Best of #theroolife: May 18-24

By Luisa Vargas The weather in Austin has been less than ideal (by Texan standards). We’ve seen more rain these past few weeks than we do all year, and Thursday was the hundredth consecutive day of thunderstorms. Or at least if felt that way! The result of constant rainfall at the Barton Creek Greenbelt trail in Austin, TX.   Wednesday night, our team decided to hold off on doing Taco Tri as the thunderstorms were getting pretty bad. It turns out all it did was rain that day. But the fun part about a virtual Taco Tri is that even though we didn’t get to participate in Austin, people all over the world did. Photo of  Seth Tullar (right) in Australia. This month was particularly exciting because our friends in Australia participated! This is one the furthest away someone has been whose taken part in Taco Tri. Thank you, Seth, for tri-ing with us! We hope the weather was better “down under." Abelardo was runner up in the competition taking part in the tri in Alaska!  We hope next month we’ll be able to Taco Tri again in Austin and can’t wait to see what other exciting places people will participate on July 1st!

Kammok Outsiders know the feeling of connection that comes from stepping into nature. It’s the first breath of fresh air when we get out of our cars and into the mountains. It’s the audible sigh after jumping into the ocean where all we hear are the rhythmic waves crashing onto white sand beaches. However, there’s no doubt that these spaces and experiences away from our screens are in danger due to climate change.  Our commitment to protecting the environment for current and future generations extends beyond Earth Day. We’ve announced our commitment through our partnership with Climate Neutral (read more on it here). We know that for there to be any hope of surviving the climate crisis, we have to take action as both a brand and as individuals. Earlier this month our team at Kammok paused work at the office and hit the trails, but this time we didn’t camp or climb. Instead, we decided to pick up the trash that humans have left behind along a local trail.  We spent our day walking the Barton Creek Greenbelt in Austin and picked up a surprising amount of dog poop bags, styrofoam cups and plastic wrappers that were bound to end up contaminating waterways, buried in the soil for hundreds of years or in the stomach of wildlife.  For anyone who spends time outside, we urge you to take another look at the seven principles of Leave No Trace. They have great educational resources about the importance of creating minimal impact in wild places.  Still have questions or aren’t sure why this is important? Drop us a message on Instagram, we’d love to hear from you!  After our team outing on the greenbelt, we decided to get the community involved. For this cleanup, we wanted to hit the streets instead of a trail. So much of the trash that ends up in the wild actually comes from urban areas. With heavy rainfall, winds and waste transportation, a lot of it makes its way to natural areas.  We put out an invitation for people in Austin to join us in cleaning up our neighborhood. We set up outside and welcomed new and familiar faces to the Gear Shop for a trashy adventure.  We split into two groups and made our way East, trash bags in hand, gloves and grabbers at the ready, we walked along the streets picking up plastic wrappers, cigarette butts, old shoes, rags, glass bottles, and styrofoam.  Along our route, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of people who stopped to thank us for picking up trash. People know it’s a problem, it’s a matter of getting out and doing something about it.  Protecting our planet is not only an environmental issue but as our founder Greg McEvilly says, is a human issue. It affects our way of life and it’s our responsibility to do something about it. While picking up trash may not be a long-term solution, it’s a small action we can each take in addition to lowering our consumption of single-use products, using alternative modes of transportation, and choosing to support brands that take climate change seriously. At the end of the day, we didn’t just spend a Thursday evening cleaning up trash, but also connecting with people who understand the power of collective action.  Thank you to those who showed up for our first community cleanup in Texas. We can’t wait to organize more in the future and expand to other locations. Stay tuned for future events in Austin by following @Kammok_ATX on Instagram.    

