10 Best Photos From #THEROOLIFE In The Last Month!
If you are not posting to #theroolife on Instagram, here is what you are missing! The Kammok MOB has been going off lately with some insane photographs. Here are some of our favorites!
If you are not posting to #theroolife on Instagram, here is what you are missing! The Kammok MOB has been going off lately with some insane photographs. Here are some of our favorites!
1. 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible - Netflix Nirmal Purja has to be the most inspiring mountain climber to rush onto the outdoor scene in recent years. In his film, 14 Peaks, he attempts to conquer the impossible task of summiting the world’s tallest 14 peaks. And even if you have no ambition of summiting a mountain any time soon, Purja’s enthusiasm, generosity, and kind spirit is an inspiration for all of us. 2. Torn - Disney+ Talk about an emotional roller coaster. Max Lowe takes a deep dive into his family to further examine how they dealt with the death of their superhero, mountain climbing father. Strap in for this one, and bring a box of tissues to the couch with you—you may need ‘em. 3. Liv Along the Way - Youtube (free) From 2017, this film accompanies Liv Sansoz as she sets out from her base in Chamonix, France to attempt to climb all 82 4,000 -meter peaks in the European Alps in a single year. As with all high-alpine climbing, she hits a few bumps in the road and then some. 4. The Alpinist - Netflix Similar to Alex Honnold’s Free Solo, Marc-André Leclerc rose to legendary status climbing insane routes without protection. Unlike Honnold, however, Leclerc runs under the radar and out of the spotlight. The feats Leclerc pulls off are mind bending, and The Alpinist is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. 5. Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey - Amazon Prime Video You won’t find a more interesting character on this list than Fred Beckey—the original dirtbag climber. Beckey began climbing as a child and achieved hundreds of first ascents of some of the most classic climbs in North America. Dirtbag is the first view into Beckey’s wild life of adventures, full of hilarious stories from friends and a deep dive into some of his most incredible accomplishments. 6. The Ghost - Vimeo (free) If you want to get jacked up on thru hiking, check out this awesome short film from Gossamer Gear. The Ghost follows thru hiker Heather Anderson who Gossamer Gear isn’t shy about praising, saying she “may be the greatest hiker to ever walk the earth.” And for good reason. Stream The Ghost for free to learn more about Anderson’s journey of world record breaking hiking. 7. Break On Through - Redbull TV (free) Another freebie! And lucky you, because it’s an exceptional film from a previous Reel Rock. Follow along as American climber Margo Hayes attempts to overcome two of the most revered climbs in the world – La Rambla in Spain and Biographie in France. Hayes is an absolute crusher—watch her attempt to make history. Learn more about making the most of National Camp at Home Day here.
It’s that beautiful time of year again where sunny days and crisp spring air are inviting us outside. Here in Austin the wild flowers are blooming, and the creeks are filling with fresh rain—hopefully enough to keep the limestone falls sustained through the summer. Christian, our teammate up in Denver, just marked the coming of spring by waxing his skis and putting them away, trading them in for a pair of hiking boots he’ll be tackling some fourteeners with on the weekends. We hope you’re taking note of similar changes wherever you are, maybe the snow melting in the mountains, clearing the way for your next summit or filling the rivers for your next white water trip. Whatever the case, it’s time to start making those campsite reservations and packing up for the next adventure. Photo by @MoonMountainMan. Swiftlet & Roo Single No car camping site is complete without a comfortable place for an afternoon siesta, and we all know that means bringing a hammock along. If you’re going to a beach or desert campsite, the Swiftlet is the perfect solution for a