How to take a toddler on a trailer camping trip

When my kid was still a baby, my partner and I tried tent camping. Once. It did *not* go well, despite all those hot tips online for making camping ~so simple~ with your little angel. When they were an older baby (six-eight months), we went on a few camper van trips to see if we could still get out there like we did pre-baby….with a few more amenities.

The vans made camping with a little one significantly easier, but we realized the vans were unwieldy for getting around once we arrived somewhere. Plus, we had to take down/reassemble the camping part of the van anytime we wanted to drive anywhere. So we took the plunge and got a travel trailer to give us the flexibility to leave a camper behind and drive around in a normal car to trailheads or into town.

Our kid is now a toddler and we took our R-Pod 176 for its maiden voyage this weekend. Here’s what I learned.

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Beginner’s Campground Guide: Guanella Pass near Georgetown, CO

Guanella Pass is just over one hour from Denver. At 10,000 feet of elevation, it’s a much-needed escape from the city heat during the summer. Despite being that high up, it’s still easy to get to and not *that* far from civilization. The campground provides a great jumping off point for lots of hiking (also at high elevation) plus you can easily get to the mountain town of Georgetown from the campground.

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Beginner’s guide to staying warm on winter runs

I’ve been over (and under) dressing for winter running for years. It takes some trial and error, some sweaty days and some numb fingers as you dial in what layers to wear when.

This beginner-friendly (and slow-runner friendly) guide will help you get a head start so you won’t freezing your booty off this winter!

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Beginner’s Travel Guide: Leaf Peeping in Crested Butte

Leaf peeping in Crested Butte totally lives up to the hype. But the options can feel a little overwhelming, the lodging expensive…and the trails a little steep. Crested Butte’s beauty is the result of a lot of big mountains erupting straight up out the valley it’s situated in. I was worried about finding beginner-friendly hiking with the views I was after. But I was wrong!

It’s also warm enough to still eat outside (as long as you bring a jacket), and most restaurants downtown greatly expanded outdoor dining to help folks be more safe during the pandemic. My partner and I visited at the end of September for four days and were able to travel responsibly, enjoy stunning scenery, and have plenty of date nights, too!

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How to take a baby on a camper van trip

Editor’s Note: If you’re looking for tips for a travel trailer or small RV, this post will be more helpful. My spouse was incredibly lucky to have Summer 2020 off for parental leave. I was staying home with Baby Outdoor Beginner (Baby OB), and at the beginning of 2020, we had lots of grand travel plans for this once-in-a-lifetime time off.

Then the pandemic threw a big wrench in that.

Once it was less dangerous to leave home, we started considering how we could travel locally without exposing ourselves to other people. Enter the camper van: self-contained sleeping, eating, and transportation.

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