Dr. Felicia Wong is a physician, outdoor enthusiast, and wellness blogger based in Southern California. Between her and her husband (also a physician)'s busy work schedules, raising two young sons, and running her popular Instagram account Everyday Adventure Fam and blog on adventure tips, she exemplifies what it means to live intentionally and joyfully with her family. The Wong family can be found hiking, biking, enjoying a day at the beach or skiing in the nearby mountains on any given weekend. However, one of their favorite activities is camping. In this blog post, Dr. Felicia Wong shares her experience gradually introducing the wonders of camp to her family.     It can be done, and it can be enjoyable. This is the most popular post request I’ve gotten from our friends and the Instagram community. Disclaimer – I’m writing this post for those who have never camped before, who may not consider themselves “outdoorsy”, and/ or who might be feeling a bit intimated about staying anywhere other than a hotel (aka “camping phobia”). I recognize that there are many individuals and families who are camping experts, and whom I’d love to learn a thing or two from, but for this post – I’m sharing how my family went from hotel to glamping to camping enthusiasts.  If we can do it, you can too! Growing up in New England, raised by immigrant Chinese parents , my exposure to camping was fairly limited. My parents did bring my brother and me tent camping a couple of times when we were little. But that promptly stopped after we were caught, unprepared, in torrential downpour which leaked into our tent and soaked us and our belongings. My interest in camping was piqued again years later when I went on overnight backpacking camping trips in West Virginia the summer after high school during National Youth Science Camp. During college, I intended to join the wilderness club. But then 1) The Blair Witch Project (for those of you who were born after 2000, this was a horror camping movie) came out; and 2) a dancing injury left me with chronic back pain for several years. These derailed my plan to get out and camp for a few years. Then medical school and residency happened, which meant not a lot of time for much else other than studying. Finally, in 2015, I decided it was time to give camping another go, and I dragged my entire family (husband, toddler, infant, and parents) with me. When our youngest son was 3 months old, we booked a glamping cabin at El Capitan Canyon . It was a perfect intro back into the “wilderness”.  We purchased their BBQ Canyon Tri-Tip Kit, cooked it over an open flame, and then enjoyed S’mores and hot chocolate around the campfire. We not only survived this wilderness experience, we had a great time. The next summer 2016, we decided to try again. This time, we stayed in the most adorable and fun vintage trailers in a camp community set up by hosts Andy and Liz of The Holidays in San Clemente.  The four of us stayed in the trailer, and my parents pitched a small tent next to our trailer. Our friends and their boys (new to camping) joined us on this trip as well. I think the pictures speak for themselves. We had a blast. We’ve returned to The Holidays every summer since. In 2017, my husband and I were trying to figure out what to do for our anniversary (which happens to be in August), and we decided it would be nice to share a new experience as a family. We chose the Crystal Cove Moro Campground as our inaugural tent campsite. We researched and bought recommended camp gear, and drove 20 minutes from our home to this bluff side campground with an ocean view. We braced ourself, thinking we’re close to home and it’s just one night. When morning came, we didn’t want to leave. Success! This is another campsite we’ve continued to return to each summer. Since then, we’ve done a few more camping trips throughout Southern California including at William Heise County Park in Julian, and on a private farm in Oak Glen via hipcamp. This past summer, we glamped at Under Canvas Zion.  It’s safe to say, we’ve become camping/glamping enthusiasts and ambassadors. We love it, and have convinced several other friends and families to join us. We hope this post inspires you to give it a try as well! Summary of tips: If you’ve never camped before and/or do not own any camping gear, try easing into the camping experience with glamping.  There are many great options available these days throughout the US and internationally. A good place to search is Glamping Hub. It’s important to prepare and invest in the gear that you need to be comfortable. For some, this means a tarp and sleeping bag. For others, it means an air mattress. There is no right or wrong way to camp. Do what works for you! Campsites with views (i.e. those near beaches, or in national or state parks) tend to be high demand. Research the booking window, and make sure you are ready to book when those dates open (for many places, it is 6 months to 1 year out). A great resource we love for private and unique campsites is hipcamp.  For $10 off your first booking on hipcamp, you can use the code “EVERYDAYADVENTUREFAM“, or follow this link. There is a range of primitive camping to glamping options available on hipcamp. If possible, it might be good idea try booking your first camping trip close to home and/ or close to some amenities and civilization. This will reduce your “what if I forgot this, what will I eat, or what if the baby can’t sleep in the tent?” anxiety. We’ve never actually gone home to get anything while camping, but it is reassuring to know that we could, especially when travelling with young kids. When camping with 4 other families this past summer, we brought and cooked most of our camp meals, but it was nice to be able to order pizza for one of the meals. I repeat and stress. There is no right or wrong way to camp. What’s important, is that you try it. If you’re comfortable and prepared, you’ll enjoy it more. Here are some links to help with your planning. Happy Camping! Reserve California: https://www.reservecalifornia.com San Diego County Parks: http://reservations.sdparks.org El Capitan Canyon – Santa Barbara glamping: http://www.elcapitancanyon.com Under Canvas (Zion, Grand Canyon, Moab etc) : http://www.undercanvas.com The Holidays:  www.theholidaysca.com, book on Reserve California Hipcamp:  www.hipcamp.com ($10 off code “EVERYDAYADVENTUREFAM) Glampinghub: http://www.glampinghub.com Airbnb: http://www.airbnb.com ($40 off code with this link) has glamping options such as yurts and canvas tents.   I've you've never been camping with kids, National Camp At Home Day is perfect excuse to build a campsite in the backyard and learn what you like and where you can improve before heading into the wilderness. Check out Dr. Felicia Wong's glamping gear guide to get started on your next adventure. For more family camping, traveling tips and inspiration, follow her Instagram account Everyday Adventure Fam and blog. 

Over the past 10 years, we've been on a mission to elevate time outside by designing outdoor gear that lives up to our promise: Adventure Grade, Better Made™. And in that process of creating the best quality gear, we're mindful of our impact it has on the environment and community. As a 1% for the Planet member, we've donated 1% of revenue to social and environmental non-profits thanks to your support. As a certified B Corp company, we have committed our business practices to reach a high caliber of social and environmental sustainability. In 2020, we introduced our first fully recycled Bluesign approved fabric with the launch of the Arctos 20. In the coming months, we'll incorporate recycled materials and cleaner manufacturing processes in our core product lines. Today, we’re proud to announce we have committed to becoming Climate Neutral Certified. We’re working with Climate Neutral, an independent non-profit organization, to measure, reduce, and offset our carbon emissions. The three-step process will give us net-zero carbon emissions, meaning we’ll reduce the amount of carbon we’re responsible for emitting, then zero out the rest by purchasing carbon offsets. Carbon offsets are investment projects that either prevent carbon from being emitted, like renewable energy, or remove carbon from the atmosphere, like planting trees. You’ll soon start seeing the Climate Neutral Certified label on our packaging and website. This label will help conscious consumers support brands that are taking immediate steps on climate action.  At Kammok, we're committed to designing adventure grade, better made gear. Becoming Climate Neutral Certified holds us accountable in our ongoing commitment of better made, sustainable manufacturing. Learn more about our commitment to a low-carbon future at climateneutral.org and find out more about why we’re so passionate about taking climate action. We remain inspired by you and can't wait to update you along the way. Elevating time outside, Greg McEvilly CEO & Founder