Training camps...endless possibilities.

Reach Philadelphia Pre-Nationals Training Camp, 2023

I have to confess, I really didn't know much about the possibility of training camps around the country. But after a simple Google search on Pre-national climbing camps, my eyes were opened! I found the above camp after seeing a Facebook post in our Region about the event and thought it would be a great opportunity. It had great coaches and promised competition-level route setting. The gym itself was an amazing resource with walls 58 feet high, thousands of square feet of bouldering, and a two-lane 15-meter IFSC / Olympic regulation speed wall. It was amazing to see him on those walls and see what he could do.

But a fringe benefit of going to a camp like this is not just for the climber, but also for the climbing mom/parent. I got to meet moms and dads from all over the East Coast and compare notes on being climbing parents. It was interesting hearing about how things are in other major city centers with more gyms and teams. It was also reassuring to hear that the struggle of finding climbing shoes is the same for everyone, even kids in the lower 48...see my previous post. There were parents from all over the world, which was really interesting. There was one climber from Israel. I thought we had come the farthest away (Alaska), but they had us beat! I highly recommend trying one of these camps. They have done amazing things for Brendan!

CLIMB ON!

Reach Climbing, Bridgeport, Philadelphia

 

Winter Bouldering Training Camp at Stone Summit, Atlanta

Gadgets for stress free travel.

I happen to be someone who believes in better living through gadgets. I have a few that have made traveling a lot easier and I'm all about less stress.

Now for all you people who drive to your comps, have you solved the garbage in the car problem? Well, I think I have. Have you tried a car garbage can? Especially one that holds a tissue box? This one is turning my car tidying upside down. Check out the Hotor Car Trash Can 2.5 Gallon (on Amazon):

Now, I know all you folks who drive to comps still have to pack toiletries, yes? Are you sick of leaks getting into your bags? I am. These are the best; 16-pack elastic sleeves for leak-proofing travel (on Amazon). I used to use scotch tape...so sad...

Now, as I said, I have a lot of trips on the books this semester between climbing and college visits. I HATE relying on what pillow is waiting for me in whichever hotel I have booked. No more! I bring my own pillow with me. Check out the Cushion Lab's travel pillow. I won't go anywhere without it. It can fit on your carry-on or into your checked baggage (I refuse to fight for overhead space plus as a resident of Alaska, Alaska Airlines gives us free bags. So why not?) Find the pillow here: The Cushion Lab.

I'm sorry, but I like a good bar of my favorite soap when I travel and I don't like surprises at hotels on what they think is soap. But I could never solve the mushy soap storage problem...until now. Meet Matador's travel soap bag with dry-through technology. Yep, you read that right. The soap dries through the bag, all the way around. So the next time you get your soap, it is completely dry and you haven't lost a quarter of it to mush. Check it out at REI. Love it!

Now I will also add that I have changed over to solid shampoo and conditioner, (even though I check my bags) but hey, less liquids all around is better even if you are traveling by car or plane. But that is a whole other post...

OK, my last travel gadget has to be the coolest suitcase. Now I know people have very strong feelings about their luggage. And rightly so. I'm just going to say that I switched to the Solgaard way of luggage and just can't go back (Yes, we have an AWAY too, which is nice but...). I just hate the unpacking and packing of packing cubes. With Solgaard, you just take the closet out and hang it up! Done! Then when you leave, I throw everything into the laundry bag, and anything left in the closet goes back in the way it came. We tried packing cubes as well, but it just doesn't solve the 'keep things neat in the hotel' problem. With the last bed bug scare, I check every room and don't allow anything on the floor.  The one drawback people said about this luggage is that is too heavy (not for us bag checkers 😉) so they came out with a light version. I will never go back! Just saying! Check it out here. If you find a YouTube review online, you can find 10% off easily.

I have to add two more things that I have been rocking lately in all of the hotels we stay in. Number one is a hotel door lock. Did you know that hotel doors are easily opened from the outside??? I didn't. Just google it and you see plenty of videos of flight attendants telling you their security routine when they stay in a new hotel. 

Ok, I'm not going to lie. This took me a minute to figure out. LOL! Good thing there are good pictures. But no one is getting through the hotel door with this thing on it. Find it here.

And number two...I don't know about you, but I am taking this bed bug rise a bit more seriously. Those flight attendant videos also talk about checking your rooms for bed bugs. I do that too, but I go one step further. I set a trap.

