Wild AF Backpacking

20/10/2020

GEAR SALE!!! Paria 15 Degree Thermodown Down Quilt for backpacking and camping. Long and regular available. Long is good for those 5’11 and taller and the regular is good for those adventurers up to 5’ 10”. Have been used once and properly laundered afterwards. Practically new!!! Our loss is your gear win! Normally $179 but this could be yours for only $150. Each quilt comes with a mesh storage sack and compression sack. Free shipping! DM for more details!

01/10/2020

Here’s a little piece of paradise to keep you all inspired

30/09/2020

VOTE like your life depends on it

15/09/2020

FIRE SEASON!! Let’s talk a little bit about wildfires and how it impacts us while in the backcountry.
First, just know that that in today’s world we are definitely experiencing more wildfires, an increase in fire intensity and a much longer fire season. Knowing that, we should all be prepared for the possibility of encountering one while in the great outdoors.
Have a Plan B! Do not be stubborn and head into potential danger if a wildfire is already in the area. Be flexible. Talk about postponing your trip until conditions improve. Have a back up trip planned for an alternate area. Or simply stay home.
Now, there are those instances where you might do everything right on the planning side and you still run across flames or smoke. Now what? In the case of smoke...if you can see a column of smoke versus hazy skies, you can gather some more information about the situation: -a column of smoke with white smoke usually indicates a fast moving fire such as a grass fire, these usually burn a little shorter; -if the column is dark smoke, this is indicative of thick brush and timber being burned and these fires usually last a lot longer and embers can be carried on the wind, creating further fires. -The larger the column of smoke, the larger the fire and if you witness the column actively growing...GET OUT! -if you notice the direction that a smoke column is bending, that typically indicates the direction the fire is traveling so try to head the other way if possible
Okay, so now we know what to do and what information we can gather from smoke, but what about actual flames?? If you happen to see flames, start heading in the opposite direction. Remember, if you see a rising smoke column nearby, it’s also time to retreat, especially if the column is bending in your direction. If smoke suddenly and abruptly moves in, it’s also time to abort the adventure and safely retreat. If you see flames and are trying to retreat, keep in mind that fires move a lot faster uphill than downhill so never try to outrun a fire by gaining a ridge line. If the flames are dangerously close, look for a large flat area with little to no vegetation to escape.
STAY SAFE!!

20/08/2020

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS!! Okay friends! We have more meals made and ready for the trail. Today we worked on breakfasts...an array of apricot oats, PBJ muesli, granola and fruit packets and some creative grits! 😋

14/08/2020

First round of meals are made and ready for the JMT!

11/08/2020

NEWS BREAK!! Though COVID-19 is preventing us from running commercial trips this season, we are not just sitting back and watching the days go by. We are excited to announce that during these times, we will be thru-hiking the John Muir Trail to bring even more experience to you next season! There’s a very big difference between backpacking for a few days and backpacking for 18 days straight. And we know that many of you have dreams of taking those longer trips, so let us do it first so we can bring to you all the knowledge and know how to make your trip successful! See you in the Sierras, my friends!!
You can follow our JMT prep in our stories!

05/07/2020

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! Celebrating the freedom and liberties we have fought for and hope to continue to have! We celebrate our freedom by uniting with nature and the outdoors, how about you? Be safe out there! Cheers!

01/07/2020

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK!! Central Oregon is known for its sunny days but these beauties still look amazing even when the sun goes down!

29/06/2020

PLEASE...DO NOT LITTER!! While we absolutely love seeing so many enjoy the outdoors, we are often saddened to see the amount of trash and litter left out and about. We will continue to encourage others to get out and enjoy the wilderness but please respect our wild lands and clean up after yourself.

19/06/2020

OUR ADVICE TO YOU? We strongly recommend that you stop and smell all the flowers along the way! Pure magic!!

