Pack and Unpack

Thoughts on this beautiful experience, from the overarching m/radness of it to granular details on what gear worked and what didn't.

Do hard things. Even when what is "hard" changes. Maybe, especially when what is "hard" changes.

Back in action. I mention a previous, recent episode/recording. That recording didn't work... It shouldn't matter too much; I don't think I said anything in that earlier attempted recording that really matters at all. I guess none of this matters, regardless...

What's worked for me and us. For backcountry skiing, hiking, rock climbing, bicycling and others. Two notes that didn't make it into the audio: first, we've learned that, while carrying Charlie in the chest carrier in cool to cold weather it is best to dress her for the temps and then dress the adult for the temps plus exertion. Rather than putting a jacket over baby and adult. We have a jacket extender that makes our regular jackets fit over Charlie. But then everyone gets hot and sweaty as the adult exercises. Better is to dress the adult for their exertion and the baby for the temps and such. Also, we've had great luck with getting her to nap in any rhythmic or uniformly jostled activity. Uniform hiking, skinning, jogging, cross country skiing (these latter two, in the stroller) all works great to get her to sleep. Downhill skiing wakes her up. She doesn't seem upset by downhill skiing, but she doesn't sleep either. Yesterday we went for a bicycle ride on a bike path with broken pavement. She didn't seem to like that. The buzz of the tires and sway of the trailer mellow her out, but the random jolts from bad spots in the pavement would wake her and she'd shout or cry. Uniformly bumpy gravel road is better than occasionally bumpy pavement. It's the rhythms that get her mellowed out!