Gear Review: Coleman Flatwoods II

Price: $49.99 Can a sub-$50 make the cut? The answer after three nights of testing it out is yes, definitely. For years I've relied on my beloved Eureka Taron2 backpacking tent for all  of my camping overnights, whether it be simple car camping at a state park or a backcountry trek in a national forest. The tent is…

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Q&A: Resources for Kayaking in Wisconsin

Another question and answer post, this time about kayaking. A good friend of mine, Rick, who I rock climb with (and happens to rock an old-school Subaru Outback wagon with a manual!), reached out to me with this inquiry about resources for paddling. It's a perfect question, especially relevant with the arrival of…

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Q&A: Backpacking at Buckhorn State Park, WI

In my quest to get as many people outside as possible to explore both the amazing state parks we have here in Wisconsin and the vast network of National Parks from coast to coast, I get asked a lot of questions! This happens on almost a daily basis, and the conversations are usually pretty helpful and loaded with exc…

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Finding Stillness in Iceland

The other day morning I was gazing over a framed road map of Iceland proudly hung up on the wall in my apartment, waiting for the mug of fresh-brewed coffee in my right hand to cool slightly. Visiting Iceland in the late fall/early winter of 2016 was the best adventure I've ever taken, and I'm confident that i…

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Banana Slug at Portola Redwoods State Park, CA [Video]

Just your daily reminder that it's okay to get down on your stomach in the middle of a forest, and hang out with an infamous banana slug. Nature is nothing short of perfect, and intimate moments like this prove just how fascinating animals can be. Here's a video I grabbed off of my camera while hiking in Cali…

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Havenwoods State Forest, WI

This is Milwaukee's best-kept outdoors secret. The Mil' is already home to a plethora of excellent county parks but it’s also where two state park properties sit- Havenwoods State Forest and Lakeshore State Park. Have you ever explored Havenwoods? It's the most important property in our state park system …

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Portola Redwoods State Park, CA

I love trees. So much to the level that I even got an inked caricature of a cottonwood, tattooed on my left forearm. This strong admiration for these towering arbor beauts is the reason I had to get out to Portola Redwoods State Park , because I've never seen a sky-high redwood tree before. And that needed to chan…

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