16/06/2020

Sometimes we just HAVE to stop on our way to take in views like this! Not all of the good times happen on the trail 😉

11/06/2020

ZERO WASTE BACKPACKING NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD!!! You are looking at a delicious and very nutritious sampling of the meals we provide on our trips. The following are shown above:
- vegan nut bars
- plant based stroganoff
- buffalo mac
- vegan bread pudding
- Parmesan couscous
- spicy jalapeño risotto
- nutty breakfast bran
- signature granola packets
Clients are provided all recipes in a post trip summary

10/06/2020

BACK AT IT! Backpacking requires a lot of energy. We prefer to fuel our adventures and our bodies with real food and not those overly processed, pre-packaged meals. Know what you are putting into your body to know how it will perform!

23/05/2020

April showers brought those May flowers! We hope you all are able to get out and start enjoying the beauty around us. And remember, please be respectful of any area closures at this time - we are all trying to do our best.

10/05/2020

We aren't sure where this road will lead us but we hope that it leads to a new normal that still includes plenty of adventures. We are sad to say that we will not be running trips for the 2020 season but hope to see you in 2021.

22/04/2020

For all you adventure loving families, have no fear! Backpacking can be a great activity for the whole family! We can help you get your junior rangers into the mountains!!

16/04/2020

On our trips, we always try to experience each and every sunset and sunrise - Natures way of saying hello again and see you soon!

12/04/2020

ONLY YOU!! Only you can prevent the spread!
We all need to do our part so we can get back to our normally scheduled activities

10/04/2020

OUCH!! Have you ever thought of buying new boots, taking them out of the box and embarking on a multiday trip? Well, don't! Blisters can be crippling, painful and overall not very fun! The best way to treat blisters is to prevent them. A few prevention tips: never wear brand new boots on a long trip, ensure you break in your boots with small hikes first, use a thin liner sock underneath your normal hiking sock to reduce friction, and stop and assess and address your feet at the first sign of a hot spot!
We will thoroughly cover foot care, blister care and prevention on each trip.

07/04/2020

Hey my friends, here's some frequently asked questions regarding corona virus closures from the Forest Service. 🤙

The Forest Service in Washington state and Oregon are aligning operations to support state Governor executive orders for residents to stay home, stay safe and save lives. Our mission-critical work, such as improving the condition of the nation’s forest and grasslands, suppressing wildfires and oth...

07/04/2020

Social distancing ✔️ Fresh air ✔️ Exercise ✔️ Time in nature ✔️ Beautiful skies ✔️

We got this! Hang in there everyone!!

06/04/2020

Have you ever been disappointed by the lack of wildlife sightings while out on a hike? It happens to all of us! We get excited to get out in nature, to soak in it's beauty, and hoping to catch a site of some of the forest creatures ... All to end up SKUNKED! If we don't get to see wildlife in person, we find it equally as neat to see their tracks or signs. Here we have the most adorable footprints known to the forest and they happen to belong to our striped friend, the skunk!
Next time when you are bummed about no sightings, look down and see what kind of tracks you see!

03/04/2020

We hope everyone is respecting any and all trailhead/park closures. With that being said, there are trails that are still open but remember to stay local, keep your distance from other hikers, maintain the practice of social distancing and leave no trace.
We will get through this!

01/04/2020

Let's keep sharing those beautiful spaces and places!

31/03/2020

Walking through a field of flowers is pure magic! Just remember to stay on the trail to protect these beauties...you can still more than enjoy them from the already packed down trail 😍

30/03/2020

STAY HOME, SAVE LIVES! We know the adventurous spirit in all of you is making this Stay Home initiative very difficult! But don't worry, this is just temporary. Maybe use this time to go through your gear, do some trip planning or get in some extra squats to strengthen up those legs 🤷🏼‍♀️
Stay healthy, my friends!
(Photo credit: unknown)

26/03/2020

On each of our trips you will learn the basics of backpacking, including: navigation with a map and compass, trail etiquette, leave no trace principles, gear selection, backcountry nutrition, and more!

25/03/2020

Stay Home, my fellow adventurers!

And please respect park closures, campground closures and any trailhead closures. This is not the time to be traveling anyway. Stay home and this too shall pass. 🤙

24/03/2020

These banded and colorful cliffs screamed out to us, telling us about ancient volcanic times and reminding us that these crazy times shall pass as well.