November 21, 2024 • 22 mins
Get links to all gift ideas mentioned and more 👉 here
🛍️Embark on a journey with me, Alexandra from the Bucket List Mermaid, as we unravel the mysteries of adventure gear that perfectly cater to the thrill-seekers among us.
🥾No adventure is complete without the right equipment, and I've got recommendations to elevate your outdoor experiences.
🎄Whether you're shopping for the holidays or gearing up for your next big adventure, this episode is packed with insights and laughter to guide you through.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Alexandra (00:00):
can't believe that they have lasted me all of these
years and through all of thisuse and they're still kicking.
Get it Kicking because they'reshoes.
At least I think I'm funny.
Hello, adventurers, my name isAlexandra with the Bucket List
Mermaid, and welcome to TicketBefore you Kick it, the podcast
where we talk about everythingthat should be on your adventure
bucket list.
Now, this week, we're going tobe talking about something just
(00:22):
a little bit different, justbecause Black Friday and the
holidays are coming up, and weare going to be talking about
some adventure gear that you caneither buy for yourself tell a
loved one to buy you or you canbuy for that beloved adventure
that you have in your life.
On this week's episode, I'mgoing to be talking about
several products that I havepurchased, gotten as a gift and
(00:43):
I use adventuring all the time,and they're going to be in
different price points.
So, depending on what yourbudget is, we're just going to
talk about some really cooladventure gear to get for that
special adventurer let's getadventuring or, in this case,
let's go shopping To goadventuring, if that makes any
sense.
So let's start off with thecheaper side of this and maybe
(01:06):
some gifts that are under $25that you can get for adventurers
.
Now, number one on my list Ihave a multi-tool survival kit.
Now I actually made fun of thisthe other day because I always
bring it everywhere I go, butI've never actually had to use
it, but it's kind of more oflike an emergency thing, if you
do want to.
(01:26):
Another idea a waterprooftravel journal.
This is going to get dirty andit's going to have so many
things on it dirt and mud so Ireally like the idea of
journaling and I'm also a yogainstructor, so I'm a fond
advocate of journaling and justspilling your thoughts out into
the paper and having gratitudefor all of the adventures that
(01:46):
you are going on.
I think it's beautiful.
Another idea is an adventurescratch map.
So when I moved abroad toEngland when I was only 18, I
had this big, huge map and itwas so heavy and I actually put
a bunch of pins in it and it wasmy prized possession and it
really is ironic because I wouldlove to take it with me
(02:06):
everywhere.
However, I now live full-timein an RV and travel around
everywhere as a mermaid, so thisbig, huge, fancy pinned map is
just collecting dust in astorage unit and I would really
love to have something that'smore portable to take, but it's
really nice to just figure outwhere you've been.
But it's really nice to justfigure out where you've been and
(02:27):
it's really cool to see it allon the map.
So that's another idea.
If you're looking for a verycheap gift for an adventure,
that would be a really good one.
And, yeah, another one awaterproof dry bag.
Now, this is specific for mebecause I'm a mermaid.
I absolutely get wet all thetime, obviously because I'm a
mermaid and I also lovepaddleboarding.
I always snowboard in thewinter and I paddleboard in the
(02:49):
summer and I have these dry bagseverywhere.
So if you're kayaking,paddleboarding, if you do have
an adventurer in your life whodoes love, you know, going,
adventuring in water, then thisis probably a good thing for
them.
Now, I have to have a caveat.
One time I was backpacking withthis girl in this hostel and
she had one of those phone bagswhere you put it in a little
(03:11):
pouch, and I've seen theseeverywhere all over the world.
They're everywhere.
However, we were tubing and,yeah, we were pub crawling down
this river and she dropped herphone in the water and it got
completely ruined.
So I don't like recommendingthose.
I really like the ones whereyou have to fold them over
several times and then you clipthem shut.
I've never had an issue withthose guys.
(03:32):
Now, moving on, let's go intothe $25 to $50 range.
A portable solar charger oh mygosh, if you could get one thing
in the mid-budget range for anadventure, or just buy it for
yourself, treat yourself Aportable solar charger.
So I actually went on aeight-day trekking Peru
(03:54):
expedition through the Andes.
We went over Salcante it waslike over 17,000 feet and then
back down to Machu Picchu, andpeople always ask.
They're like how did you keepyour GoPro charged?
How did you charge your phone?
How did you actually do this?
