Biomimicry: innovation from the natural world

The ultimate hammock basecamp We teamed up with TAXA Outdoors to put a Kammok spin on their Woolly Bear habitat. The result is a go-anywhere, do-it-all trailer that's ready for any hammock adventure. We could all use a little more time outside, and the Kammok Edition Woolly Bear is the perfect tool for getting out and staying out. The Camp Chef's Dream Kitchen One of the biggest barriers to getting outside is the comfort you leave behind at home, one of the most crucial being a fully functioning kitchen with everything you need at your fingertips. The Woolly Bear kitchen offers the best of both worlds, with clever organization, plenty of workspace, and the ideal outdoor setting. Now you can get outside with confidence and cook to your heart's content. A Gear Closet on Wheels The Kammok Edition Woolly Bear has a place for all your camping essentials. No more packing and repacking: Load up once, and you're always ready for the next outing. Introducing the Outpost We knew a Kammok Edition Woolly Bear wouldn't be complete without a robust, full-size hammock setup. The Outpost easily attaches to the cargo deck of any Woolly Bear and allows you to hang a full-size hammock in virtually any setting. The Outpost's lightweight frame make it a cinch for anyone to deploy, and the tool-free setup means it's ready to go with the press of a button. Adjustable legs and a 360 degree swivel mount allow you to hang your hammock on any landscape, from smooth blacktop to the roughest backcountry campsites. Create the ultimate hammock basecamp by attaching up to six Outpost hammock stands to your Woolly Bear. With the addition of a rooftop tent, your Woolly Bear can comfortably sleep up to nine happy campers. Arriving Spring '22: Outpost 2.0 will allow for attachment to your vehicle's roof rack or a single tree.

Last year, with everyone self quarantining across the country and all of our favorite parks closed, we kicked off National Camp at Home Day. We loved seeing the creativity you brought to your at-home campsite, and we couldn’t wait to bring the fun back. This year for National Camp at Home Day, as your favorite camping spots slowly begin to reopen and people are starting to travel safely again, we’re focusing on preparedness. Think of National Camp at Home Day as the perfect occasion to pull out all the gear and have a trial run before setting out on the next big adventure. Over the coming weeks, we’re going to lay it out for you: how to choose the right shelter, tips for gear prepping, perfect recipes for the Dutch oven, and everything in between. So hang the hammock, grab some fresh batteries for the headlamp, and settle in: the adventure starts here. If you’ve never been camping before, even the thought of walking into an REI can feel intimidating. With so much jargon tossed around and gear to research, the knowledge needed to make an overnight trip successful can seem overwhelming. It shouldn’t feel this way. Let’s get back to the basics, starting with styles of camping. Basecamp or Backcountry? You can think of Basecamp as the drive-in spot at your favorite national or state park. You’ll usually have the ability to bring more of the comforts of home, like comfy camp furniture and a broader kitchen setup, and you’ll still have access to the beauty of a place like Big Bend or Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you’re new to camping, this can be an easy introduction into the world of overnights. We recommend considering what your future goals are, and if backcountry camping is something you want to work towards, think about buying gear that can be used for both applications. No matter how you want to kick things off, there’s nothing wrong with starting small and working out the kinks. Basecamp can have awesome benefits like proximity to water and electricity while still being close to beautiful trails worth exploring. Backcountry, on the other hand, means you’ll be packing everything in on your shoulders, so a lot more attention must be paid to the weight of your kit. There are exceptions as well, like bikepacking and river trips, but for now we’re going to stick with these two basic categories. Backcountry camping can seem like another beast entirely, but with practice, it doesn’t have to be. There won’t be room in your pack for luxury items you might take to Basecamp, but the tradeoff is you can find yourself in remote places with spectacular views. Not to mention, the crowds disperse as you get further away from park headquarters. Backcountry camping allows you to cover ground efficiently and do things you may not be able to otherwise, like making a long, multi-day trek or waking up to an epic sunrise in the Tetons.  