This is #timeoutside with Briana Cohen

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, Felicia shares her tips and recommended gear to help others who are interested in camping get started. This guide is for individuals, couples, or families who are interested in trying car camping. The following recommendations are not for backcountry camping, and are comfort-oriented for a “DIY glamping” type of experience. I fully recognize that many of the following items are not necessary, but my experience has been that comfortable campers are happy campers, and I’m proud to take credit for converting several friends who had never camped before, or who were skeptical about it, into willing, maybe even enthusiastic, campers. I’m sharing this list of tried and true items that we have purchased and used on our own camping trips, and that we like enough to have recommended to our friends and family. I have provided links to products throughout this list. Most of our items were purchased from REI or Amazon, though some are from small shops such as Power Practical (luminoodle), Miir (insulated camp cups), Rumpl (sleeping bag like throws and blankets), Kammok (hammock and stand). DIY Tent Glamping Basics Tent: We have the REI Kingdom 6. The general rule of thumb for comfortable family camping is to choose a tent at least +2 greater than the number of people you intend to sleep on the tent. We’re a family of 4, so bought the 6 person version. Some of our friends who like to spread out more or have older kids bought the 8 person version, and have plenty of room in their tent to fit 2 queen air mattresses, and have space in the front for storage and indoor card / board games (handy, in case of less desirable weather) . We also bought the tent footprint to keep the bottom clean and dry. A waterproof tarp will work for this purpose as well. Sleep System: We use air mattresses, and sleep comfortably while camping. We have the REI Queen Sleep system, and it is such a comfortable air mattress, we’ve even used it at home when guests come over! As the boys have gotten bigger, we’ve added a second one (twin) to our tent setup. Eventually, we’ll probably need two queen size mattresses.  Cozy Blankets and Throws: The comforter that came with the REI sleep system is warm enough for summer camping in Southern California. For additional warmth and lounging by campfire, we like our Pendleton wool camp blankets and Rumpls (we have original puffy, but also have a couple down blankets which pack down so small!) For a budget option, Costco sometimes carries down throws. Sleeping Bag: After a very chilly camping experience (37F), we found an additional sleeping bag necessary for camping down to 20 degrees F. I found this double wide Omnicore sleeping bag rated for 10, and it has kept us warm for these situations. We still also use my 20 year old north face sleeping bag -which shows that gear does last forever if you take care of it!  Pillows: We’ve tried a few, and these Thermarest compressible pillows are the most comfortable. Lighting: We’ve found some great deals on camping lanterns from Costco. We bring flashlights for the kids. Instead of single use glow sticks, I’ve found some LED glow necklaces that make it easier to spot kids (and adults) after the sun sets. I like the Black Diamond Moji lanterns which are small but mighty, and can be hung on a carabiner to the top of your tent to provide a good amount of light at night. Recently, I’ve tried the Aimtom Power mini camping lantern and am very impressed with how much light it puts out! Camp Cooking Camp Stove: We like this Coleman triton stove and its carrying case. Cooking Table/Storage: GCI Outdoor slim-fold Camp Kitchen Portable folding cook station Camp Kettle Coffee Supplies: We use a Stainless Steel french press, or a collapsible drip coffee maker. Our friends have had success with a percolator. Recently, we’ve also enjoyed Kuju Coffee since serve drip coffee. Cast Iron Pan with Lodge cast iron pan silicon handle Oven Mitts: Don't forget to protect your hands when handling hot kettles or roasting sticks. Enamelware Dining Set: We have this Every day set from Stansport, and for Glamping, we have this beautiful dipped set from Barnyard Electric. It is $$$ and was a birthday gift, but we use them year-round and quite frequently for our backyard dinners and with the kids (enamel ware = childproof and unbreakable!) I’ve seen s started carrying a very affordable and classy looking enamelware mug and plate. Camp Cooking Utensil Set: This set has everything you really need. Camp Collapsible Dish Bin Scrub Brush: for doing dishes Camp Soap: campsuds Egg Storage: It really works and keeps our eggs from crushing! Cooler: We tried a bunch of coolers before getting Yeti Hopper flip and it really is amazing – keeps food cold all day in the summer heat with proper ice packs in place and doesn’t sweat. We were skeptical, but it really has outperformed all our other coolers, and it’s a perfect size for road trips and picnics. We also have the tundra haul which has kept food cold for 4 days, and is better for longer camping / road trips. Pop up trash can NOTE: On some camping trips (i.e. when water is limited), we have found it easier to use biodegradable disposable plates, rather bring all our enamel ware and do dishes. These not only look great, but they are really effective kindling as well! Bathing Bath caddy or hanging organizer Biodegradable soap: from REI Microfiber towels: These are great and less bulky. I think they might be seasonal but you can find them at Ikea for a great low price. Nalgene travel leakproof bottles: for toiletries Seating/ Hanging Out Don’t forget your camp chairs: we have an assortment of REI camp chair, Coleman kids chairs, Coleman adult chairs. We love these small packable ones from trekology and have been bringing them on road trips and even for tailgating parking lot picnics during the pandemic. Hammocks are great for seating or lounging! We haven’t tried sleeping in one yet, but we’ve heard some people do hammock camping! If you’re in Southern California like us, we don’t have many trees so we have found this Swiftlet portable stand super useful with our double room hammock. Extras, that enhance the experience Camp Organization: We have this Ozark trail folding end table with cup holder. Camp Table: It’s really nice to have a table to set things on when sitting by the campfire. For example, you’re s’mores or hot chocolate. We get a lot of use out of our large Trekology table Luminoodle: I love these colored rope lights – they add a splash of color to your tent. Makes it easy to pick out your tent when it is dark out and you are walking back from the bathroom. Tablecloth: Adds ambience and provides a trusty clean surface. Tablecloth Weights: Coleman watermelon table weights.  Glowsticks: for the kids, for a more sustainable option – we’ve moved to these reusable LED necklaces and have a different color per family member. Telescoping Smore’s Sticks: We like these ones. Mystic Fire: Turns campfire into a rainbow. Everyone loves this! Gas Campfire: We have the Camco big red campfire, and it comes in handy in Southern California where there are often wood fire bans. Kids Play Tent: I found one on sale for a little over $10. This is nice to have because it provides shade for kids in summer, and a place to play. Meanwhile, they don’t track a ton of dirt into your actual tent. Doormat: I got a cheap one from Target. Keeps the dirt from tracking into the tent if you’re camping by the beach or some other dirt campsite. We did not find this necessary when camping on grass. Bring From Home: Scooters or bikes for kids. I hope you find this list helpful. Again, this is just a guide and what has worked for us. None of this is “necessary” for having fun. As I prefaced, for some – a simple tarp will suffice. We did not buy all of this gear at once, but have accumulated items over the years. We generally wait until things are on sale – Labor day, Black Friday and Memorial Day tend to be sale times for outdoor gear. Finally, for those who are wondering, we organize our camp gear into several large bins, which we then store in our garage – always ready for our next trip. Happy Camping!   If roughing it in the backcountry doesn't get you excited, give glamping a try on National Camp At Home Day. For more family camping, traveling tips and inspiration, follow Dr. Felicia Wong's 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

As many as 300,000 Americans contract Lyme disease from infected ticks each year, according to CDC modeling. Much of the Eastern half of the country has a large chunk of these cases.  However, only a small fraction of Lyme cases are reported to federal health authorities. Elsewhere in the United States, people contend with potentially fatal tick-borne illnesses like Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Mosquitoes inhabit every corner of the country, spreading potentially serious pathogens like West Nile and Zika viruses and general bite-induced misery. Meanwhile, fire ants terrorize backyards in the southern United States. And they’re joined by too many other insect pests to name. In this year of social distancing, backyard camping is a great way to spend time with your family and enjoy the outdoors. The good news is that suppressing outdoor pests isn’t as difficult or costly as you might imagine. And there are natural ways to get rid of these annoyances. These natural backyard pest control solutions will increase your enjoyment while keeping your kids and pets safe from harm. 1. Moisture Control and Standing Water Management Mosquitoes love standing water. It’s where adults breed and lay their eggs and where larvae spend their lives before transitioning to adulthood. They don’t need much water, so it’s important to identify and control sources of moisture and standing water, even if they don’t seem troublesome. You can’t do much about standing water beyond your property lines. If you live near a pond or swamp, you’ll need to get used to mosquito activity. But you can follow these tips to make your yard as inhospitable to breeding mosquitoes as possible: Dump and Scrub. The CDC recommends dumping standing water from human-made vessels, such as birdbaths and flower pot saucers, at least once per week and thoroughly scrubbing the empty containers. No soap is required, though nontoxic insecticidal soaps can help. Add Oil. If you don’t want to dump the water, drizzle about one teaspoon of olive or vegetable oil into standing water. The oil kills larvae without harming birds or plants. Add Vinegar. Another solution if you don’t want to get rid of the water is to add vinegar to standing water sources. You want to achieve a ratio of about one part oil to five parts water, so this isn’t practical for larger bodies of water, but it should work fine for your birdbath. Mosquito Dunks. These “bacteria bombs” kill mosquito larvae without harming kids or pets. Add them to standing water and let them work their magic.   