And the answer is I had a solarcharger, and so what I did is I
just draped this solar chargerover my backpack, so all day
(04:16):
while I was hiking, it wascharging and I just charged it
for the minimum amount of timepossible and I actually managed
to do it.
So that was really cool and Ijust think it's good for
emergencies to have one that issolar.
Now, I really thought that,having a solar charger, it would
be charged within like a fewhours.
That is a straight lie, ittakes so long to charge that
(04:37):
thing.
However, it's better thannothing, and when you're in the
middle of the woods adventuringsometimes you just don't have a
choice Would highly recommend.
I think every adventurer needsone of these chargers.
Now they do have two that Ihave found One of them.
The whole block is the solarcharger.
This can kind of add on weight.
(04:58):
However, I don't know, I thinkit's more portable than the
second option.
The second option you wouldactually unfold a solar panel.
So this one might be better fortime-wise because there's more
solar panels to capture thesun's rays and do its magic.
However, I did not go with thatoption.
Maybe next time I will try thatoption, but that option seems
(05:20):
to be very popular with thereviews.
Next, maybe get them some hikingpoles.
You know these have saved mybooty literally several times.
Remember I was hiking Half Domeand in order to hike Half Dome
you have to hike up this thingcalled Sub Dome and that thing
was so sketchy and I'm prettysure they just like saved my
life.
I mean, I'm a pretty youngspring chicken as of right now,
(05:41):
with this being recorded, and Istill use hiking poles.
No shame whatsoever.
You know when you're hikingthese strenuous distances, it's
really easy on your joints.
So if you have an avid hiker inyour family, get them some
hiking poles.
Next, a multi-mode headlamp.
Now, I am a fan of hiking inthe dark.
I love night hiking and I lovemoonlight hiking specifically.
(06:04):
So I love a good headlamp and,honestly, sometimes you just
never know when a hike is goingto go awry and take a little
longer than normal.
So when this happens, you mightbe hiking into the evening or
you might be waking up early tohike before the sun rises.
Maybe you'll reach yourdestination at sunrise, which is
beautiful.
Either way, you're going toneed a headlamp, because it's
(06:26):
always good just to have handsfree, especially if you are
going to use those hiking poles.
I personally like to have onewith a red light mode, just
because then, if you are goingto do a little stargazing or you
are taking that moonlight hike,you won't destroy your night
vision, because it takes like 30minutes for your eyes to
actually adjust.
A ranger told me this atCanyonlands, because I did a
Moonlight Ranger hike atCanyonlands and it was amazing.
(06:47):
But anyway, I didn't reallyneed my headlamp, but sometimes
when I was going over rocks, Iused the red headlamp.
Now moving right along portablewater filtration straws.
I'm going to be honest, I hadno clue.
This was the thing until Istarted doing longer, more
strenuous hikes.
The first time that I ran intothis issue was during Half Dome.
That was about 18 miles.
And then I definitely ran intothis issue when I did my Rim to
(07:09):
Rim Epic hike in one day andthat one I actually ended at
around 25 miles for that one.
And yes, they do have waterstations on these strenuous
hikes.
Actually, they did not at HalfDome, however, rim to Rim they
did have water spots, butsometimes it was very unreliable
.
They would shut off.
Sometimes you needed to treatyour own water.
Now I did buy some purificationtablets, which you can also do.
(07:33):
However, all of the ones that Ihave found took like four hours
for it to actually clear outall of the bacteria and gunk in
there to make it drinkable andsafe.
But, however, I found thisportable water filtration straw
which, honestly, I'm going tojust hike with all the time and
adventure with all the time,because you just never know when
(07:54):
an emergency comes about andyou need to get some clean
drinking water.
This is also good for camping,fishing trips, anything where
you're outside and you don'thave a reliable water source.
I invested in some of theseafter I was really scared that I
was going to run out of wateron my rim to rim ascent up the
South Rim Super scary.
Now another idea if you are moreof a snow hiker, you could get
(08:19):
crampons or micro spikes.
Now the only times I'veactually used these was I was
hiking Fox Glacier.
I also used them to hikeTongariro Pass in New Zealand
and these are a game changer ifyou are going in snow.
So if anything snow traction,icy you need that.
You will definitely need somecrampons.
(08:40):
Luckily they're not actuallythat expensive.
Pretty nice gift for anadventurer who maybe wants to do
some more snowy, coldadventures.
Now, if you're like man, that'sall too physical for me.
I just want to lay around.
How about a travel hammock?
I have used these travelhammocks everywhere.
