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Empowering you to be a confident, independent, and responsible outdoor enthusiast

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Outdoor How-Tos

Hike the John Muir Trail

It's never too late to start! Learn how to ski this winter with these top 10 beginner ski tips for adults, with advice on gear, technique, lessons & more.

Winter Travel Tips

Join the Van Life Roadmap Waitlist

Read about the top highlights from Bearfoot Theory's first-ever Open Roads Fest. A van life festival for outdoor enthusiasts.

Open Roads Fest - June 25-28, 2020

Latest Posts
Popular Posts

Colorado Gems: 11 Affordable Ski Resorts in Colorado

Learn about the trail, permits, and gear in this detailed guide to hiking the Wave in Arizona in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.

Everything you Need to Know about Hiking The Wave in Arizona

Get inspired to visit Havasupai in Arizona! Here are my favorite Havasu Falls photos along with tips and advice for planning your backpacking trip.

2020 Havasu Falls Camping Guide: Havasupai Permits, Gear, Fees & Trail Tips

Get the complete backpacking 101 beginner's guide to planning your first overnight hiking trip including gear, what to wear, how to meal plan, and more.

Backpacking 101: How to Prepare for an Overnight Hiking Trip

Are you interested in doing van life with your family? Learn the 5 most important things to consider and check out the best family camper van layouts!

Best Camper Van Layouts for Families

Learn everything you need to know about the John Muir Trail permit process for 2020. Get info on JMT starting trailheads, trail quotas, lottery dates & more

How to Apply for a Southbound John Muir Trail Permit in 2020

Planning a snowy vacation this winter? Here are 10 awesome places to go snowshoeing west of the Rockies.

10 Places to go Snowshoeing in the Western US

Interested in winter hiking? Learn about base layers, insulating layers, shells, and other cold weather hiking clothes with our winter outdoor apparel guide

Winter Hiking Clothes & Cold Weather Layering Basics

Follow this detailed 7-day Teton and Yellowstone road trip itinerary to travel to the best sites, hikes, and attractions in these two incredible national parks.

The Ultimate 7-day Teton and Yellowstone Road Trip Itinerary

Get inspired to visit Havasupai in Arizona! Here are my favorite Havasu Falls photos along with tips and advice for planning your backpacking trip.

2020 Havasu Falls Camping Guide: Havasupai Permits, Gear, Fees & Trail Tips

What to wear skiing - the ultimate guide to skiing apparel so you have the right clothes for staying warm, dry, and comfortable on the slopes.

What to Wear Skiing: The Ultimate Ski Apparel Guide

Learn about the trail, permits, and gear in this detailed guide to hiking the Wave in Arizona in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.

Everything you Need to Know about Hiking The Wave in Arizona

Colorado Gems: 11 Affordable Ski Resorts in Colorado

20 Best Hot Springs in Nevada Mapped

It's never too late to start! Learn how to ski this winter with these top 10 beginner ski tips for adults, with advice on gear, technique, lessons & more.

10 Beginner Skier Tips for Adults

Havasu Falls Do’s & Don’ts: Tips for a Successful Hike

Explore The best in Gear

A little Instamagic

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This was my first Sprinter Van that I got back in 2016, and it was everything I *thought* I wanted in a van. Beautiful woodwork, an open floor plan, and a convertible work space with an unbeatable view. Oh and that bathroom. 😍

I sold my car, got rid of my apartment, put my few remaining belongings in storage and hit the road for what was destined to be an incredible adventure in my new home on wheels.

However, it wasn’t more than a few hundred miles in that I started to question some of my decisions about my layout, my full indoor bathroom, my builder, and some of the materials he used. While I got a super photogenic tiny home on wheels (hi reclaimed barn wood), what I really wanted was a four-season, badass, gear-hauling adventure van that could take me anywhere. I realized that in the early stages of my conversion, I failed to visualize what I wanted my daily life on the road to look like. No room for gear, bikes, or a dedicated workspace, which I’ve also come to realize is a top priority if I want to run my business efficiently from the road.