2. Brush Management Standing water is to mosquitoes as dense underbrush is to disease-carrying ticks. During the cool season, ticks retreat to leaf litter for warmth and protection. They lurk on grasses and ground-hugging vegetation in warmer months waiting for unsuspecting mammals to brush by. Homeowners keen on making their backyards safe for camping need to reduce or eliminate places for ticks to breed and ultimately to find new victims. Here’s how: Edging. Take a trimmer to high weeds and brush along the perimeter of your yard at regular intervals throughout the growing season. Mowing. Mow your lawn regularly, keeping grass ankle-high or lower. Gravel Borders. Create a gravel barrier at least 3 feet wide between your yard and surrounding wooded areas. If this is impractical, use wood chips instead. Stacking Wood. If you keep firewood or downed wood on your property, stack it neatly to discourage tick-carrying rodents from setting up shop. Raking. Rake your grass and cultivate areas to remove leaf litter, grass clippings, and other tick-friendly habitats. 3. Fire Ant Suppression Years of steady northward expansion have brought invasive fire ants, known as red imported fire ants, into contact with backyard campers across a broad swath of the southern United States, from central Texas to Virginia. According to the World Health Organization, fire ants sting as many as 60% of people living in colonized areas. Backyard campers eager to avoid joining their ranks can try two eco- and people-friendly remedies to suppress their colonies: Hot Water. This remedy is only kid- and pet-friendly when kids and pets aren’t around. For each mound you’d like to treat, you’ll need to heat several gallons of water to a near boil, then pour it slowly onto the mound to drench and hopefully penetrate the soil. This measure will also kill nearby grasses, but that may be a small price to pay. Organic Treatments. Though they’re not as effective as EPA-regulated chemical pesticides, two compounds do work to suppress fire ant colonies: d-limonene (citrus oil extract) and spinosad (a microbial byproduct). Follow package instructions carefully. 4. Encouraging Predation Insect-loving predators are the ultimate backyard pest control solution. Bats are voracious consumers of mosquitoes and other biting flies. They’re polite enough to do their work at night too. To encourage them to frequent your yard, Good Housekeeping recommends doing the following: Plant Night-Blooming Flowers. A night-blooming garden should draw night-feeding insects, which in turn will encourage bats to hang out. Popular options include primrose, honeysuckle, dahlia, and raspberry. Put Up a Bat House. Place a bat house (whether purchased pre- or partially assembled or built from scratch) on a south-facing second-story wall or exposed pole near your yard’s edge. The optimal height is 15 to 20 feet above the ground. Final Thoughts Your backyard is yours to enjoy. You shouldn’t have to live in fear of it. Nor should you feel compelled to invest in drastic pest control solutions that could put your children and pets at risk. Thankfully, these kid-friendly pest mitigation solutions really do work. Get started today, and look forward to making your backyard yours once more. Jeremy Kallen is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast who uses a number of strategies to watch out for ticks and pests.

If you’ve been following along this summer, you know that former Kammok marketing + creative lead Andrew Glenn left his home in Texas this April to conquer another long-distance trail. A seasoned thru-hiker, Andrew completed the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017 and John Muir Trail in 2018. This year, he’s on a mission to connect the Continental Divide Trail, a 3,100 mile trail through the Rocky Mountains, to the Great Divide Trail, a 700 mile stretch that follows the divide between Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. To our knowledge, Andrew is the first CDT hiker to advance northbound through Colorado this year, which was slammed with record snowfall and avalanches. Ahead of the pack, Andrew recently completed the Wind River Range in Wyoming and will begin his hike through Yellowstone National Park later this week. Throughout his trek, Andrew’s been testing a new 20º Kammok quilt and repping our Kuhli Ultralight tarp. We checked in with him this past week to see how life on the trail’s been treating him and how his gear is holding up. First things first. How are you feeling? You know, I’ve attempted a few responses to this question, but, though each true, I haven’t found a way to note my feelings with justice. On the very surface, I’m exhausted by another 30 mile day. I’m a little freaked by this hail storm I’m hunkered down in, but I’m happy to have packed out extra snacks and the Kuhli UL is holding up strong. My right knee is a little sore, and I definitely need to pick up better sunscreen in the next town.A little deeper down, there’s a vortex of complicated feelings. Holy smokes, I’m grateful for the moments composing the hike, and I’m curious what lies in the miles ahead. I’m feeling relief and pride with the seeming crux of the hike in the rear view, while dueling the gravity of Canada pulling me closer and closer — all while trying to focus on being present.Haha I guess I’m feeling a lot, and it’s good stuff. Colorado was a challenge mentally and physically. How has the trail in Wyoming been so far? Oof, Colorado. Wyoming is remarkable. I haven’t been here since I was a kiddo, and I admittedly underestimated its grandeur. Down south, the mountains flattened into the Great Divide Basin, a true Wild West landscape with open skies and wild horses.  From there, the trail jumped from the Basin into the Wind River Range. Y’all. I’m unable to paint an adequate picture of these mountains, but imagine a dense High Sierra, with valley features of Yosemite Valley and Hetch Hetchy Valley, and granite towers comparable to Patagonia. The Cirque of the Towers and Titcomb Basin/Knapsack Col fought for my attention and won it with ease. Anyway, that’s the Winds.  Tomorrow, I’ll exit the Winds and jet towards Yellowstone. I will probably wrap Wyoming on Monday or Tuesday. I can’t wait to come back. The Tetons are calling my name. What’s a challenge ahead for you? To set up for the GDT with a comfortable late-season start date, I will need to wrap the CDT within the next 5 weeks. This deadline brings a pressure of timing and pace I’ve been familiar with so far, but now is the time to kick into gear, testing stamina with few sub-30 mile days til Canada. This time on trail, what has community looked like for you? When have you felt love? This time around, I’ve recognized the pulse and value of community as it’s taken many different forms on trail. Through New Mexico, I hiked and shared camp with other hikers, similar to the majority of my time on the PCT. It was sweet, simple, and some of my favorite miles I’ve thru-hiked.Since early Colorado, I’ve been rolling solo, with the occasional run-in with a SOBO (southbound hiker), section hiker, or day hiker. This means my community is built by infrequent interactions with passing strangers – the woman serving me copious amounts of coffee at the small-town diner, the man at the post office, the gaggle of first time backpackers at a trailhead. As my time with other people is acute and limited, I’ve found myself to be more intentional with those I do cross paths with. Whether it’s a craving of human connections or a growing heart towards empathy, the trail is teaching and holding me accountable in the way I value others. It’s special. In the days that you’ve had company, what have you learned from other hikers on trail? Hikers are continuously teaching me how to duel optimism and grit in their individual way. Choosing positivity is a must out here, and so much of that comes down to perspective, one’s worldview, and keeping a pulse on self, especially in times that test your patience.Through this, I’m learning the importance of self-confidence and independence as an asset in leading others and building community. We all have something to offer. And, as always, I’m learning how to match the generosity and hospitality, even from other hikers, I’ve experienced in the hikersphere. It’s beautiful and inspiring. Switching gears here, what's been the most clutch piece of gear in your pack? Oh, gosh. I think there’s a rightful expectation for me to answer with one of the Big 3 (pack, shelter, insulation), as these pieces keep me alive and moving. But to switch things up, I’m going to say my bandana, the 1 oz Swiss Army Knife of possibilities. It’s kept me covered from ticks, shaded from the heat, and cooled after dunked in a stream. It cleans my food jar and has braced my knee. I have a thing for bandanas, and this one is no exception! You’ve cowboy camped nearly every night. Favorite tarp set-up and location so far? Oooooo, I have a strong Top 3, but I’m going to roll with the first night I camped solo in Colorado. I hadn’t camped alone since the first few days of trail, and I found a killer snow-free saddle to pitch the tarp. Deep down, I think I understood it may be the first night of weeks, possibly months, of camping alone. I was pretty proud of my spaceship pitch as the sunset beamed over the Continental Divide, exposing the dramatic peaks of the West Collegiates, my soon-to-be playground for the week. Finally, one catch-your-breath moment on trail that you can’t stop thinking about? I’ve been joking that I have a before-Lake-Ann-Pass and post-Lake-Ann-Pass self. I think a new cord was struck then, strummed with gratitude, fear, humility, and pride.Lake Ann Pass, the second-to-last northbound pass of Colorado’s West Collegiates, is known to rock a pretty gnarly cornice, even in low-moderate snow years. This year wasn’t an exception, and a record snowfall only helped its height and length. When I arrived, posting the first steps of the year on the pass, the cornice took up the entire length of the pass. I took a moment to be bummed about the conditions, but I quickly assessed the situation and made moves to get the heck down. With a backdrop of snowy mountains in early daylight, I made an anchor with my ice axe and maneuvered over the cornice, kicking steps with my crampons and holding my breath.After safely descending the icy wall, I was in a cavity of beautiful mountains and the reality of calling the Divide home really sank in. Yeah, I think that’s my top moment. Interested in daily updates from Andrew on trail? Check out his instagram @andrewglenn_ where he shares stories and special moments from trail. You can also learn more about his thru-hike on his website stilloutside.com.