What shelter is right for you? No matter where you plan to lay your head in the woods, you’re going to have to choose a shelter. Each shelter has its advantages, and you’re going to have to weigh the pros and cons and decide what’s right for you and for the environment you’re camping in. First up: Tent camping. If you’re imagining yourself camping, this is probably what comes to mind. Tents offer considerable protection from the elements, are fairly easy to set up, and work virtually everywhere. Some drawbacks to consider are longer setup and teardown times, added weight in your pack in some cases, and their susceptibility to getting dirty inside or wet from condensation. Also keep in mind that finding the perfect tent site in the backcountry, or even while car camping for that matter, isn’t always so simple. You’ll often end up with a rock in your back or on an annoying slope that sends you sliding to one side of the tent all night. Still, it’s hard to beat the dependability of a faithful tent. Next: Hammock camping. No more long setups before sitting down to enjoy a meal, and you can forget about that rock in your back as well. With the addition of rainflies, bug nets, and plenty of insulation, you’ll feel right at home in virtually any conditions. A huge bonus is the level of comfort you’ll enjoy while sleeping in a hammock—the days of crawling out of your sleeping bag with a stiff back are over! There are downsides to consider, the most obvious being the question of where to hang your hammock. Camping in the desert is likely not an option, and although it’s rare, some parks ban the use of hammocks altogether. It’s always best to check for regulations before making any decisions about how you’ll utilize a park. Bottomline, with the right amount of trees, hammock camping is a solid option. For our grand finale: Cowboy camping. Everyone’s dreamed of sleeping under the stars, and with modern sleeping pads and camp quilts, you’ll sleep more comfortably than John Wayne ever thought possible. A key advantage comes into play after a long day on the trail when all you want to do is crawl inside your sleeping bag. Cowboy camping makes setting up camp as simple as possible so you can focus on the fun parts, like stuffing your face with granola bars and hiking until your heels bleed. Another huge plus as more and more of us move into light-polluted cities is the view of the stars without a rainfly or bugnet overhead. Drifting off to sleep with unmatched views of the Milky Way is an experience that’s truly hard to beat. Before we romanticize this too much, consider that cowboy camping leaves you exposed to the elements—bad weather and critters alike. The last thing you want to face in the middle of a deep sleep is a rain-soaked or scorpion-infested sleeping bag. Still, when implemented in appropriate conditions, cowboy camping can be the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors. If you’re still trying to decide what shelter is right for you, or even if you’re a longtime camper curious about a new setup, National Camp at Home Day is the perfect opportunity for a trial run. In the field, you want to be as familiar as possible with your gear to make setting up camp a breeze. Practice pitching camp at home so when the weather turns south and the wind and rains come, you’re able to get out of the elements and into your warm sleeping bag as quickly as possible. To learn more about hammock camping, check out these two blogs:  Four reasons to make Mantis your go-to sleep system Hammock Camping 101  

Our outdoor community is built upon adventure seekers. While sometimes this means spending time in harsh weather and challenging ourselves physically, other times it means having difficult conversations and changing our perspective. In this three-part series on The Outpost, we will share the stories of individuals redefining what it means to be outside. Written by Luisa Vargas.   As a first-generation immigrant from Colombia, I was lucky enough to have parents who taught me the value of spending time in nature. However, the first time a friend called me “outdoorsy” I thought it couldn’t be true. I didn’t look like anyone who shopped at REI. Growing up, I was an artistic kid, not an athletic one. I’m afraid of heights and I’m brown. Little did I know I was fed the same story as most people: That to identify as outdoorsy, you have to spend time outside doing physically draining activities like multi-day hiking trips, climbing up giant rocks or kayaking through rough waters. And that you’re white. It took years to finally consider myself an outdoor enthusiast. Looking back, I realize I was just as outdoorsy then as I am now, but I kept wondering why it took me so long to realize this.  To explore that question, I talked with three incredible adventurers who defy the mainstream standards of being outdoorsy. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing their stories. The first story is from Rocío, a trail runner, social justice advocate, mentor and native Austinite. Although we barely scratch the surface, these are thirst-quenching conversations that reexamine how we ask questions about diversity in outdoor spaces. They share their journey of transformation in the outdoors and talk about how we can cultivate inclusive spaces that honor history and tradition. Rocío Villalobos at Caprock Canyon State Park When I first talked with Rocío Villalobos over Zoom, I instantly felt calming energy. As an avid trail runner, she spends a copious amount of time outside, but her true gift is blending her outdoor experiences with a commitment to social justice. She currently works in the city of Austin’s Equity Office as an Immigrant Affairs Coordinator and has experience working with various environmental and social justice organizations including PODER (People Organizing in Defense of the Earth and Her Resources).  Rocío shares that her great grandparents were indigenous people from tribes in what we now call Mexico. Reconnecting with the land and her ancestors is one of the many reasons she finds spending time outside so impactful. “My grandparents learned it was worth assimilating into this broader Mexican identity rather than holding onto their customs. For me, a part of going outside is reconnecting with the land and my ancestors,” Rocío says. As we explore the reasons why she values spending time outside, she describes how simply having the time to be in nature is a privilege. Growing up, Rocío wasn’t outside much.  Her parents worked long hours and were worried about allowing their kids to wander alone. It wasn’t until she was an adult and faced depression that she turned to running as one of her remedies.  “It made me feel confident and shifted some of the internal talk that I know was really negative,” Rocío says.  Rocío participating in a trail race  As Rocío continued finding joy in outdoor spaces while doing social justice work, the two began merging. She worked in various environmental organizations and began mentoring girls with Explore Austin where she finds an opportunity to connect with young women who are developing their own connection to the land.  Mentorship is a big part of Rocío's life. She’s continually sharing resources and adventure gear with people who want to spend more time outside, particularly women of color.  When I asked Rocío why we don’t see more women of color in traditional outdoor spaces despite the growing interest, her answer was transformative.  Rocío suggests that instead of asking why we don’t see certain groups outside, we should be asking if communities are already spending time outdoors in ways that don’t fit the mainstream idea of what we think as outdoor time. Spending time outside could be something as simple as preparing your soil for a garden or hanging in a hammock listening to the birds.  She describes the popular vision of the outdoors as, “Feeling like an almost hypermasculine idea,” where you have to do something physically draining.  According to Rocío, there is value in trying new, challenging things, but this doesn’t have to be the only way we enjoy the outdoors. The goal should be connecting to the land, and that’s going to look different for everyone. As we begin addressing inclusivity in these spaces, it’s important to remember we’re not here to force change upon people. Rocío says the bigger questions are, “What do our institutions look like? What have they done to create barriers or opportunities to get to spend time in certain places?” Addressing institutional change is an important part of racial equity work everywhere, not just in outdoor spaces. Many times institutions are out of touch with what is happening in their own communities and that becomes another layer of the problem.  She explains that social inequities are hundreds of years old and are going to take just as long to undo. “Find a balance of being grounded in reality but still holding onto that hope of transformation,” Rocío says. I believe Rocío excels at racial equity work and ultramarathons because both require preparation and endurance for a long and difficult path while still believing transformation is possible.  Redefining what it means to identify as an outdoorsy person will open doors for people to benefit from the transformative power of being outside, despite the restrictions placed by mainstream ideas.  Next time you catch yourself wishing you had more time to spend outside, remember that your backyard and your hammock are waiting. Here you can explore some ideas on spending more time outdoors. “How is this helping me develop a deeper relationship with the land? That’s what our goal should be.” -Rocío Villalobos Organizations Rocío has worked with: Austin Racial Equity Office PODER The University of Texas Multicultural Engagement Center Explore Austin Other organizations and companies supporting diversity in the outdoors: Black Outside Native Women’s Wilderness Tawa Threads  Latinos Outdoors