When you find a brand that you believe in, it is truly exciting! What's your favorite outdoor brand? Ask that questions to ten different folks and you are likely to get ten different answers. We are living in a time where we have unprecedented access to the latest and greatest products and brands due to social media and marketing. Check your facebook feed. You are likely to see ads aimed at your particular likes and lifestyle. For me, I see lots of outdoor related businesses and products. Some are really cool but not very practical. Some are practical but maybe a little boring. I am happy to say that Bison Coolers is both extremely practical and pretty damn cool!

I was turned on to Bison a couple of years. At the time, I was caught up in the mass hysteria and lemming like behavior associated with that cooler company located here in Austin. I take nothing away from them. They have a great products, awesome marketing and a near rabid following.  Somewhere in their rapid rise to the aspirational brand they are today, perhaps they lost a little of what got them there. That ability to connect with the average outdoors man or woman. Enter Bison Coolers. What I have found is a refreshing approach to grass roots marketing and outreach. When you call the Bison Coolers headquarters, you are likely going to talk to only a handful of folks, because they seem to want to keep their operation small and manageable. There is a lot to be said about that. 

So what does Bison do? Well they make some pretty great coolers! These are tough as nails, roto molded coolers that stand up to the tough abuse that outdoorsman tend to dish out. From a 12 - can soft pack all the way up to the near cavernous 150 qt, Bison has you covered. Want to customize your cooler? They also offer cooler lid accessories and graphics. If they only did coolers that would be enough due to the quality of their 100% American made products. However, they didn't stop there. Bison has a full compliment of double walled vacuum insulated tumblers, bottles and growlers available in something more than just boring stainless steel. Instead you can choose from Sand, Black, and Robin Egg Blue to name a few. Why buy a tumbler then have to pay to have it etched or powder coated when you can get one already unique for less than the price of the other guys. Sounds like a great deal to me.

Since we are a Texas organization, we tend to be drawn to Texas companies. Based out of North Richland Hills, Bison is both Texas proud and 100% American made. You may have noticed that I mentioned that twice. I did that on purpose because while there are some great products produced in other parts of the world, there's just a great ring to "American Made". There are so many choices in coolers these days. From the old Coleman standbys to the plethora of other roto molded coolers, the field is definitely getting crowded. Bison stands out for their great quality, great customer service, and forward looking vision for the future. I am proud to call myself a Bison Coolers Field Staff and happy to have them along for our many adventures. Stay tuned as we begin to wrap up and report on some of our long-term reviews with their products. Come by our Fall Outdoor Expo on October 16th to see what the fuss is all about! #LiveLifeOutside #WorksHardPlaysHarder

I think too often we are quick to discard something just because it has a little wear or age on it. We sometime wax poetically about the days when if something was broken, you fixed it instead of buying a new one. It's entirely too easy to just buy something new to replace the item with a broken zipper or small tear on the shirt sleeve. Well, the folks at Patagonia are bucking that trend and I got a chance first hand to see what it was all about. 

Chances are, you've heard of Patagonia. While the Patagonia name has bee around since the early 1970's, the founder has been in the outdoor "industry" for much longer than that. What started out as a small climbing gear manufacturer in the 1950's has grown into one of the most well respected outdoor gear companies in the world. In an industry where the latest and greatest is lauded and the old is discarded, Patagonia instead launched Worn Wear. 

In short Worn Wear is a program that encourages the repair, reuse, or recycling of your old or worn Patagonia clothing. They make it easy to do this by visiting their Worn Wear website at www.patagonia.com/wornwear. One of the coolest things they do is the Worn Wear Tour. Essentially, twice a year the Worn Wear crew loads up their really cool dodge truck with what they will need to perform field repairs and set out across the country to come to you. Austin was lucky enough to have two stops this year, one at the Patagonia Austin store and the other at Whole Earth Provisions on North Lamar. Having read about the Worn Wear program online and being  fan of Patagonia gear, I had to go visit the truck myself. 

First of all the folks working the Worn Wear truck were amazingly friendly and talented. Secondly, what they are doing is really cool! Tres, Trevor, Kearn, Emily and the rest of the crew looked so happy to be doing what they were doing. They all had big smiles on their faces and it's obvious that they are passionate about what they do. When I asked if they were enjoying their time in Austin I got a pretty enthusiastic yes! When I followed up with what they're favorite think about Austin was I got an equally enthusiastic "BBQ"! I definitely agree on the BBQ. 

