are many weekends spent roaming the hills on one-, two-, or three-mile trails. Their legs are toned, and they can fend for themselves (a little bit) when it comes to carrying a load. The little girls are still little enough that they can be carried. In a few years they’ll be able to do a mile or two themselves.

So we began to look ahead, down the road, and we outfitted the family with awesome backpacks from Deuter so that when that day comes… man, we will be ready. Really ready.

Which brings me back to our recent trip to Florida. I was irritated at the prospect of paying $25 for each bag we checked when it dawned on me: why check bags? We have ourselves and our little pack horses, the big kids. Let’s think carefully about what we pack, just like when we were backpacking in the hills, and let’s skip the baggage claim and the check-in process and just print out our boarding passes at home, sling our packs on our backs, and hit the road.

And so it was that Aoife toting her Junior with her clothes and a sound machine, Liam with his Fox 30 with his clothes and a sound machine, Greg with the KangaKid pack with his luggage, Fiona’s stuffed animals and blanket, and Fiona herself, I with my Act Zero 45 +15 with my clothes, the life jackets for the babies, and our grown-up Giga Office pack with the laptop, portable DVD, kids books, and snacks, plus two Kids packs of activities, got on a plane and headed to Florida without a hiccup. It was amazing– we printed out our boarding passes at home, parked the car, and marched straight to security. I’m hoping we turned a few heads, all of us trekking across the airport with our sleek, backpacked profiles, pushing a couple of strollers loaded up with car seats to boot. I feared for the scene at security with six of us and all our gear, but truly it was easy– with each child responsible for her own things, we all just slung our own pack onto the belt and we were through just as quickly as we had been the year before with two huge suitcases heading for the belly of the plane.

The other best part, besides the fifty bucks we now had in our pockets for take out dinners when we arrived, was that we also had everything we needed for streamlined trips to the beach– a pack for Fiona, and multiple packs for towels, seashells, and books. Looking back to past years when I actually packed a beach bag in my suitcase I almost laugh.

The moral: One need not be hard core to use hard core gear. You just have to be hard core in a different way. Using our outdoor gear for airline travel to a beach destination made our travels easier than they’d ever been before. Will we use the same gear this summer, here in New England, out in the woods? You betcha. But for now, we’re acting the part. Me, the mom of four young kids, two under two, I like to think I’m pretty hard core. So why not act it, even in an airport?

–Carol McMurrich (Family Ambassador).

Don’t pay baggage fees, carry-on!

• Learn about all the Featured Packs at Deuter.com
• Pick up a Fox 30 from REI
• Grab your own Giga Office at Rocky Mountain Trail
• Buy your ACT Lite 45+15 from Eastern Mountain Sports