treeless hang. Even in a pine forest, finding the two perfect trees for your hammock isn’t always easy. A Swiftlet combined with a Roo Single gives you the versatility you need to hang anywhere. Use the short bar for chair mode at the picnic table, and then switch to the long bar for lounge mode and a post-lunch nap. At night, you’ll be able to hang by the campfire or lay back and star gaze if the conditions are right. Shop our Memorial Day Sale for 20% off Roo Singles! Mantis One of the most convenient shelters you’ll ever pack is the Mantis all-in-one hammock. Ditch the bulky ground tent and opt for the minimalist camping approach. The Mantis is perfect for spring with a breathable body that allows you to enjoy the breeze while also sporting a built-in bug net to keep out pesky insects. If rain or high wind is in the forecast, the rain fly will make sure you stay out of the elements. Clear skies ahead? Keep the fly in the stuff sack, take in the view, and fall asleep under the stars. The Mantis’ ease of setup and all-in-one design make it the perfect choice for new hammock campers and experts alike. Now through May 31, get a free Ridgeline Organizer when you purchase a Mantis—the perfect place to stow your water bottle, headlamp, and other essentials you want easy access to. Firebelly 30 Trail Quilt This may be the most fought-over item at your campsite. The Firebelly is made with buttery-soft fabric that is just as durable as it is snuggly. Poncho mode makes it perfect for wearing around camp, and just like the name suggests, you’ll stay warm with or without a blazing campfire.The Firebelly is also adaptable to any condition: Use it as a top quilt in warmer conditions or as a minimalist sleeping bag on those especially chilly nights. If you’re hammock camping, the Firebelly 30 can be used as an underquilt as well, ensuring a warm night no matter what. This trail quilt might exchange hands quite a few times at camp, but if your name’s on the tag, you’re the one that gets to take it into your tent at night—lucky you. Insulated Pongo Pad and Puffin Pillow Camping has a bad reputation for leading to rather uncomfortable sleeping. From day one here at Kammok, we’ve been designing products with the aim of changing this misconception, and our Insulated Pongo Pad and Puffin Pillow are no exception. No matter your preferred shelter, the comfort that this dynamic duo provides is unparalleled. The Pongo offers three-season support, with insulation for those colder nights and warm weather comfort as well. Add the Puffin to your kit, and you have a velvety-soft pillow that you can inflate to your liking. And you won’t believe what these two will do for your hammock game. Both the Insulated Pongo Pad and the Puffin Pillow fully integrate with our hammocks for a bed like no other. The comfort level is so high that you may prefer it to your plush pillow-top mattress at home. During our Memorial Day Sale, get 25% off our Spring Camp Kit that includes the Pongo, Puffin, and a Firebelly 30 for the ultimate sleep combo. A Frisbee and a Deck of Cards Camping lends itself to lots of down time—slow afternoons spent enjoying nature with your friends. That's why we love it! A frisbee is easy to pack and makes for a fun activity that everyone can be a part of. A Kammok fan reached out to say they always bring a frisbee to camp and pointed out that they can never go flat (major bonus points, especially where there's an abundance of cacti). We love having a frisbee on long road trips when all you want is to stretch your legs and get a break from driving. Similarly, a deck if cards is lightweight and takes up minimal space, but the payoff is huge. We love Uno, but a standard deck is great for all sorts of games. Personal favorites of ours are Spades, Euchre, and Tiến lên, or Vietnamese cards. Cards are great for rainy nights in the tent or around the table after dinner, and if you always have a deck in your pocket, you're always ready for a game. Hopefully all this talk of camping has gotten you jazzed for the next adventure. Now seriously: Head over to your favorite park’s reservation site and plan your trip.
