Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Archives

Gear Review: The Luci Lantern from MPOWERD

Gear Review: The Luci Lantern from MPOWERD

Our family got the chance to try out the new Luci solar-powered lantern on our Labor Day climbing/camping adventure to Tennessee.  I had originally planned on mentioning it in the trip report, but we liked it so much that I thought it deserved a post all on it’s own! Luci is an innovative idea from MPOWERD, a company that “develops and manufactures game-changing micro-solar energy products for use by people living and playing on and off the grid.”  At first glance it might just seem like any old solar-powered lantern to hang around camp, but it’s cool factor is so much better…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Climb Time for the Whole Family (What Works for Us!)

Climb Time for the Whole Family (What Works for Us!)

It’s my theory that eavesdropping on a family’s Sunday night dinner conversation is one of the quickest ways to figure out what’s most important to that family.  The weekend is over and everyone is setting their sights onto a new week, planning out the logistics of who’s doing what, when and how.  Which activities/events are the first up for discussion?  You know, those things that you want to MAKE time for, despite how busy you are?  Each family’s discussion will be different of course, but the logistical conversations are often the same – how to make sure ______ gets to…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Bitybean: A Bit of Babywearing Heaven!

Bitybean: A Bit of Babywearing Heaven!

It’s no secret that our family is into babywearing in a big way.  While I’d like to picture us as a peaceful, attached family that wears our babies purely for the many physical and emotional benefits it brings to our young, the truth is that most of the time we do it for convenience sake.  (That and because a sleeping baby on your chest is one of the best feelings in the entire world…)  That may explain why we have 5 times as many babywearing apparatuses as we do children.  Or it could be because the Cragdaddy and I are…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Gear Review: Powerfingers!

Gear Review: Powerfingers!

If you’ve read this blog with any amount of regularity, you’re probably aware that our household is way into “pre-hab.”  I firmly believe it’s important for climbers of all ages and skill levels, whether you are projecting 5.14’s or struggling your way up 5.8’s on toprope.  A big part of prehab is training the muscles that do the OPPOSITE movement than the muscles you use while climbing.  When you climb, you pull, pull, pull.  So to keep your body in balance, it’s important to do some exercises that push – push-ups, presses, etc.  (For a whole post dedicated to antagonist muscle training, click here.)…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Labor Day at the Obed River

Labor Day at the Obed River

If you read last week’s trip report from Grayson Highlands, you may remember that lately we’ve been struggling with bad weather woes, as well as securing climbing partners.  Climbers sans kiddos can wait until the last minute to make their plans, and just head out the door on a whim to wherever conditions look best…we can’t!  For us, no partners means no climbing, so we’ve got to be proactive and plan ahead.  This time around, we ended up with a good-sized group for 2 out of the 3 days.  The weather forecast wasn’t stellar, but it ended up being a…Read the rest of this entry →

Share
“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN