Let's Go Outside | Adventurous Moms, Hiking, Camping, Travelling with Kids, Parenting Outside

In this episode of Let's Go Outside, I’m joined by Ayla Will, creator of @thewilldernessfamily to talk about budget family adventures, RV living with kids, low-screen parenting, and raising confident outdoorsy children.

Ayla shares how growing up on a farm shaped the way she parents her kids today and why her family intentionally chose a lifestyle centered around outdoor play, homeschooling, simplicity, and daily time outside. We talk about the resources and experiences that influenced her parenting, including 1000 Hours Outside, and how those choices have helped build resilience, independence, and confidence in her kids.

We also dive into the idea that adventure doesn’t need to be expensive to be meaningful. If you’ve ever felt pressure to give your kids elaborate vacations, or expensive activities, this conversation is such a refreshing reminder that some of the best family memories come from simple adventures close to home.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Living in an RV and homeschooling as a family

• Raising low-screen kids who genuinely love being outside

• How to build confidence and resilience through outdoor play

• Encouraging kids to take healthy risks and try hard things

• Budget-friendly family adventures and low-cost outdoor activities

• How to enjoy adventure without going into debt

• Planning intentional summer adventures versus being spontaneous

• Learning to slow down, be present, and enjoy motherhood more fully

This episode will encourage you to simplify, get outside more often, and remember that adventure is less about spending money and more about being together. 

Things mentioned:

• Call of the Wild and Free https://amzn.to/3ROETnM 

• There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather https://amzn.to/4uVyxBn 

• Let Them Be Kids https://amzn.to/42GedIi 

  The brick https://amzn.to/43hPMku

Connect with Alya: 

Instagram: @thewilldernessfamily

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with Danika on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Watch on podcasts YouTube: @besidethemountain

Email me: [email protected] 

Codes & Discounts:

Wildelore: https://wildelore.com/ Use code LETSGOOUTSIDE15 for 15% off

Download my FREE high protein snacks ebook: besidethemountain.com/protein-ebook

In this episode, I’m sitting down with a friend for a conversation about raising adventurous kids and building a life rooted in the outdoors.

We talk about her childhood road-tripping to Baja, how that shaped her confidence to travel solo, and what it’s looked like to carry that same adventurous lifestyle into motherhood in Northern Idaho. 

From there, we dive into the day-to-day of raising kids who love outdoor play—how to encourage child-led play, create an environment where kids naturally explore, and support them as they take risks and learn through experience. She talks about her purpose as a mother and you can see how that helps her make decisions as she lives with her kids outside. 

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is when we shift into foraging and plant knowledge. She shares how she learned to identify edible and medicinal plants, how she snacks on plants while hiking, and ways to use local plants.

Resources and places Dinah mentioned: 

Clifty Hike - Bonner Ferry Idaho 

Hori hori tool: https://amzn.to/48IDJQq 

Wild Rose College: https://wildrosecollege.com/ 

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with Danika on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Watch on podcasts YouTube: @besidethemountain

Email me: [email protected] 

Codes & Discounts:

Download my FREE high protein snacks ebook: besidethemountain.com/protein-ebook

Snack Prep Pro ebook: https://besidethemountain.com/snack-prep-pro/

Travel Gear Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IEqVfpGk-5uJ29uoiScoZXLPnTY4r311/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, I’m sharing our real experience traveling to Belize with a 9-week-old baby along with our 3 and 6 year old. If you’ve wondered what it’s like flying with a newborn, traveling in a hot climate with a baby, or planning a family trip to Belize—here’s my honest recap!

We spent over three weeks in Belize, splitting our time between the mainland, jungle, and the island Caye Caulker. I walk through our itinerary, travel costs, our highlights of Belize with kids, and it looked like with a newborn.

I share about traveling with a baby in a tropical country—how we handled sleep, feeding, cloth diapers, babywearing in the heat, and what I found challenging in the postpartum season. I share practical tips for flying with a baby, packing minimally for family travel, how I packed light weight on the baby gear.

