Our summer had both an expected and unexpected start with our daughter Hadley graduating from high school and then making the last minute decision to work in Alaska at our church summer camps, which are dotted across the state in some very special places. It was an opportunity that she just couldn't say no to and I can't blame her. I worked at summer camp in northern Michigan through my late teen years and it's an experience that can't be replaced in too many other ways.
We had just a few weeks to get her prepped and ready to go. Hadley limited herself to what she could carry herself in two bags and we worked through what we felt would be "essentials" to have along for the summer. She was able to get everything in her Topo Designs Rover Pack that she carried on the airplane and then the bulk of everything else in the Patagonia Guidewater Duffel 80L (T.F.M. Review). The waterproof duffel proved to be the right choice as they were caught in rain and on the water boat crossings on quite a few of their travel days between camps.
From time to time throughout the summer, Hadley and I would discuss what
gear had worked as expected, what was a surprise, and what she couldn't live without. We had covered the needs pretty well but there were some
clothing and gear that really stood out to her. I asked her if she's like to do a
write up for T.F.M. and she agreed, so here are the ten pieces of gear that got Hadley through her summer camps experience in Alaska...
COTOPAXI KAPAI 1.5L HIP PACK
Starting off strong is my personal favorite item, the Cotopaxi Hip Pack. This was my most worn item of this summer by far. I wore it while climbing mountains, wading through rivers, biking to town, and walking around camp. Honestly, I only took it off when I was sleeping. Even then, it was the first thing I put on in the morning. Everyday it was stuffed with my camp equipment which consisted of a disposable camera, my multi-tool, some band aids, and my radio. While it was a great camp counselor bag, I didn't retire it after camp. I still wear it everyday, I just swapped out my camp gear for my daily essentials which includes my iPhone, wallet, chap stick, and I'm still carrying around a disposable camera. It's the perfect lightweight bag for carrying around the necessities without actually having to sacrifice an arm or hand to lug it around. Plus, it's a super fun bag with a lot of personality.
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PATAGONIA BAGGIES SHORTS
I have been a die hard Patagonia Baggies wearer since I was a little girl and have already done plenty of raving about these shorts but they deserve all the praise. Over the past several years, I've probably owned pairs in every color, and as soon as I grow out of them, they're passed down to my younger cousins. They are a lightweight material, mid-thigh length, and vibrant colorways make them the perfect shorts for any outdoor activity. These shorts survived cold plunges in the Pacific Ocean, all day hikes, trudges through knee-deep silt mud, and long bike rides. Despite the grime they endured, they come out good as new after a wash cycle.
Throughout the summer, this sweatshirt was worn until it was absolutely filthy and then immediately put back on as soon as it was washed. Feeling like my dad, I enjoyed educating campers and staff about fly fishing whenever they asked what my sweatshirt depicted. I was in this sweatshirt more than any other layer and kind of blown away by how it's held up even after all of these years of wear.
BIRKENSTOCK ARIZONA SANDALS
When I originally purchased these I had no clue that they would go on this "Alaskan Adventure". I intended to wear them during last summer I spent in Italy where they were my go-to daily shoe. I wasn't even going to bring them to Alaska, until my dad convinced me as they were dropping me off at the airport to fly to Anchorage.
I got horrible blisters on my first hike in Alaska in a new pair of boots and I was forced to rely on my Birkenstocks as they were the only pair of shoes that freed my heels. I did not have very much faith in them at first, especially considering the cold rainy weather that I was enduring daily. Fortunately these Birkenstocks braved not only sunny days. I trekked through mud, climbed snowy hillsides, and dredged upstream while with friends who were dip netting for salmon.
I was in these sandals so much, my coworkers at camp gifted me the radio call sign “Birkenstocks”, a nickname I proudly took on for the summer.
REI MERINO WOOL LIGHTWEIGHT HIKING CREW SOCKS
While at REI searching for new hiking boots, a sales associate suggested these wool socks and told me that they were on sale so I picked up three pairs. I like their thickness, not too light but not suffocating my feet. They fit well with hiking boots but go just as well with Birkenstocks, my favorite way of wearing them. Socks and sandals don't always work together but these wool socks look great, even with Chacos.
KAMMOK ROO SINGLE HAMMOCK & KAMMOK PYTHON 10 STRAPS
I almost did not bring a hammock to Alaska because I assumed that I would rarely use one but I was glad to be proven wrong. Anytime the sun came out, I would scramble to my cabin to get out my hammock. I enjoyed setting it up by the lake or in the forest. I would read, journal, and enjoy nature that I was surrounded by.
The single size is a great hammock set to travel with because it packs down so small. I would often attach it onto my hip pack while I hiked to my "hammocking" spot. I cannot say enough good things about this hammock, though I must warn you that most, if not all, of my hammock times resulted in me passing out a several hours nap...but it's definitely worth the risk.
NOMADIX X HOWLER BROTHERS TOWEL
Every camp I was at this summer was surrounded by some body of water, whether it was an inland lake, like Lake Aleknagik, or the Pacific Ocean, so of course I did my fair share of swimming. After hopping out of the freezing cold water, I immediately wrapped myself up this towel to dry off.
These towels are great for traveling: they pack down super small, dry quickly, they dry you quickly, and I dig the funky artful prints on them. At some places I visited it rained all day everyday but these towels still dried out in a matter of hours. Even now that I've moved into my new place, I still refuse to buy regular towels because these are just so good.
TOPO DESIGNS ROVER PACK CLASSIC
I chose this pack last year for my summer in Italy where I mostly wore it on day trips or to class. For this summer, I knew that this would be the a perfect carry-on...and as a plus, it's my favorite color.
Throughout the summer I tossed my gear into it for overnight camping trips, longer hikes, plane rides, and biking into town. I can easily fit a few changes of clothes, my laptop, two pairs of shoes, binoculars, French press, water bottle, journal, and weekend essentials in this bag. This backpack has seen the busy streets of Venice, Italy but also quiet forests of Seward, Alaska, and it will be going on many more adventures.
EXPED DOWN SOCK BOOTIES
I received these camp socks as a gift from my parents several years back but would only use them once or twice a year whenever we went tent camping. I brought them up here because I figured they take up almost no space and they would probably be nice to walk around the cabin in. Truth told, I ended up wearing them every single night to sleep. They are definitely a luxury camp item that prompted some laughs but I never had cold feet, even on below-freezing nights.
LEATHERMAN MULTI-TOOL
When I was packing for this summer, I was going through all of my outdoor gear in search of some sort of knife, something compact but functional. My parents got both my brother and I Leatherman Leap multi-tools (now discontinued) that we mostly used for carving our initials in our forts, sharpening sticks, and chopping ingredients for our mud soups. I figured that it would be a decent tool to bring up here instead of just a pocket knife but I could not find mine anywhere. After rummaging through my room without any luck of finding it, I begged my brother to let me borrow his. He reluctantly agreed, both of us assuming that I would probably use it only once or twice throughout the summer. To my surprise it became an essential that I carried around daily. I used the blades to sharpen pencils, the tweezers to remove splinters, the screwdriver head to change the batteries in my headlamp, and all of the other tools for random tasks. Although I originally underestimated this tool's usefulness, I would highly recommend something similar for kids or adults looking for a durable multi-tool that'll last for years.
Hadley's summer camp season ended and, not surprisingly, she decided to stay in Alaska where she accepted a student missionary opportunity at our church school in Palmer. There's a good chance you'll see some follow up gear reviews from her as she lives, works, and plays through the seasons up there. We couldn't be prouder of her and admittedly, kinda jealous. To be eighteen again...
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