This comes in a two-pack (Ha ha! One for the next trip.) You just set it under the bed and come back in an hour. I don't even unpack until I see there is nothing in the trap. Hey, better safe than sorry!

Lastly, I have to add an Apple air tag to this list for all checked and even carry-on bags. It is great piece of mind to know your bags made it on to your connecting flight!

Disclaimer, I have no skin in this game and don't get anything from these links. Just a desire to help other Climbing parents.

CLIMB ON!

 

Remember the good stuff in every city you visit!!!!

I have the solution to the trip archiving problem! 

It is solved by three words: GOOGLE MY MAPS. Honestly, Google is so vast. They should do a better job of advertising what it is their product actually does. I don't think many people know about half of what they offer. This platform that I am writing my blog on is free and is a Google product. So is My Maps!

How to get there: in the Google search bar, put in 'Google My Maps' and create a new map. I start out with whatever city I'm going to. So, in this case, I threw in Portland, OR. The search bar at the top is your friend. Put in anything you want on the map and then save it to the map.

A screen like this comes up:

 Clicking on where the arrow is, you can change the color of the marker on the map. This is useful, for example, to keep all your grocery stores in one color and all the gyms you want to go to in another. The pencil next to the paint can symbol allows you to put in notes!!! (Game changer - save those great hotel notes here. I don't need the photo tool, but if you look at the arrows next to the camera tool, this allows you to put directions on the map. (Also, a game changer as it will give you the distance as well).

Speaking of distances,

 there is a measurement tool (see arrow above). You can draw a line between two points and get a distance! To the left of the ruler tool, is another directions tool, and next to that is a tool for drawing lines. Next to that is to add more markers to the map.

Now, here's the best part. Open the preview of your map (See below).

Click on the three lines (commonly called the hamburger symbol) and then save your map to your Google Drive!

I've got two maps done so far! Happy climbing trip planning.

CLIMB ON!

2017 Divisionals in Seattle

2017 Nationals, Salt Lake City, UT

Brendan and his Dad at Nationals in 2017, Salt Lake City, Utah

 

Favorite apps while on the go!

 

I have to say, staying on top of things while on the go is a must. I hate being lost, so some of my favorite apps keep us on track and take us wherever we want to go.

My favorite two apps have to be Apple Maps and Google Maps. I have tried to get with Google Maps, but as an iPhone user, I have to have the map on the rental car dashboard while driving and Google just won't play nice. (Or is it the other way around? Shame on you Apple!) Google Maps is great for doing research and figuring out distances between point A and point B. Apple Maps just won't give you the same flexibility. So I research with Google Maps and drive around with Apple Maps. UPDATE: now Apple Maps connects to new cars without a cord in Carplay! So cool...just get in the car and your phone is connected.

My lifeline app has to be Yelp. It is not very often that I come up with a dud on Yelp. That did happen on this trip: I picked a restaurant that looked great on the app and it turned out to be closed. But for the most part, I find just about anything we need in Yelp. I always read the reviews which are a great tool. Don't forget to SAVE the ones you like. You can make folders for each new city. Where was that great sandwich shop in Portland again...?

If you are booking flights, don't miss the website Seat Guru. I have my new preferences of where I like to sit on planes now (Hello free exit row seats! Thank you, Alaska MVP status!) If you don't have the fortune to sit in First Class, or even Premium, AWAYS, check the likability of your seat on Seat Guru so you have a pleasant trip.

But the most lifesaving of all apps, if you are renting a car or driving your own, has to be Spot Hero. This one was suggested to me by a tour guide we were trying to meet up with in Denver's downtown. I was like, 'Where do I park???' He told me to just put this app on my phone, tell it where you want to be near and there are plenty of garages to choose from. The crazy cool thing about this app is that it works in over 300 cities! I'm currently rocking it in Atlanta, no problems! I love this app! It will totally make your parking life super simple in any big city! UPDATE: Now Spot Hero's app works in Apple's Carplay. Open the app on your car's dashboard to park and you are done! Check HERE to see if your city has Spot Hero.

UPDATE: For those long comp days where it’s really hard to get/keep a parking spot, but you are hungry with no options around- DoorDash is the answer! I usually find a restaurant close by with no delivery fee and have them hand me my order. This is a lifesaver for those gyms with little parking (like all of them) for comp days. 