Now I'm not a huge fan of doingthem on the trees, so I also
have a hammock stand and Iactually have a hammock outside
(09:02):
of my RV at all times, becausenormal camping chairs boo.
I'm gonna sit in a hammockoutside of my RV at all times,
because normal camping chairsboo.
I'm going to sit in a hammock,if I have a choice.
So there you go.
Also, if you want to be thaticonic person this Christmas to
give people socks, I know it'slike you open up socks and it's
like the worst gift ever.
However, I am obsessed withdarn tough socks.
I use them for both hiking andsnowboarding and these socks are
(09:23):
so, so nice.
They have so much support,depending on what you're using
them for, and, honestly, sockscan make such a difference.
So you might be that person whogets an adventure socks for
Christmas, but trust me, theywill thank you for it when their
feet do not hurt the next day.
I have spoken.
Or, if they are into camping,maybe consider getting them a
camping cookware set.
(09:45):
I've seen a lot of things thatare very portable and
lightweight and although I don'tI don't camp as much because I
full-time RV and I'm like mywhole life is camping However, I
do camp a few times during thesummer because I am a Colorado
local and, yeah, these, thesepots and pans are really, really
cool, and sometimes you justneed disposable, lightweight and
(10:07):
really nice camping cookware.
So now let's go into the biggersections, the 50 to 150 section
, if you're still with me here.
Good job.
I love it.
You are committed to youradventurer and I love it.
Number one a camelback.
I honestly do not go anywherewithout my camelback.
I've done so many things withthis camelback.
I honestly do not go anywherewithout my camelback.
(10:27):
I've done so many things withthis camelback and I have also
tried just taking normalbackpacks and snowboarding and
you know, going hiking and doingall this stuff with a normal
backpack and I just find myselfgetting so dehydrated because
I'm a lazy adventurer and Idon't want to take off my
backpack and go get the waterbottle out.
I sound so bad here buthonestly, when you're
adventuring and you're havingfun and you don't think about
(10:48):
stuff like hydration, it doesget lost a lot.
I have invested in thisCamelBak and my hydration level
has gone up significantly sinceinvesting in it.
Now, if you don't like CamelBakthe brand specifically I also
really like Deuter.
I haven't personally triedtheir hydration packs, but I do
have a backpacking backpackcalled Reggie that I love of
(11:11):
them.
So I trust the brand.
I would also recommend them Now.
Next, for the true adventurers,maybe a backpacking tent.
So this is lightweight and it'svery easy to set up and you
would literally just hike withit and go backpacking.
So if your adventurer wants tomaybe go a little bit further
into the adventure spectrum, gethim a backpacking tent or, you
(11:31):
know, you can just envision themsleeping in a sleeping bag on
the ground.
Maybe that's amusing for you ormaybe it's you.
Maybe you want to sleep on asleeping bag in the ground, and
if you do good for youPersonally not me, I think I
prefer a tent, but you do you.
Now, next on my list is Merrellhiking boots.
I invested in these before myPeru trek and honestly, I am so
(11:52):
surprised that they're stillalive.
I can't believe that they havestill been cooking and they have
as much traction as they do.
I think I'm in the hundreds ofmiles that I have worn these
shoes.
Seriously, they are so, so nice.
I rarely ever have foot painand I did get my first blister,
and again it was on that rim torim, but I didn't notice it
(12:14):
during the hike.
It was after the hike, so Idon't really think that counts,
because that was an insane hikeand I cannot believe that I
haven't gotten more blisters.
10 out of 10 recommend.
As I said, I can't believe thatthey have lasted me all of
these years and through all ofthis use and they're still
kicking.
Get it Kicking because they'reshoes.
At least, I think I'm funny Ifthey are into camping and they
(12:37):
like the hammock idea, but thehammock is too cumbersome.
I would also recommend there'sthis hanging camping chair, and
I get asked about this all thetime, especially for people with
back pain for some reason orlike, oh, I think that would be
good for my back.
But basically it's just likethis swinging chair.
It's very portable, verylightweight and I'm gonna be
(12:58):
honest, I would rather have thischair than a normal camping
chair any day of the week.
I love it.
It's a fan favorite there.
It is the hanging camping chair.
Another idea in this price rangeis Chaco sandals.
Now, I'm a Colorado local so Ihave to mention this.
Sometimes I do just want mylittle toes, my little piggies,
to breathe a little bit whileI'm adventuring, and Chacos are
(13:21):
amazing.
I especially like this forwater activities.
The amount of times I haverafted in these shoes pretty
nice.
