Just when I thought it was almost winter and time to pack away the picnic gear, I got the nicest surprise – a  box on my front porch, containing some new goodies to review from Liquid Solutions. The first item out of the box was a Sof-flex water bottle. This was fun. It holds 16 […]

Although the company has been around since 1965, Craghoppers clothing is relatively new to the U.S. I just tried out three pieces provided by the company on a week-long backpacking trip through the Ouachita National Forest.

Traci Schauf reviews “We Were an Island: The Maine Life of Art and Nan Kellam.”

Traci Schauf reviews snakeboots from Bass Pro Shops’ Redhead line. She writes, “Getting new gear for Christmas is about the perfect way to celebrate a holiday, in my opinion. This year it was snakeboots from my husband. My colleagues at my non-outdoor job were less than impressed when I shared that information with them.” You may read why she likes them and gives them the stamp of her feet and her approval in this installment of Gear Court.

To prepare for a backpacking or camping trip requires that I lay out every single piece of gear I own, strewn all across the garage floor. I have to see it all to choose what I’ll need. Camping gear is all about choices. This latest trip to Arkansas was no different. Will I take the […]

I just had an opportunity to try out an inflatable camping pillow at no cost, courtesy of Backwoods. I’ve never used a pillow when camping before, instead resorting to stuffing any loose clothing I could find into the hood of my sleeping bag and calling that a pillow. The Fillo Pillow by Nemo has a […]

It’s tiny. It’s cute.  It comes in a lovely lavender and lots of other fun colors. But it’s not a toy. I was given the opportunity to try out UCO’s new Micro Candle Lantern. The Micro, which was provided free of charge by the company, is a smaller version of their Candle Lantern. Its diminutive size and […]

I have a confession. I have an emotional entanglement. I have a possibly unhealthy attachment to my Eureka tent. Now, before you think this is a paid advertisement, it’s not. I’m not on Eureka’s payroll, or their radar. I’m not even on their mailing list. It’s just that this tent has been a major part […]

If you’ve thumbed through any outdoor magazine, or attended any show or event with outdoor gear featured, you’ve heard of ExOfficio clothing. Their bug-repellent, eco-friendly, comfortable clothing is everywhere. But bottom line, you don’t hear much about their underwear. I’m here to rectify that. I bought a pair of ExOfficio undies at a Backwoods girl […]

Now that both my daughters are scuba divers, they have started campaigning for me, The Mom, to get certified as well. They’ve seen sharks and stingrays, turtles and corals, big fish and little fish. “There’s nothing like it,” they say. “You’ll love it,” they say. I won’t love it. Oh, I don’t mind the suit, […]

The WON welcomes Traci Schauf to its ranks of outdoor bloggers. Traci, now known in our circle as “The Happy Camper,” once wrote the popular blog “In My Sights.” She will take us on soft adventure trips, encouraging us to stop and smell the bison along the way. In this installment, Traci reminds us to leave Mother Nature and her kids alone.

A 2011 health initiative called “Healthy Parks, Healthy People,” which resulted from a forum held by the National Park Service, includes emphasizing healthy lifestyles and increasing awareness of how being in nature is beneficial to our well-being.

Is it her hobby, her therapy or her art? Or, as she writes, is she just using “PhotoSlop” and having fun with images she finds on roadsides in Kansas and Oklahoma?

On last week’s camping trip with family, I stumbled upon some buried treasure. OK, I apologize in advance for the morbid jokes. For the deadpan. Oops. This particular part of the Sabine National Forest in Texas, called Boles Field, boasts something that’s doggone different. Deep in the woods, known only to a select group, seen […]

Traci Schauf is keeping a count and we’re surprised this woman doesn’t just get a scale for her own private bass tournament series she’s running with her husband as her foe.

She’s one sick mama. Battling cabin fever and a fever and having all the kids inside eating their way through the pantry … it’s been a long week for Traci Schauf in Oklahoma!

“I think the sport of shooting is the only sport that teaches you responsibility for yourself and your fellow man,” writes Traci Schauf in her blog at The WON, where she describes going with her daughter to a concealed carry class.

She’s singing the praises of playing in the dirt in her kitchen. Read about our fav mommy-in-the-outdoors blogger’s experiment on her, uh, imaginary (?) windowsill.

She’s starting to feel the momentum get ahead of her in her lead-up to the holidays. Read Traci Schauf’s blog and maybe commiserate with a fellow merry-maker.

Traci Schauf says you “gotta-have-it” as she reviews the Kelly Kettle. Read the pros and cons as Traci puts the Kelly Kettle to the test.

Let’s talk about a typical mother’s day.  Not the holiday; the day that we have every-day-that-we-have-kids kind of day. Today was one of those.

If you’re looking for a good, light-weight sleeping bag to stuff in your backpack, read Traci Schauf’s review of the Suisse Sport Adult Adventurer Mummy bag. Even in the colder temperatures, this is still her go-to bag because of its size.

Momonvacation Traci Schauf blogs about coming home to find a container of worms from a fishing trip taken at least three weeks earlier. She could use your advice as to how to get the stink out of her fridge.

Here’s our fav mommy blogger, Traci Schauf, back to retell her weekend’s adventure — that included taking one of her kids to the ER because of an outdoor mishap. Would she do it again? The trip? Read and see.

According to Traci Schauf, the pros of the Osprey Ariel 65 pack far outweigh the cons. Read her hit list of great versus not-so-great and find your own comfort zone at http://www.ospreypacks.com.

I coaxed more line from the reel, again … .again … until it lay perfectly, caressing the water and beginning the tease of my quarry.  I am fly-fishing a small river in Colorado. The solitary pursuit of fly-fishing is salve for the soul.  We fish for bass in farm ponds in Oklahoma and canoe down […]

Although most of us love summer, we don’t love the insects that go along with it. Read how Traci Schauf battles some of the not-so-favorable aspects of summertime; mosquitoes, ticks, flies and chiggers.