Our outdoor community is built on seeking adventure. Sometimes this means spending time in harsh weather conditions and challenging ourselves physically, while other times it means having difficult conversations and changing our perspective. In this three-part series, we'll be sharing the stories of individuals redefining what it means to be outside. Written by Luisa Vargas. As the chief of the Cameron County Beach Patrol, Art Hurtado is no stranger to being outside. In addition to recent ultrarunning achievements, he spends his time encouraging people to spend time outdoors. Art at Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park, September 2020 In pre-pandemic times, Art hosted weekly, open-invitation runs in Brownsville, Texas. He also started the only ocean aquathon in Texas in addition to creating one of the first swim clubs in Texas with the goal of making ocean swimming accessible to all. “It might be intimidating, but with the proper education and training, you’d be able to read the ocean too, and it would make it accessible to anyone,” Art says. Having grown up in the Rio Grande Valley, Art tells us it’s common for kids to grow up without the opportunity to spend their free time exploring nature. He started seeking adventures later in life because connecting with the outdoors wasn’t something his parents prioritized. Like many people in this area, Art’s parents grew up in poverty, and he explains that when you’re in that situation, your time is not spent finding ways to travel. “I think a lot of this culture comes from other people, from your parents, someone has to take you [out into nature],” Art says. We all carry both the weight of our parent’s struggles as well as benefiting from their privilege, and for this reason, we continue to see many of the social inequalities that are passed down over time. “My parents worked up from their poverty to lift me up, so I have the option to go to more places,” Art says. The generational progress means that creating equitable outdoor recreation will take time, but Art knows that like his parents, he has a role to play in this. We all do. His parents paved the way for him to have the opportunities that led him to spend his life outdoors, and he is working to do the same for others. Art in Palo Duro Canyon, October 2020 Art has become a mentor in the community by providing people with guidance on places to go and how to get outside safely. Working for the beach patrol provides him with plenty of willing volunteers to facilitate events that encourage people to swim and run. Even though there are many ways to spend time outside that don’t require extensive travel, it’s difficult to adventure because places like Brownsville are far away from parks and other cities with more recreational areas. The closest major city, San Antonio, is at least 5 hours away. Similar to my conversation with Rocio, Art explains that finding safe and welcoming outdoor spaces close to home is crucial to getting more diverse groups of people outside. “Brownsville’s park department has done wonders for the community in the past 7 years. They’ve poured money into developing trail systems—it’s shined through,” Art says. He is hopeful because he sees things are changing. Especially during COVID, local governments are expanding trail and park systems. Since there is access to green spaces closer to home, people are beginning to explore more. Isla Blanca Park located on South Padre Island, August 2019 The layers of inequality in outdoor spaces span generations. However, it’s people like Art who focus on the things they can control who end up shaping their communities and ultimately, the system. If we each focus on encouraging and helping one person to spend more meaningful time outdoors, think of all the lives that would be transformed. Art’s story is a reminder that education and systemic change are the driving force of creating equitable outdoor spaces, but it’s individuals who ignite the movement. Today, I challenge you to elevate time outside for someone in your community. Share your favorite local park with a friend, lend a family member your Kammok gear, show a stranger on the trail your favorite overlook. Here are some other ideas on ways to give adventure: Organizations and companies supporting diversity in the outdoors: Melanin Basecamp Disabled Hikers Venture Out Project
Early in 2020, the quarantine blues laid heavy on our hearts and across the community. Our favorite parks closed, adventure travels were taken off the map, and spending time outside was put on indefinite hold. It’s no surprise if you picked up bread baking as your new hobby or turned your home into a lush nursery for house plants. Our conversations in the office kitchen moved to video calls where we expressed our woes and reflected what it meant to spend time outside in a world where you had to stay home. Going out was not an option, but there was nothing stopping us from bringing camp to our homes. The thought of pitching a tent in the living room, streaming a campfire video, and playing ambient critter noises seemed downright ridiculous in all the right ways we needed. And so we simply declared March 27th as National Camp at Home Day. We rallied our community of Outsiders and our fellow outdoor brands to challenge themselves, to get creative, and join us for a global camp-in. From living room pillow forts to backyard basecamps, we called on the community to bring the magic of camp to our homes.The story is short, but the impact was huge. On March 27, 2020, over 2,600 campers and campsites joined us for the first-ever National Camp At Home Day. #NationalCampAtHomeDay Join the community on March 27, 2022 for National Camp at Home Day. Get ready to break out the headlamps, sleeping bags, tents, and camp stoves. We’re calling on everyone to bring the magic of camp to your living room or backyard. How to Participate Lead a camp. Rally the crew to participate at camp! Invite your friends and family, and settle in for ghost stories around the campfire or an adventure-themed movie night. Share your adventures. We want to see how you camp at home. Share your campsite photos with us by using #NationalCampAtHomeDay in your caption and tagging @kammok. Learn from the community. Join our Time Outside Facebook Group and get inspired by fellow campers across the world. Learn more about this year's National Camp at Home Day, including our huge sale and giveaway, here.