And that bathroom? In the 30,000 miles I put on that van, I used the shower 3 times - all at wedding campouts. For my lifestyle, the shower ended up being an expensive and high-maintenance closet.
What works for one van lifer won’t work for another. For some people, this first van would have been perfect. For me, not so much. The key is to know exactly what you want before you begin the conversion process. Otherwise you could end up with a van that isn’t a good fit for you that feels like a giant mistake.

In my new online course, The Van Life Roadmap, this is something we are going to cover in depth. In the videos and our weekly live coaching calls, I’m going to help you determine your priorities so you end up with the perfect van the first time around.

The course launches in a couple of weeks and priority will be given to people on the waitlist. If you think you might be interested, hit the LINK IN MY BIO to join the waitlist, with all of the details coming soon.
👉🏼bearfoottheory.com/van-life-roadmap-waitlist/
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#sprintervan #vanbuild #vanconversion #campervanconversion #vanlifeideas #vanlife

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Need a winter sport that is easy, fun, and inexpensive? Learn how to snowshoe. On a day when the conditions on the ski hill aren’t great grabbing a pair of snowshoes and a friend or two is just the thing to help you get outside in the snow.

Learn the basics of snowshoeing, how to find trails, and what gear to hit the trails on in the beginner’s snowshoeing guide in my blog! 👉🏼 Head to the blog (link in bio) or swipe up on my latest IG stories to check it out. ⠀
bearfoottheory.com/how-to-snowshoe⠀
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#snowshoe #wintersports #getoutside

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You guys know I’m a big advocate of Leave No Trace principles. They’re equally important to me when I’m in my van as when I’m out on the trail. One of the LNT principles, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, is often a determining factor in where we park. Basically, if a trail or campsite exists, we use it. If it’s not a clear campsite, trail, or road, we don’t use it. We also stick to rock, gravel, and dry grass whenever possible to protect fragile flora and fauna.

One of the best perks of traveling in my van is all the spectacular places I get to wake up to (like this one). It’s what draws a lot of us to #vanlife and what keeps us stoked after a long drive when we’re ready to settle in for the night. It can be tempting to pull into a spot that no one’s parked before, to get some privacy or that idyllic photo, but I strive to honor the LNT principles even if it means I don’t get the “perfect” spot.

The Leave No Trace framework encourages us to find freedom through responsibility when I’m interacting with the outdoors. This way, we all have healthy wild lands to explore for years to come. What tips can you share with our community about how to minimize our footprint while traveling or camping?
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#leavenotrace #outdoorenthusiast #outdooradvocacy #adventure

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Interested in hitting the road with your kids? Figuring out how to make a comfortable living space for everyone can seem like an impossible feat. But, it's not! To help inspire you, we pulled together some of our favorite van layouts for families of 3, 4, and 5+ in our newest blog post. You'll see what's possible and soon enough, your family will be having the adventure of a lifetime of a lifetime together.
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👉🏼 Head to the blog (link in bio) or swipe up on my latest IG stories to check it out.
✔️LINK: bearfoottheory.com/best-camper-van-layouts-for-families
🚐 Got a cool layout for your fam? Leave a comment below so we can check it out!
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#familyvan #travelwithkids #vanlifewithkids #vanlife #sprintervanlife #vanconversion

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Happy Sunday! Hope you’re all gettin’ some face shots like @charlietheadventuredog ❄️

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Who wants to visit this magical place in 2020? Permits for Havasu Falls will be available soon, and you better be on it cause they go with lightening speed.
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To help you plan, we’ve updated our Havasu Falls guide for 2020, with all of the info you need to get a permit, pack, and plan a once in a lifetime trip to the amazing waterfalls on the Havasupai Reservation.
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👉🏼Swipe up on my latest stories or go to
BEARFOOTTHEORY.COM/TAG/HAVASU-FALLS
to get ready for permit day!
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#havasufalls #havasupai #arizona #havasupaifalls #havasu

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