Tired of baseball and barbeques and want to shake up your Independence Day routine? Here are 4 activities to get your family excited to play outdoors this 4th!
1. Packrafting
Take your family on a hiking or backpacking trip that involves some water play. Packrafts are small one-person (or two small people) inflatable rafts that fold up to fit inside a backpack. Hike to a lake with small islands, blow up the rafts and paddle out to explore a place few people get to see.
Pro Tip: Bring a fishing pole to catch your dinner along the way.
2. Fat Biking
Think fat tire bikes are just for snow? Think again. The floaty beasts are great fun in sand as well. Ride along a beach collecting seashells and taking in the salty air, surf some dunes, or explore a lakeshore up close. Before you hit the road, make sure your bike rack is fat bike savvy. We make multiple car rack models for your hitch, trunk, or spare tire that are a comfortable fit for fatties.
Pro Tip: Fat bike tires are meant to be ridden with much lower pressure than regular mountain bikes -- think 10 to 20 psi for summer riding depending on your weight.
3. Stand-Up Paddleboarding
"SUPing" has become quite popular in the past few years, and for good reason. It is a family-friendly activity that is as easy or as challenging as you make it. Boards are large and stable, suitable for carrying multiple children or even the family dog. Paddling can be a great workout, and if you want to really challenge yourself, jump into a SUP Yoga class offered in many lakeside areas around the country.
4. Geocaching
Turn an ordinary hike or bike ride into a treasure hunt with a sense of adventure and a GPS. Geocaching is becoming a global trend, and you can find millions of boxes buried all over the world. Gather up fun items to leave behind for the next scavengers who find the box, and take something your family can keep to remember the adventure for years to come.