By  Amanda Janik

My first thought upon pulling into the woodsy cluster of cabins with a glint of lake in the background that was to be my camp home for the next week was: Where have you been all my life?

I was a latecomer to camp at age 14, but I took to it like a canoe to water. Before camp, I would spend my summer months sitting on the couch moaning about how bored I was, or watching TV until my eyes went all wonky. The idea of spending a week in nature, with strangers, and without media was less than appealing, to say the least.

This is likely even more true for kids today, whether they are 14 like I was, or 10, eight, six…however old they are when they see the sleeping bag come out of the closet and are told to pack their bags for some good old fashioned camp time; the hesitation to leave everything that feels so familiar and secure might be overwhelming. There may be some mighty resistance against parting company with their strictly-defined comfort zones. To that possibility I say: send them anyway!

To go to camp for the first time is a revelation. Sure, there are mosquitoes – let’s just establish that fact now. Lots and lots of mosquitoes. But! There is also magic.

Camp directors and staff, all with seemingly endless energy, have somehow managed to find surprising ways to make learning important life skills like taking initiative, positive communication, constructive criticism, team building, cooperation and conflict resolution feel second-nature. These lessons get woven with laughter and fun into games, safety training, story sharing and so much more. I came away from my first of many, many weeks of camp with a newfound sense of self-accomplishment, confidence, and an overall tackle the world mentality I’d never had before.

Activities which might make eyes roll from corniness in the outside world hold a certain reverence at camp, whether the camper realizes it at the time or not. Learning traditional folk dancing came in handy for me later in life at a hilarious Uncle’s wedding. Knowing the words to Kumbaya is never frowned upon around a campfire; likewise, you’d be surprised how many people around you will join in for a round of Boom Chicka Boom. A very comfortable performer today, I tackled my earliest threads of stage fright in front of a camp full of accepting peers.

Camp is boisterous singing and wacky entertainment during meals, while still keeping an eye on table manners…who knew keeping elbows off the table was a thing?! I sure didn’t before I learned at camp. Camp is the camaraderie and cooperative planning of team playing. Camp is the specifically organized blocks of time, with allotments given to do some much-needed free-range exploration, so the regimentation doesn’t start to bum anybody out. Camp is friendship, bringing together people from all walks of life and mixing them together into one big happy circle of friends. Camp is respect: respect to express yourself in new ways, to make your own choices in a controlled and creative environment, to speak your truth and understand you will be heard, and applauded.

Most of all: camp is a gift. The things I learned at camp – about the world at large, the nature in my immediate surroundings and, especially, about myself – have served me my entire life. It is not an understatement to say that my friendships, my family, my career and the way I view every day are all thanks to camp. And for that, I am extremely grateful.

Find A Camp: http://find.acacamps.org/

By: Mark Lighthiser

 Mark and Erica Lighthiser have gone off the grid and into the Montana wilderness. Taking their family, dogs, and Chaco sandals the Lighthiser family set out to build a new home and lifestyle without the power of an electrical grid.

“Watch my ‘bad leg,’” cheers my daughter as she performs a cartwheel in tall grass in front of a large sprawling juniper. My three kids have adopted a natural space in a gully next to our house, which has become their playground. I don’t remember their first pair of Chacos, but I remember my own. A simple, black webbed pair, with the famous ‘Toe Loop’. From Montana, to Colorado, to California and back again I lived in these things for years until my subsequent pairs replaced them, just as my children have outgrown their own.

Our 4-acre plot has recently been domesticated with a small off grid home, primarily powered by a dozen solar panels above our workshop. It is a south facing stretch of semi arid grassland, sprinkled with juniper, sagebrush and the occasional prickly pear. The space has a commanding view of a local mountain range- the Absaroka-Beartooth. Despite the rugged nature of this landscape, Chacos are our go-to footwear solution. My wife, Erica even resolved to work on our house wearing hers, climbing through truss webs and scrambling across steel roofing two stories high in her little webbed wonders.

