There’s something extra sweet about spending Christmas outdoors with the family. Maybe it’s the crisp air, or maybe it’s the way the kids bounce out of their sleeping bags a little faster when they know hot cocoa is waiting by the fire. Either way, a Christmas camping trip has a way of bringing everyone together without all the usual holiday chaos. You don’t need much to make camp feel festive. A strand of battery lights hung between trees, a tiny tabletop tree, and a few handmade ornaments from...

Cold-weather camping has a special kind of magic Think quiet forests, crisp air, and the satisfying crunch of frost under your boots. But it also has a ruthless way of exposing every piece of gear you cheaped out on. Nothing teaches faster than a night below freezing in the wrong equipment. I've identified three big regrets almost every winter camper wishes they’d fixed before stepping onto the trail. The Gore-Tex You Told Yourself You Didn’t Need You know that moment: freezing rain turns to sle...

There’s something refreshing, almost restorative, about bringing Thanksgiving out of the dining room and into the open air. For campers and outdoor lovers, celebrating the holiday at a campsite blends tradition with the invigorating benefits of nature. Fresh air sharpens the appetite, lifts the mood, and makes every familiar ritual feel a little more vibrant. Cooking outdoors becomes part of the adventure. Dutch-oven stuffing simmering over coals, roasted root vegetables, or even a camp-friendly...

If you live in Colorado, chances are your group chats, social feeds, and late-night drives have had a single theme this week: “the northern lights” or Aurora Borealis. A rare and powerful series of solar storms lit up our skies for three incredible nights, turning the State and the Front Range where I live into an impromptu aurora-watching festival. And for those of us in Boulder, it felt almost surreal—like the sky was auditioning for a cosmic art show. I spent the second night of the storm in ...

Across campsites and forest trails, a quiet revolution is reshaping the way people eat outdoors. Sustainable camping, once focused mainly on reusable gear and leave-no-trace ethics, now extends to the campfire kitchen, where responsibly sourced foods are taking center stage. Outdoor recreation often has a big impact on the environment. It doesn’t have to be that way. More campers are trading in freeze-dried meals and plastic-wrapped snacks for local produce, ethically raised meats, and homemade ...