From Mayan ruins like Altun Ha and San Ignacio Ruins Cahal Pech to jungle life with howler monkeys, to exploring mangroves and snorkeling in Hol Chan, if you’re planning a Belize trip with kids, I wanted to give you the scoop! (I forgot to mention it in the podcast but we loved exploring Rio Pools in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve as a family!) 

I wanted to share an honest conversation about traveling in postpartum, navigating anxiety and unknowns, and learning how to keep living a full life with kids. If you feel the pull to travel but aren’t sure how it will look with a baby—this episode is for you.

I share about: 

• Traveling with a baby in hot weather and humidity

• Flying with a newborn + what helped most

• Belize travel costs, food, and accommodations

• Baby sleep, routine, and feeding while traveling

• What surprised us about Belize (beaches, seaweed, weather, bugs)

• Highlights of what we explored in Belize

• Honest postpartum challenges

• YYCdeals.com (flight deals blog)

• UV water purifier (SteriPen Ultra) https://a.co/d/0bL56Ood

• Baby carrier (WildBird) https://a.co/d/08EU4PeO

• Baby sleep nest (Snuggle Me Organic) https://a.co/d/08aF02wk

• Merino wool baby sleeper (Wee Woollies) 

• Baby bug repellent stickers https://a.co/d/0e807Wkx

• Baby life jacket for travel https://a.co/d/0bB3C5mM

• Little ones sleep program 

• Portable baby tent (for bugs/shade) https://a.co/d/03r2Iks3

• Boiron Coryzalia (homeopathic for congestion) https://a.co/d/06ZaFPi5 

• My travel gear list

Some of these links are affiliate links. 

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with Danika Vanderpyl on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Email me: [email protected] 

Codes & Discounts:

Wildelore: https://wildelore.com/ Use code LETSGOOUTSIDE15 for 15% off

Becky Molina, a mom and labour and postpartum nurse, shares honestly about her feeding journey and what it was like navigating pumping and bottle feeding while still wanting to get outside. We talk about the pressure around breastfeeding, the realities of pumping on road trips and camping trips, and the systems she figured out for storing and keeping milk cold.

Becky also shares how their family did a winter hut trip to Lake O’Hara when her son was 10 months old — including how they managed bottles in the backcountry and the gear they packed, like their Chariot and backpack. A practical and encouraging conversation for outdoor moms navigating feeding a baby while still adventuring.

Places mentioned: 

• Elizabeth Parker Hut - Yoho National Park, British Columbia

Gear mentioned:

• Wee Woolies 

• Stonz Mitts

• Osprey Poco Child Carrier

• Mac Ride Child Bike Seat 

• Thule Chariot Cross

Connect with Becky: 

Instagram: @beckymolina9

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with Danika on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Watch on podcasts YouTube: @besidethemountain

Email me: [email protected] 

Codes & Discounts:

Wildelore: https://wildelore.com/ Use code LETSGOOUTSIDE15 for 15% off

Snack Prep Pro ebook: https://besidethemountain.com/snack-prep-pro/

Josée Bergeron is a Métis mom of five in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and the writer behind Backwoods Mama. For nearly two decades, she’s helped families get outside through seasonal activities, nature play, and everyday adventures close to home. She’s the author of Beyond the Front Door: Embracing Nature for a Happier and Healthier Family (releasing February 24) and loves noticing nature with her kids, from backyard mud kitchen moments to camping, hiking, and rock climbing across BC, Alberta, and beyond.

Connect with : 

Instagram: @thebackwoodsmama

Website: https://backwoodsmama.com 

Josée’s Book: Beyond the Front Door: Embracing Nature for a Happier and Healthier Family: https://amzn.to/4tJUV0P 

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with me on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Watch on podcasts YouTube: @besidethemountain

Email me: [email protected] 

Codes & Discounts:

Wildelore: https://wildelore.com/ Use code LETSGOOUTSIDE15 for 15% off

Download my FREE high protein snacks ebook: besidethemountain.com/protein-ebook

Becca talks honestly about how her breastfeeding journey looked different with each child, what it’s actually like to nurse on the go, and how she made breastfeeding work while hiking, camping, and backpacking. We cover practical details like clothing and gear that helped, feeding babies in carriers and tents in the middle of the night, eating enough to support milk supply, and whether or not pumping or saving milk played a role when she was away from her kids.

We also chat about how adventures naturally shift as families grow, and how finding other moms online to adventure with made these trips possible — and meaningful — during the motherhood years. We wrap up with reflections on weaning, what she wishes new moms knew about breastfeeding.

This conversation is for moms who love being outside, are navigating feeding their babies, and want reassurance that adventure doesn’t have to stop — it just changes.

Gear mentioned: 

• Trail magik: https://trailmagik.com

• Morrison Outdoor’s Kids Sleeping Bag: https://morrisonoutdoors.com/

Connect with : 

Becca on IG: https://www.instagram.com/becca_outdoors/

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with me on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Watch on podcasts YouTube: @besidethemountain

Email me: [email protected] 

Codes & Discounts:

Wildelore: https://wildelore.com/ Use code LETSGOOUTSIDE15 for 15% off

In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation I had on the Adventures Mamas Podcast where we dug into our whole story: the outdoor ed trips that shaped me, the summer camp where I learned real backcountry skills (and met my husband!), and how those experiences eventually led us to raising our kids in the Canadian Rockies.

We chat about bringing babies on overnight trips, road-tripping in a tiny minivan when our son was five months old, taking a baby on the Juan de Fuca Trail, and all the ways our kids have naturally folded into our adventures. You’ll also hear the simple systems that help us backpack with toddlers — staying warm at night, choosing a first route, and I share why we have moved more into canoe camping trips with kids. 

We even get into our bigger leaps: long winter trips abroad, living life in “thirds,” and how we’ve made extended travel possible without a big budget…

There is a lot covered in this episode, come listen - I know you are here because this is your kinda thing too. 

Resources mentioned: 

Trail Magik Carrier

Trusted House Sitters

Trail Collectiv App

Check out The Adventure Mamas Podcast with Nikki Roth and Ashley S

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with me on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Watch on podcasts YouTube: @besidethemountain

Email me: [email protected] 

Snack Prep Pro Ecookbook: https://besidethemountain.com/snack-prep-pro/  

Travel Gear Guide:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IEqVfpGk-5uJ29uoiScoZXLPnTY4r311/view?usp=sharing

If you’ve ever wondered how to introduce your kids to the magic of plants, this episode is the perfect place to start. Today, we sit down with a mama who has built a deep, joyful relationship with herbalism—and has spent years weaving plant wisdom into everyday family life.

She shares how her own journey with plants began, the simplest way to explain herbalism to someone who may not be familiar with it,, and why learning about the natural world is such a powerful gift for kids. We talk about safe plant identification, easy herbs to grow with little ones, and gentle first steps for families who feel curious but unsure where to begin.

You’ll hear practical, beginner-friendly ideas you can try this week, and ideas to help make herbalism feel approachable and fun. Whether you’re homeschooling, hiking, gardening in pots, or just hoping to help your kids feel more connected to nature, this episode gives you a clear and welcoming path into herbalism as a family.

About Jackie Leed: I grew up a free-range kid in central Pennsylvania rooted in the Earth. My childhood was spent wandering through the woods, making jewelry out of cicada skins pried from trees, and cooking recipes that centered around the main ingredient mud. When I moved to Whidbey Island in 2020, herbalism came to me like a memory, a way back to the girl with skinned knees and soil under her nails. Now, motherhood carries me forward: barefoot in the garden, collecting nature treasures with my children, and appreciating the beauty of the moon from my backyard. I go outside because that's where I belong. I think a lot of us feel the same way.