Although we’ve only lived here for about a year it seems much longer; pitching and occupying a wall tent (our first dwelling), building our own home, thinning sagebrush, exploring, rock hounding, bicycling down to a local river access to get our feet wet and wait for a trout to leap. We scurried around inside our new house as four foot snowdrifts accumulated in our driveway last Christmas. This recent spring season have brought daily gifts of dust, dirt and other pleasantries our two Labradors bring into the house. This has our Chacos doubling has house shoes—it is the essence of indoor/outdoor living.

We’re looking forward to the many landscaping projects, the ‘finishing touches’ to our little place on the high plains, the hikes, the floats, the bicycle trips, the garden we envision. There is no substitute for feeling the chill of the Yellowstone River flowing between toes, the sage scented soil, moist with microbial activity drift in and out of the instep. To feel the earth, the water, and the air is to connect with our environment. As we do our best to pioneer a modern lifestyle off the great electrical grid, hoping to take control of our lives, we try to remember to enjoy each step.

Photo: J Weichhand

By Amanda Janik

Summer is peeking its head around the corner, and everyone knows that right along with summer comes…CAMP! Whether you’re a first-time camper at day camp, a counselor at sleep-away camp, or the hard-working trusted staff making the excitement happen all summer long, there are a million reasons to grab your sleeping bags and run for the cabins. For your convenience, here are ten of them:

Photo: Kendal Ritchie

Lifetime Friendships – nothing creates bonds faster or stronger than plopping a bunch of strangers together to meet, talk, share and play games together. Throw in some trust-building exercises and a few lazy hours to discover what makes each other tick, and you’ve got a unique bond that lasts long after the last notes of “Taps” have floated away.

Photo: J Weichhand

Structured vs Unstructured Time – Which is better? Camp says: both. The structure of a daily schedule and planned activities provides campers and staff alike with a sense of safety and organization. But too much can be kind of a drag. Building in free time, choice time, and even some horizontal relaxation time lets campers casually choose how to spend these precious moments, while staff gets a much-needed recharge or time to prepare the Next Big Thing.

Photo: J Weichhand

Positive Acceptance – At camp one can be who they truly want to be. It may be the first opportunity some have to really, as they say, let their freak flag fly…and probably come away with it having been embroidered in arts n’ crafts, tie-dyed during a special activity, and signed by new friends.

Tech Break – Ever lament the day technology became so accessible and common? Going to camp offers a rare opportunity to take a tech break, open those eyes, and really notice the beauty around. The chance to get the brain’s synapses firing in new and creative ways is an exciting reminder that the mind is a dynamic and capable tool for finding ways to kill time the old-fashioned way.

Photo: J Weichhand

On Water or On Land – If you’ve never learned to do a T-Rescue while floating in a canoe in the middle of a lake, you really haven’t been living up to your full potential! Whether teaching or learning skills such as marksmanship and high-level safety during archery, team-building and troubleshooting while maneuvering the initiatives course, or how to paddle a canoe with a partner without spinning in a circle, both the attempts and mastery of many camp activities result in an abundance of opportunities for high-fives!

Independence – For some kids, camp is the first chance they get to make choices for themselves. Will they choose to write letters in the lodge, play basketball outside, or make a dreamcatcher in the arts cabin? Who could possibly choose?! They’re all so fun! Being presented with choices helps kids learn on their own what their likes and dislikes are, and to trust their instincts. Making good choices later in life starts right here in these little moments. Who knew?

Photo: J Weichhand

Ghost Stories by Campfire – It’s dark out – way dark. Songs have been sung; skits have been laughed at. It’s time…for…GHOST STORIES!! There is a certain reverence at every camp for the person who can tell the best ghost story. The buildup, the false sense of ease, then at the last minute, the shock and the scare! The campers scream and squirm and then are sent out into the dark with their buddies for bedtime. Sweet dreams!

The Last Dance – Most camp sessions a week or longer end with a dance. When the younger campers are there, this is an opportunity for the staff to really ham it up and engage them in group dancing. For the older set, the last dance provides the much-anticipated opportunity to dance with the person you’ve been crushing on all week.

Photo: J Weichhand

Keeping Traditions Alive – There aren’t many opportunities nowadays to learn the fancy footing of traditional folk dancing, how to master the order of the clap-stomp-shout of funny group songs, to at least attempt to harmonize while singing sweet old folk songs, or how to tell a really great story. Camp brings old-school traditions to today’s kids, who in turn keep the ball rolling.

Life Skills – When campers and staff learn to work together to make everything run smoothly and safely, they may not be aware that they’re learning lessons to carry through their whole lives. Camp is sneaky like that! From keeping cabins tidy for daily inspections, to troubleshooting when the details of special activities go awry; from keeping a sense of humor while preparing meals for hundreds of people, to showing respect, empathy and tolerance for your fellow campmates.

In a nutshell: Camp is The Best! So, grab your sturdiest bandana, slather on some bug spray, and get ready to change your whole world.

Photo: J Weichhand

Find the Perfect Summer Camp: http://find.acacamps.org/

Chaco has teamed up with the Waterkeeper Alliance to promote clean waterways around the world. Waterkeeper Alliance is an environmental non-profit organization that strengthens and grows a global network of over 300 grassroots leaders protecting everyone’s right to clean water. It is the largest and fastest growing organization solely focused on water quality and accessibility to swimmable, fishable, and drinkable waterways around the world. 

New York based Waterkeeper Alliance intern, Kristen Murray, has shared with us what Waterkeeper Alliance is all about, and how you can get on the water and get involved!

Waterkeepers focus on stewarding one specific body of water, be it a river, lake, or coastal waterway. They are protectors of our water systems; improving public access to water and ensuring that protections from pollution are enforced. In a lot of circumstances, these cases go through the legal system, as the law can act as a powerful tool in creating change. Waterkeeper Alliance collectively protects over 2.4 million square miles of water on 6 continents and has over 300,000 supporters.

(Neal Gulley, Riverkeeper, NY)

Working at Waterkeeper Alliance made me realize that there are many avenues to get involved in your local community to have positive change to our environment. People can do this by finding their local Waterkeeper through waterkeeper.org, or by donating time (or funds) to support their efforts toward clean waterways.

(Robyn Janssen, Rogue Riverkeeper, OR)

It is inspiring to see Waterkeepers in action, and to learn about their successes in stewarding their waterways. Waterkeeper Alliance showed me that with enough momentum anything is possible, and that the more people involved, the better. I’ve now found myself in northwestern Montana, continuing my studies and focusing on water quality and stream ecology here. Although my internship with Waterkeeper Alliance has ended, I continue to remind myself of their philosophies and carry the knowledge I have learned from them with me in all of my future adventures.

Visit waterkeeper.org to learn more and get involved!

You’ve been procrastinating, haven’t you? Don’t worry! We’ve thought up some quick and easy last-minute gift ideas with you in mind.

Just order by 11:59 PM EST on 12/22 for delivery by 12/24!

1. Chaco Gift Card

Ship the card directly to the doorstep of your loved one OR simply send them an e-gift card. Either way, this is an easy way to make your special someone very happy!

2. Custom Z/Sandals

Have it your way and customize a pair of Z/Sandals! With over 50 new strap colors just added to MyChacos there are more ways to personalize than ever before!

3. 3-in-1 Accessories Package

However, wherever, and whenever you celebrate, we wish you the happiest of holidays! ‘Tis Z Season!

Our latest Spotify playlist of seasonal tunes definitely got us in the festive spirit, but what says ‘Happy Holidays’ more than a holiday movie marathon? Here’s a list of 16 flicks that we’re definitely busting out this season. We’ve got cheesy, inspiring, and everything in between. Scroll to explore!

1. Elf – 2003

2. Miracle on 34th Street – 1947

3. Home Alone – 1990

4. The Family Stone – 2005

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas – 1993

6. The Muppet Christmas Carol – 1992

7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! – 1966

8. Christmas Vacation – 1989

9. Love Actually – 2003

10. The Polar Express – 2004

11. A Christmas Story – 1983

12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – 1964

13. While You Were Sleeping – 1995

14. The Christmas Shoes – 2002

15. White Christmas – 1954

16. A Christmas Carol – 1984

#HappyHolidays #ChacoNation!

Fresh Off the Grid is composed of a Michael van Vliet and Megan McDuffie: intrepid road warriors, national park aficionados, and backcountry chefs extraordinaire. In August 2015 they quit their jobs, sold most of their possessions, and hit the road. From time to time they’ll be serving us up recipes and inspiration from a life well-traveled. Read below for their take on campfire sweet potatoes & chili.

When camping during the summer, it’s nice to have a fire. With its flickering orange glow, it’s the outdoor equivalent of mood lighting. Pleasant and cheerful, one can find endless enjoyment just watching the flames dance across the logs. But during the fall camping season, a fire becomes more than just entertainment – for us, it becomes a necessity.

As the temperatures start to drop and the daylight hours become increasingly shorter, having a fire is the best way for us to keep the outdoor experience enjoyable. When it’s really cold out, just existing outside be difficult. It might be fine when we’re moving around, but once we sit down the cold starts to creep back again. A campfire allows us a someplace to “be” in comfort.

This is especially true during the evening. With the sun setting around 4:30 in the afternoon, we often have to fight the urge to crawl into our sleeping bags at 6:00pm. But having a campfire can make all the difference. Now there’s warm and bright place to eat, drink, and hang out.

On colder days, the campfire has a strong gravitational pull and we often find ourselves subconsciously drawn towards it. While we love our cooking on our camp stove, it’s usually all the way over there on the picnic table – way farther away from the fire than we’d like to be. We’d much rather do our cooking over the fire if we can.

So last weekend we made baked sweet potatoes and chili, prepared entirely from our seat next to the fire. We started by wrapping sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and tossing them into the embers. Sweet potatoes can take a long time to bake in an oven, but when tossed right into the hot embers of a fire, they only take 30 minutes or so. While they were cooking, we chopped up an onion and sautéed it in a small pot. We then added some beans, tomato paste, beer, chili powder, and cumin and let that simmer away while the potatoes cooked. When the potatoes were soft to the touch, we retrieved them from the fire and assembled our meal.

On a cold day, it’s always heartening to enjoy a warm meal (especially spicy chili), but enjoying a warm meal next to a warm fire really takes things to another level. So if you’re going to be doing some late-season camping this year, don’t give up your seat next to the fire and make this right from where you are. 

Chili & Baked Sweet Potatoes

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 14 oz can kidney beans, drained
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• ½ can beer
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Other optional toppings: Green onions, cheese, avocado, etc.

Wrap each of the sweet potatoes in heavy duty foil and nestle them into the embers of your campfire. Turn them every so often to ensure they cook evenly.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the chili. Over medium heat, warm the oil in a pot. Once hot, add ¾ of the diced onions (reserve the rest for topping) and sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften. Add the beans, tomato paste, beer (or other liquid, like broth), and spices. Stir well to combine. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Once the potatoes are soft and cooked through (about 30 minutes total, give or take a bit depending on their size), retrieve from the fire. Carefully unwrap the foil. Use a knife to cut a slit in the potato, then top with the chili, onions, and anything else you have on hand. Enjoy!

Featured Styles: Women’s Pineland Moc, Men’s Brio Boot

It’s December and that means colder weather, snow (for some of us), and a new Chaco Spotify playlist of – you guessed it: festive holiday tunes! This list is brought to you specially by the members of team Chaco and our favorite holiday songs. ‘Tis Z Season! Shoot us a follow on Spotify (@chacofootwear) if you haven’t already!

1. Last Christmas – Jimmy Eat World

2. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays – *NSYNC

3. Christmas Vacation Theme Song – Holiday Movie Orchestra

4. Baby It’s Cold Outside (duet with Michael Bublé) – Idina Menzel

5. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love

6. ‘Zat You, Santa Claus? – Louis Armstrong, The Commanders

7. Christmas Time Is Here – Vocal – Vince Guaraldi Trio

8. Deck the Halls – Nat King Cole

9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – “Meet Me in St. Louis” – Judy Garland

10. Blue Christmas – Johnny Cash

11. Greensleeves – Vince Guaraldi Trio

12. You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch – Thurl Ravenscroft

13. Santa Baby  – Eartha Kitt

14. The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole

15. Frosty the Snowman – Ella Fitzgerald

16. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – Christina Perri

17. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! – Ella Fitzgerald

18. Carol of the Bells – Peter J. Wilhousky, John Williams

19. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

20. Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms

21. Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano

22. Main Title form Home Alone (“Somewhere in My Memory”) – John Williams

23. 8 Days of Hannukah – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

24. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (Hippo the Hero) – Gayla Peevey

25. Man With The Bag  – Jessie J

26. I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm – Billie Holiday

27. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry

28. Christmas Eve/Sarajevo – Trans-Siberian Orchestra

29. White Christmas – Bing Crosby

30. I’ll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams) – Frank Sinatra

31. (There’s No Place Like) Home For the Holidays – Perry Como

32. The Chanukah Song – Adam Sandler

Happy Holidays, #ChacoNation!

Our Vie Adventures consists of Cees, Madison, Vladimir the Kitten, and a 1989 Toyota Motorhome named Vie. Cees and Madison are on the road, living the dream of every outdoor-minded couple by visiting each national park in the country over the course of the year. In celebration of our National Parks Centennial, we’ve partnered with Cees and Madison to bring you stories and photos of their yearlong quest (and of course, plenty of #vladimirkitten along the way).

Keep scrolling to see Cees, Madison, and Vladimir’s visit to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, AK. Stay tuned to Downstream for updates on their adventures and follow them on Instagram (@ourvieadventures) for more frequent updates from the road.

In a place as rugged as Alaska, it seemed a real luxury to be able to drive our RV to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.  We were excited for a nice “easy” ride all the way into the park.

However, it turns out that just because there were roads leading to the park, it didn’t mean it was easy to get there. The McCarthy Road was long, slow, and a rough ride.

We only made it about halfway to McCarthy our first night. We were able to stop just over a bridge. We turned into what we thought was just a pull out, but there was a little road that lead to a secluded little spot. Primitive camping is allowed along the McCarthy Road.  We enjoyed the evening with the kitty and watched the sun set at our secret spot.

That night, I woke up at about midnight.  I needed a drink, so I walked over to the sink for a glass of water.  As I started to get back into bed, I noticed the sky looked “funny”.  I opened the window for a better look and couldn’t believe what I saw. The whole sky was lit up like a plasma ball from the 80’s! I couldn’t believe it! I woke Madison up and we both hurried outside to catch the show.

We made it to the end of the drivable road the next morning. Instead of jumping on the shuttle and paying 20 dollars, we figured we could use the exercise and rode the 7 miles to the Root Glacier trailhead. We wanted to bring Vladimir on the outing, since Wrangell – St. Elias NP is one of the only parks that allow animals on the trails.

It was his first “long distance”, “fairly aggressive” mountain bike ride.  He did great! He seemed to LOVE the wind on his whiskers and watched all of the birds and other animals we spotted from my shoulders. Someone along the road said, as we rode by, that Vladimir was the only cat they had ever seen in Kennecott!  I replied, “I guess we will have to call him Kenne-cat from now on!”

We road as far as we could on the Root Glacier trail. We ditched our bikes near the falls and hiked on. Once off the bikes, the kitty hiked on his own for most of the way. It wasn’t until we got to the glacier itself that we put him back up on the backpack to ride for a bit. It was fun hiking with him; normally we only get to hike with him outside of the parks.

He was having a hard time seeing because of the intense reflection of the ice. I tried to share my glasses but he didn’t go for it.

We got a lot of funny looks from people on the glacier. This probably had to do with the fact that most people were with glacier guides and in crampons and micro spikes. We had a kitty on our back and were in our Chacos!

We eventually let the kitty down to see if he would like exploring on the ice. He was curious for about two minutes. He nosed around in a few icy puddles, realized that his feet were cold, and jumped right back up to my backpack.

We had a good time on the glacier for sure, but I think Vladimir enjoyed the bike ride the most. On the way back we really got to fly. We took the “scenic trail” on the way down. I was going pretty fast and it never seemed to phase the kitty! He seemed to love the wind in his whiskers!

We stopped for a quick walk around the Kennecott Cemetery. It was a little scary – mainly because some of the headstones were blank and the place wasn’t really cared for at all.

That night, I had one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life. Since the night before there was so much solar activity, we banked on seeing another northern light show this night as well. In the middle of the night, we left the RV and hiked out into the freezing dark. We were really hoping to see the lights peek over the mountain. We made it to a little hill next to the shore of the glacier-fed lake. We set up our tent and waited for the show to start.

What happened next was one of those magical moments that only happens a few times in a person’s life. It is one of those times when you come to a very concrete realization that there is no where else that you would rather be. I was sitting on the edge of a glacial lake with the woman I love (which in and of itself is a thing to count as miracle – love doesn’t come easy). On top of this, I was watching one of the most spectacular shows that the heavens ever surrender. But the splendor of the evening doesn’t end there! As we sat there watching the lights dance, we could hear rocks and ice fall into the lake as the glacier creeped and shifted its way down the mountain. For me, it was the ultimate date night.

Seeing, hearing, and experiencing these beautiful places is spectacular, but I know that I would not cherish them nearly as much if I were exploring on my own. I can’t express how much better it is to travel with the love of my life. I thoroughly believe that these experiences become all the more sweet when they are shared with someone you love.

After our all night light show, we decided it was okay to sleep in the next day.  We rode into town again, just a little later in the day this time.  We wanted to take a tour of all the mining buildings, and the only way to do that is to go with a guide.

We got on the 3 o’clock tour and got to walk through and learn about all of the various buildings. It was quite the operation back in the day! My favorite part was wearing the hard hats – I could run into anything I wanted with that thing on.

It was fun to be at the top of the 14-story concentration mill. We could see out over the whole town. And as we walked down through the different levels, we were able to see how they extracted as much ore as they could from the rock. It was really neat!

We got to see other buildings like the general store (now converted to the NPS visitors center). They had lists of items you could have purchased back in the day and how much it would have cost you.  It was an interesting window into the lives of the men and women who lived in this town that was so abruptly abandoned.

The power house was my favorite building in the tour. The massive furnaces that they used to power the town were still there. The system is so intricate and everything was thought out. I just imagined being in the room when they were all roaring.  What a crazy world.

Vlads got a lot of playtime in this park. He is always SO happy to be outside.

This kitty is a real adventure cat. In fact, the little guy is so legit, AdventureCats.org wrote up a story on him! Check it out!

Wrangell-St. Elias is one of my favorite parks now. It may have to do with the spectacular light show we were able to catch. However, there was something special about the mountains that we traveled alongside our whole way out of Alaska that seemed to linger in my mind. These peaks are the gateway to the rest of Alaska. I think it is fitting that they are named after Baron Ferdinand Petrovich von Wrangel. He, and Vitus Bering who named Mt. St. Elias, were some of the first Russian explorers in the area. By giving these mountains names, they put something on the map for people to see and to conquer. I wouldn’t say we conquered these mountains, but we were able to thoroughly enjoy being in their presence.

Featured Styles: Women’s Dharma, Men’s ZX/1 Classic, Women’s Z/Cloud X

As the weather gets colder and wetter, we turn to our trusty Lodge Waterproof Boot. Combining 100% waterproof construction and leathers with a mountain feel, the Lodge is our go-to boot for facing exactly what this blistery season brings!

SHOP THE LODGE WATERPROOF