Here are some other apps to consider that make traveling fun: Window Seat (point it out of the airplane to know what you are flying over), MyTSA (Can I take this through security? and all things TSA), FareDrop (Lets you know when crazy airfare deals are going on), Travel Smart (app for Allianz Travel Insurance), Flight Aware (answers the 'Where is my plane?' question and much more, and the most helpful: Timeshifter helps you get rid of jetlag so you can arrive ready to go! This app really works!). And best of all: TripIt. This keeps all of my travel plans in one place. It’s worth every penny and I’ve now been using it for two years and expanding what I put into it. This one is a must have!

CLIMB ON!

 

 

Climbing shoes...endless trials...

 

Why does finding the right climbing shoe have to be so difficult? I suppose anything handmade is going to present its challenges, but really, this has been crazy. Brendan went on a massive search before setting in for the shoes he wears now (Thank you, Butora, for the Gomi line.) If you have a narrow heel, there are few choices for you. Every shoe has its own specialties. And when a climber wants the most aggressive shoe, there can be problems with the fit. I've always wondered about getting shoes custom-made...Not much out there for that solution.

An absolute must on a climbing trip is to check out shoe selections at any gyms we come across. Sure, you can order online, but be prepared to send it back three times before you get your correct size. Or maybe you never got your correct size, as was my case when trying to find a shoe I liked. There are plenty of reviews out there online on Climbing shoes, but our problem was that we couldn't just go try the shoe on. Back to the trip solution. Many of the bigger gyms have shoe sale sections in their lobbies and some even have gear for sale. We have even resorted to buying two shoes at a time to stay ahead of Brendan's needs. If he burns a hole in a shoe, it is pretty much done. Now, some places resole shoes, but we never seem to have enough time for that before a competition.

The best advice I can give is to start early and when you find the right shoe, buy a couple of pairs. Yes, I know it will hurt to spend that kind of money but trust me, you will be saving money not having to run around to find that next pair when you need it!

P.S. Here are a few links that I'm going to check out:

Butora

Use the discount code: BRENDANWILKINS2301 FOR A 25% discount on any Butora shoes.

Evolve

La Sportiva

And when you strike out, try these sites:

Rock and Snow

Back Country

Outdoor Gear Exchange

REI

Acopa Custom Design Shoes

 

CLIMB ON!

Hotel or Airbnb?

Should you get an Airbnb or a Hotel? This is a debate I keep going back and forth on. As we settled into our current trip to Atlanta, I decided to get an entire house from Airbnb for my family for two weeks. There are some definite advantages to an Airbnb but some drawbacks. 

The pros of having an Airbnb is that you get ultimate privacy. Often, when you stay in someone's house, you are in a residential area usually closer to conveniences like grocery stores and other amenities. I dislike staying in a Hotel on a Hotel strip with other Hotels. It just seems so industrial. Staying in a home, even sharing one, you get to have a more homelike experience and sometimes, you are much closer to places you need to go to.

The cons of Airbnb are real and always have to be weighed with the pros. I read somewhere that there is a limit to how many times Airbnb lets you cancel. I couldn't find anything on that, but that is something to keep in mind. I have stayed in the basement apartment of a house, stayed in an apartment, and had an entire house to ourselves. I did have a bug problem in one location (fruit flies) but that seems rare. The big difference is that I feel the need to bring supplemental items to make the Airbnb function smoothly. Items such as placemats (incredibly useful), potholders (crucial if you plan on cooking and a literal pain if they are not provided!), garbage bags, paper towels, tissues, aluminum foil, and of course, zip lock bags. You end up buying these supplies but never use them all on your trip. So I throw them into another suitcase and save them for the next trip.

The major thing I try to accomplish with every trip is to tie in some educational feature that we cannot find in our home city. Dinosaur exhibits have been a big one for our family but anything with nature is wonderful (The Georgia Aquarium is a must-see!). This way, I can justify all these trips in my mind...they are not just for climbing, but for enriching our son's life experiences. Being comfortable enough to enjoy all aspects of the trip is key and our accommodations play a major part here. I have settled on Airbnbs for longer trips and hotels for shorter stays. But ultimately, I'm leaning more towards hotels because the guest has more control over the experience than in an Airbnb. But ultimately, it is a personal choice but a crucial one.

CLIMB ON!

Fernbank Museum, Decatur, GA

I love watching the fish!

 Georgia Aquarium - Brendan and his grandmother