While I am happy to admit that I am no sewing expert, to my untrained eye, they seemed pretty loaded for bear right down to Goal Zero power for back up. I counted three sewing machines that I could see and all three were happily ticking away. Visiting with the folks from Patagonia only reaffirmed my love of their brand. I was raised to have a very simple lifestyle. Growing up out on the ranch, we were taught to not throw anything away; to fix it, or rebuilt it or re-purpose it. Some of my favorite possessions are much older than I am. It feels good to support a brand that shares a similar mindset. I wholeheartedly recommend Patagonia wear. Until next time...Live Life Outside!

www.patagonia.com
www.patagonia.com/wornwear
@wornwear
​#wornwear

“There is a love of wild nature in everybody, an ancient mother-love showing itself whether recognized or no, and however covered by cares an duties" - John Muir

Texas Avid Outdoors was started as way to share with our family and friends our love of the outdoors and everything associated with it. A few years back, five guys with different backgrounds started going on camping trips together, unified by one thing - our passion for the outdoors.
We believe a vacation should be an adventure. Join us on an upcoming trip!

Having grown up on a working cattle ranch just south of Austin Texas, Frank spent his childhood fishing, camping, horseback riding and enjoying all things outside. 

 Frank's passion for the outdoors is two-fold. First, being outdoors always takes him back to that “happy place” of his youth. It is so easy to be transplanted to that time of innocence and awe that he felt as a kid when you are looking down into the Grand Canyon. Second, the whole newness of the outdoor life really appeals to him; from exploring new areas to learning new skills, there is always something new around the bend. 

Frank's interests include outdoor cooking, overlanding, and camping in general.


Every summer Dan's family would pack up the mini van for an across country tour. They''d spend two weeks crisscrossing a section of the US. One year it would be the Mid West, the next New England, or the South West, or Texas. Dan's parents didn't believe in hotels so they camped everywhere. From Florida to Maine and from Virginia to California. After graduating, he was fortunate enough to backpack on the Appalachian Trail and around Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany.

Dan has an ecstatic passion for backpacking and going places that only your feet can take you. A car, plane or boat can get you to the wilderness, but you don't quite experience it until you are far away from everything with all your belongings on your back. 

Dan's interests include ultralight backpacking, hammock camping, and kayak fishing.

Nick's earliest memories of camping are from when as a young boy; he woke up in the night to find an owl had landed on and collapsed part of their tent while camping in Maine. From then on Nick has been enamored with not just the beauty and serenity of nature, but also its spontaneity. 

Nick was lucky enough to find someone to share his life with who shares the same passion for the outdoors. When Nick's wife and him went on their honeymoon, they elected to go camping for the week.  They have made this a tradition and continue to go camping every week for their anniversary and have taken their son on our trips since he was two years old.  Appreciation of the outdoors has been in his family for generations and his hope is to pass that appreciation along.  Texas Avid Outdoors is an opportunity to help other families get outdoors as well.

Nick's interests include photography, backpacking, canoeing, and camping.

Check out our recent video about the City of San Marcos Children's Park! What we love and don't love about it.

One of the great things about our love of the outdoors is while it can be enjoyed in solitude, more often time than not it is the people that you meet on your journey that can make a lasting impact. This is true of my meeting with Will and Dana Herring of Ethos Off Road (www.ethosoffroad.com). When I first saw the photos online of the trailers that Will and Dana were building, I knew I had to see them for myself. Seeing them in person didn't disappoint, and meeting the Herring family was just an added bonus!

As we have mentioned numerous times, we are gear hounds. From the latest knife, to the lightest sleeping pad, we are constantly on the lookout for new gear to try.  So it should come as no surprise that while scanning the internet for new things to drool over, I found these amazing expedition trailers being built not only here in Texas but virtually in my back yard! Trailers like these are not new. In places like Australia, they are old shakes with companies that have been around for years.Finding one in the US used to mean either importing one, buying one second hand or building one yourself. So you must imagine my excitement to know that some were being build less than an hour away.

As I pulled up the shore of Point Venture Texas on the shores of Lake Travis just west of Austin, I saw Will and Dana had just arrived at our meeting spot with two of their amazing trailers and two handsome kids in tow. Immediately my eyes was drawn to how clean and well built these trailers were. While the they looked almost identical, one sat a little higher on some meaty 37" Goodyears. Both sported rooftop tents and awnings as well as BBQ pits on the rear of the trailers. Unlike many expedition trailers I had seen in the past, the tents and awnings were mounted on an exoskeleton as opposed to being directly mounted to the lid.  Both were black and very eye catching.

After introductions and the prerequisite excited banter, I climbed all over the trailers while Will and Dana took turns pointing out features and answering any questions that I had. They fussed over the trailers like proud parents; as well they should. These are fine built trailers; rugged and utilitarian but well thought-out with little wasted space. The trailer with the 37"s was the prototype and the second trailer is to be the production model; the X1.

As Will continued to set up the trailer we talked about how Ethos Off Road came about. Will has always been a tinker. The kind of guy that the neighbor might stop by and ask how to fix something that recently broke. Instead of explaining how to fix it, he's the kind of guy who'll tell you to "just bring it by and I'll take a look." Handy neighbor to have no doubt! Will, Dana and their family are very active in the outdoor community. From hunting and fishing to camping and going to the beach, this is a family that loves that outdoors. It became evident pretty quick that they needed a way to haul their gear without having to unload it each night into a hotel room and reload it in the morning. The obvious answer was something that they could tow behind their Jeep or truck. After finding travel trailers unsuited to their needs and trailers, similar to what they now offer, out of their comfortable price range, Will decided to build one!
His first trailer build was a converted ex-military M416. This was the proving grounds for his ideas, and it was a success. Soon came the encouragement from family and friends to build and sell them. Knowing his limitations, Will partnered with Gary Fiveash of 5 Star Fabrications in Jonestown Texas. Gary and his company are one of the preeminent metal fabricators in this area and thus a match made in heaven. With Gary's fabrication skills and Will's experience and ingenuity, they started on the prototype. Not surprisingly, the prototype sold before it was completed! What amazes me is that from initial order time, the tub can be ready in as little as 3 days! From there, the sky is the limit. The X1 has many features and each one can be built different. It is essentially an a la carte build with the customer's imput as to how the trailer will end up. Want solar and batteries? OK! Want water storage with a pump? Check, we can do that! Will also states that he will soon be announcing a line of similar trailers for the DIY or budget builder.

So let's talk about the trailer itself and some of the things that caught my eye. For one, the tub is only three pieces! The sides and the floor are one bent and formed piece with the end and front cap welded in. Both of the end caps are "broken" in an X - pattern to help with rigidity. Will explains that the reason that the tub was built this was way was to cut down on the amount of welds and potential failure points as well as man hours. The lid itself is one solid piece with the X - pattern break for strength as well. On one side of the lid is a massive custom piano hinge and two lift struts to ensure that the lid will lift easily. The lid and tub are designed like a tool box  lid to keep it weather tight and secure. To the front of the trailer is an elevated cooler rack, (perfect for those Yeti or Brute Coolers that Ethos offers) as well as a propane tank mount. The tongue is lengthened to allow for more storage and to calm the towing manners.  As opposed to a standard ball hitch, the X1 is fitted with a lock and roll hitch for better articulation and security. At the rear of the trailer is the BBQ pit that can slide out to give you more room. While currently Will uses an off the shelf model, he is designing a custom, well-built BBQ pit to replace it.  Looking underneath I noticed one thing missing - an axle! Will made the decision to go from a traditional leaf spring and axle set up traditionally found on most trailers to an award winning Timbren Industries axle-less set-up. This set-up is renowned for its quiet, soft ride with no frame restrictions and gives the customer the benefit of additional  ground clearance for the trailer. Moving back up you can't help but be drawn to the well designed exoskeleton that the roof top tent and awning attach to. The frame slides up and down on lift struts and is raised or lowered by a hand crank. Dana was quick to point out how easy it is to set up and even with her petite frame, she is able to pull into a camp site and be completely unfolded and set in under 5 minutes! Pretty amazing. Will and Dana are careful who they work with and feel fortunate to have partnered with Cascadia Rooftop Tents to offer affordable tents to their customers.  When I asked Will what he thought his ideal customer base might be, he of course mentioned the overland and offroad crowd but he was quick to point out that there are untapped markets here in Texas. For instance, hunters and coastal fishers can benefit from a mobile, easy to use basecamp with sleeping quarters and lockable weatherproof storage. I can tell you that Texas Avid Outdoors' recent trip to Big Bend could have greatly benefited from one of the amazing trailers. 

Just sitting and talking with the Herrings, you can see the passion for what they are doing. Family is of the utmost importance to them in addition to honesty and hard work. They talked numerous times of trips that the entire family had taken and the fun they had. When I mentioned to Will that it really seemed like he enjoyed what he was doing, he smiled and said, "When something is fun, it's easy to do." Like myself, I'm sure there are plenty of you out there that can understand that feeling. While I have yet to take one out personally, I am happy to recommend Will and Dana at Ethos Off Road Trailers to you. You'll get a well designed and built trailer from a great group of people. Give them a call and start getting your perfect trailer built. Tell them Texas Avid Outdoors sent you! 

We recently had to opportunity to spend the 6 days after Christmas at Big Bend National Park camping, cooking, backpacking, hiking, over landing, offloading and sightseeing. Checkout our Texas Avid Outdoors Big Bend post!

Texas Avid Outdoors presents another video in the Camp Cooking series. This time we are using the dutch oven to bake some chocolate chip cookies.