Resources mentioned: 

Plant app - Picture This App

Connect with Jackleen Leed: 

Instagram: @jackiewildkinwandering

Website: https://earthwisemothering.com/root-to-crown/ 

Photography Website: https://wildkinwandering.com/ 

Article Jackleen wrote for runwildmychild.com: https://runwildmychild.com/herbalism-with-kids/ 

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with me on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Watch on podcasts YouTube: @besidethemountain

Email me: [email protected] 

Codes & Discounts:

Download my FREE high protein snacks ebook: besidethemountain.com/protein-ebook

Snack Prep Pro ebook: https://besidethemountain.com/snack-prep-pro/

In this energizing conversation, Katie O’Mara — co-creator with her husband of Trail Magik and outdoor-loving mom of three. We hear about her creativity, optimism, and a deep love for exploring and how it has shaped her family’s everyday adventures. We talk about the early days of hiking with babies and toddlers, and the stories behind the very first hand-sewn Trail Magik prototype.

Katie opens up about how she realized this little piece of gear wasn’t just for her family anymore, and how she turned a homemade kid carrier into an approved piece of kids’ gear, and the joy of seeing another parent on the trail using something her husband dreamed up.

She also shares one of her favorite memories from places Trail Magik made possible — and her encouragement for any parent wanting to get outside more, even when the season feels messy or overwhelming. This episode will leave you inspired, smiling, and ready to hit the trail with your own crew.

Places mentioned: 

• Yellowstone, MT

• Valley of Fire, Utah

• Mammoth Mountain, CA

• Fossil Falls, CA

• Alabama Hills, CA

Gear mentioned: 

• Trail magik: https://trailmagik.com

• Solly Baby: https://sollybaby.com

• Wild Bird Carrier: https://wildbird.co/

Connect with : 

Instagram: trail.magik

Website: https://trailmagik.com

Email: [email protected]

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with me on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Watch on podcasts YouTube: @besidethemountain

Email me: [email protected] 

Codes & Discounts:

Wildelore: https://wildelore.com/ Use code LETSGOOUTSIDE15 for 15% off

In this episode, I’m chatting with an incredibly inspiring mama who thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 155 days with her family, including a 1, 3, and 5-year-old — a journey that redefined what family adventure can look like.

We talk about how she first fell in love with the outdoors, how they made the decision to take on long-distance backpacking with young children, and how much experience they had before committing to a full PCT thru-hike. Instead of rigid planning and perfection, she shares how they intentionally chose an open-minded approach — no mapped-out route, no perfectly planned food boxes, and no pressure to “finish at all costs.” They relied on their previous experience and expertise, trusting their intuition and remaining flexible to meet their kids where they were each day.

Three years later, she’s still choosing a big adventure. This summer, she returned to the trail for a 200-mile, 24-day John Muir Trail trip with another mom and their kids, and she opens up about the experiences from that trip.

We also explore what everyday trail life looks like with kids: how they sleep (including their tent-free system), what they bring for entertainment and comfort, how they build resilience, and how she navigates choosing bold adventures that others might label as “too risky.”

This conversation is for moms who feel the pull toward the wild, long-distance hiking, and raising kids who grow up knowing they’re capable of hard, meaningful things.

Places mentioned: 

• John Muir Trail

• Pacific Crest Trail

• Tahoe Rim Trail

• Timberline Trail

• Sierra Nevada Mountains

• Appalachian Trail

Gear mentioned: 

• Hyperlite Southwest Backpack 

• How to Tell Stories to your Children 

Connect with Marketa: 

https://www.instagram.com/daleywalk/

https://www.yearinnature.org/

Join the FREE Facebook community: Connect with other women in your area to go exploring with, ask your gear and trip questions, search in FB groups Let’s Go Outside Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984734118616209/ 

Connect with me on IG: @besidethemountain 

Try Danika’s healthy snack recipes: https://besidethemountain.com/

Watch on podcasts YouTube: @besidethemountain

Email me: [email protected] 

Codes & Discounts:

Travel Gear Guide

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IEqVfpGk-5uJ29uoiScoZXLPnTY4r311/view?usp=sharing

Download my FREE high protein snacks ebook: besidethemountain.com/protein-ebook