Heat dutch oven to 350 degrees
Mix the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract
Mix in 2 large eggs
Mix in flour
Mix in chocolate chips
Use a tea spoon to make small patties for the dutch oven.

Bake up to 12 minutes, depending on the temperature of your dutch oven.

During our stay at Big Bend National Park, Texas Avid Outdoors as well as the rest of the campers in the Chisos Basin experienced a thermal inversion and ice fog. While fog is a relatively normal weather condition in Big Bend, ice fog, while common in Alaska is not a common sight in Big Bend.

Our military service members and veterans sacrifice a lot while in the service - their time, their personal time, their bodies, sometimes their lives.  Combat veterans especially since they often suffer not just physical injury but also psychological injury - statistics show that at least 20% of returning veterans suffer from PTSD. But this post isn't about the trauma they endure, rather what we can do to help them heal.  

There are many projects, such as the Wounded Warrior Project, that help with challenges such as these, but since ours is an outdoor's community, I'd like to post on an organization called Horses4Heroes.  This is an organization that offers free equine assisted relaxation and recreation for veterans.  I recently had the pleasure of attending a monthly meetup at my local Horses4Heroes affiliated ranch in Luling, TX, called the Flying S Ranch.

The owners, Randy and Nancy, run a great ranch where everyone is welcome to come enjoy riding on horses, horse riding lessons, and many other activities.  They and their volunteers are friendly, calm, and incredibly welcoming to riders of all abilities (they even let our 3 year old son ride on his own horse, while led by a volunteer, on their trails).

The Flying S Ranch has a program I'd especially like to call attention to: Operation Free Ride.  This program was created to give active and retired military personnel and combat veterans the opportunity to ride for free.  

Please, if you can, take some time to visit their site and hopefully schedule some time to visit their facility.  They are doing some great work to give back to those who have given so much to us!

2015 is right around the corner and we are busy planning next year's adventures! We've been receiving lots of requests about what next year might have in store. People have asked about our next river trip or when we are going backpacking next. So, lets find out. What type of trip would you like to see next year, but most of all, what type of trip would you love to attend?

Before our Fall expo, we had a chance to meet Jim and Ginny at Austin Sailboat Rentals and test out one of their new Sea Skimmers. Jim and Ginny are friendly and personable people and are very passionate about sailboating. If you want to learn or already know how, Jim and Ginny can get you on the water in no time. Be sure to follow their Austin Sail Facebook page for your chance to win free lessons or free sailboating time on Lady Bird Lake!

We use and abuse a lot of gear and equipment on our trips. Checkout our Gear Review Section to see what works and what doesn't.

People ask who we are and what do we do.

Texas Avid Outdoors is an outdoors adventure group based out of Austin, TX. In the past we've mainly focused on camping, backpacking, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking trips, but as we meet more people and more groups we grow our adventure possibilities.

If you are interested in coming along on one of our trips. We'd be happy to take you, your friends and your family along.

We believe a vacation should be an adventure. Join us on an upcoming trip!

iFly invited Texas Avid Outdoors to meet the Red Bull Air Force Flight Team on Oct 21st 2014. This being Texas Avid Outdoors' first trip to iFly, we were a little green. That's okay. We still had a blast and we can't wait to do it again! 

I want to thank my 7 year old son for being our biggest fan and the camera man for this event.

See our event's page for more pictures of Texas Avid Outdoors, Red Bull Air Force and iFly Austin!

We want to thank everyone who made our 1st annual Outdoor Expo such a great success! What a great turnout! Big thanks to all our wonderful participants -#CabelasBuda, YETI Coolers, Schmidt Family Barbecue, Austin Sailboat Rentals www.austinsailboatrentals.com, Pronghorn Overland Gear TopGolf Austin, iFLY Austin, Austin Planetarium, Austin CB Network, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Camper Clinic 2, TSR Texas Ski Ranch, Water Quality Protected Lands and everyone else who helped out. A special thanks to our wonderful wives for being such an integral part of our team and for letting us be guys! Thanks Kathryn, Paula, Jessica and Niki. Last but not least, a big thanks to everyone who came out and visited with us today. We had some great friends come and make some new ones. That's what this is all about!

Recently Viqua and SteriPEN published our review of the Viqua Ultra. 

"On our most recent trip, we had the opportunity to test a new piece of equipment; the Viqua personal UV water purifier pen.  Some of you may note that it looks very much like the SteriPEN Ultra. In fact is the very same filter. Bonus for quality!"

Be sure to read the full Viqua Ultra review here!

We are pretty conscientious about preparing for our trips. Here Nick displays how big our map of Big Bend is so that we can plan our trip. We are using Nick for scale. This will give us a good idea of topography and routes for planning our stay!