Now I will say that one time Iwas in a hostel in Cambodia and
it did not allow shoes withinthe entire building, so we all
had to put our shoes outside andI actually had someone come up
to me and say oh, you're fromColorado because you have a pair
(13:42):
of Chacos, so it's a Coloradolocal favorite.
So I just have to mention it.
They're like these reallysturdy hiking sandals and they
just scream outdoor adventure,so I have to add them Now.
Also, if you are looking for aportable, you know some way to
charge your devices.
They do have a portable powerstation.
My mom is deaf.
(14:03):
She needs hearing aidsSomething that happened with
COVID, just really messed up herears.
So she is deaf, she needshearing aids Something that
happened with COVID, just reallymessed up her ears.
So she is very, very hard ofhearing and unfortunately, when
we go camping she has a heck ofa time charging her hearing aids
.
So we actually found a prettyreasonably priced portable power
station in there and itactually does charge her hearing
(14:23):
aids.
Now, of course, you can get theMac Daddy power station,
totally up to you, but we justhave this medium budget one and
it works great.
And lastly, in this section, anational park pass Love ours.
This has saved us so much money, I believe as of right now it
is $80.
It's like the America theBeautiful pass, and what an
amazing gift to give to somebodythat they get to go to all
(14:46):
these national parks With thispark pass specifically.
I believe that we have entered11 or 12 just in one year that
we have RV'd to and it has justbeen the adventure.
And I just love national parksbecause obviously they're
national parks for a reason andthey're all just so unique in
their own way and, yeah, whatbetter gift for an adventure
(15:06):
than just to get them a NationalPark Pass?
So now let's go into the MacDaddy gifts.
These are over $150 and theyare amazing.
So the first one is my Insta360camera.
Holy guacamole, honestly, Ihave tried a lot of action
cameras because I'm an adventuretravel blogger and this one
(15:28):
just has a very special place inmy heart and here is why I
travel everywhere as a mermaid.
If you haven't seen it, go tothebucketlistmermaidcom.
You can see me in my tail andpeople always ask me how do you
get all these pictures whenyou're traveling solo and you're
basically a beached whale?
Well, I will tell you, a lot ofthem are with my Insta360
camera.
Basically, you just hold it outin front of you.
(15:49):
It takes 360 footage from everysingle angle and then you go
back in there.
You can get pictures from thefootage.
You can get horizontal, you canget landscape pictures, so
you're getting multiple thingswith one shot, and then you can
also get multiple videos fromthe same shot.
So, for example, like if I'mgoing snowboarding, I have this
thing out here, I can focus onmy buddy in front of me or I can
(16:09):
focus on myself.
I get two different videos,both portrait and landscape,
with the same video, and I canalso get really cool epic photos
that I would never be able toget.
It's basically like having adrone, but it's like a huge long
selfie stick, but then it editsout the selfie stick anyway.
Love my 360 camera.
Cannot recommend this enough.
(16:30):
I think this is the ultimateadventure camera.
Absolutely love it.
Now, if you are looking for abeginner drone, I would actually
recommend this new product,which is called a hover air.
Now, this is pretty cheap foras far as drones are concerned
and you don't need a remote.
So basically, you just go onyour phone or even just hold out
(16:51):
the drone.
It launches in seconds rightfrom the palm of your hand, and
you can tell it to do differentthings, like follow me or orbit
or do a bird's eye view.
So this is really good foradventurers who don't want to
like full-on, take on a drone,but just wants to upgrade their
footage a little bit.
It's also very lightweight andvery compact, very good for
(17:12):
beginners.
As I said, I don't have like amassive like DJI drone, but this
Hover Air has gotten me somepretty good footage.
Now next, obviously, a GoPro.
This is like the gold standardfor all adventure cameras.
Personally, I like using myGoPro for underwater footage.
I am a few models back and itstill looks pretty darn good, so
it will definitely last them avery long time if they do love
(17:34):
GoPros.
And it's also easy to mount andthey have so many accessories
depending on what adventure theyare doing.
For example, like you can mountit to a helmet and go mountain
biking.
That might be for youradventurer, who knows?
Also, I'm going to talk aboutthis jacket next and now, if you
ask me to pronounce the name,if you've listened to this
podcast, you know that mypronunciation skills are very
(17:55):
subpar.
However, it's called like a.
Okay, I'm going to try it now.
Arcteryx, I'm going to.
I'm going to go with that.
A-r-c apostrophe, t-e-r-y-x.
Now, this is a very high-end,luxury outdoor adventure brand
and I kind of thought it wasfull of it because of the prices
.
However, I ended up getting oneof their jackets on a Black
(18:17):
Friday sale and it was a men'sjacket and whatever.
No shame, it was the only oneavailable.
I ended up going for it and,I'm gonna be honest, this jacket
has lasted me througheverything.
It's so warm, it's socompactable, so fortunately, I
kind of see the price point forit.
But honestly, it's lightweight,durable, squishable and it's
(18:40):
probably the only adventurejacket you will need, unless, of
course, you're hiking throughthe tundra.
Then you probably would want alittle bit more.
However, it's a great layer forany adventure and it has lasted
me four years.
Again, I went 50 plus mileswith this baby through the Andes
Still good.
Now next, an inflatable paddleboard.
(19:02):
As I said, I'm a paddle boarderand I just love paddle boarding
because you can make it aworkout, but you could also just
like bring a bunch of friendsand drinks and go hang out on a
lake, so I absolutely love it.
I did find a deal on Amazon.
The one that I got was way moreexpensive and I got a hole in
it because I left it out in like120 degree weather.
However, I did find this one onAmazon.
(19:23):
I will link it in the shownotes and it's really not a bad
deal for an inflatablepaddleboard.
It's probably the best I'vefound, honestly.
So check that out if you arelooking for an inflatable
paddleboard or you have anadventurer who would love to go
paddleboarding.
I also found thatpaddleboarding is really good
with kids.
One part of my family has theseadorable little girls and they
(19:44):
absolutely love paddleboardingand it's just adorable.
Now, next one I'm going torecommend is a Via Ferrata
harness.
If you want to hike and youkind of want to climb but you
don't want to fully commit toclimbing, Via Ferratas are very,
very fun.
I've done this in Peru and I'vealso done this in Uruguay.
Now for this, it's basically aharness and then you have these
two carabiners and then you goon a via ferrata course and then
(20:05):
you basically just hook thecarabiners to the other side.
This is so fun and it's not asphysically demanding as actual
climbing and kind of just feelslike climbing, but you have
security.
The reason that I put this isnot for all those niche people
who want to go climbing.
It's also because I've gone ona few bucket list hikes and
experiences that I wished I hada Via Ferrata harness.
(20:27):
One of the examples wasclimbing Half Dome.
Those cables were so sketchy todo without a harness and I
really, really wish that I wouldhave had that extra support.
And yeah, I've done just acouple things where I've just
been like you know, I wish Iwould have been strapped in and
a Via Ferrata harness would havebeen perfect.
So that's why I put it on thislist is that it can be
transferred to multiple thingsand, last but not least,
(20:49):
honestly, like a Yeti cooler.
It's just like the dream justto have a Yeti cooler.
They're so nice, they keepthings cold for just days and
days on end and they're superfamous.
True or false, a Yeti coolersignifies that you have made it
in the adventure world.
So that is what I haverecommended for all of the
(21:09):
travel gear that I can think of,just for, like, the basic
necessities of camping andhiking and just general outdoor
adventures.
Again, these are things that Ihave tried and things that I
would have loved to have gottenas a gift, as an adventure.
Or, as I said, maybe you'rejust treating yourself, maybe
you are an adventurer, maybeyou're just looking for some
cool adventure gear.
Well, I've tried it.
(21:30):
There it is.
That's what I recommend.
I also want to hear, becauseobviously gear lists are very
subjective, so maybe you havesomething that you have on your
personal adventure gear list.
I would love to hear about it.
I'm on all the social medias,at the bucket list mermaid, or
you can go to my website, thebucket list mermaid.
Now for all of these, I wouldhighly highly recommend going to
(21:51):
the show notes.
Now I'm going to link on theshow notes.
I'm gonna link my adventure gearguide on here.
It has every single link toevery single thing that I can do
.
Know, if you do purchasethrough this, I am an affiliate,
so I do get a small commission,but I would just really
appreciate it because I'm asmall business thing, mermaid,
and it doesn't increase the costfor you.
(22:11):
It just helps me out a littlebit.
If you are consideringpurchasing any of these things,
please just go onto those shownotes and purchase through my
link, because if you're going tobuy it anyway, you might as
well support this little mermaid, you know.
Thank you in advance.
I really appreciate it and Iwish you, your fellow adventurer
, your family, anybody who youdo adventure with.
(22:31):
I wish you guys a happyholidays and a happy new year.
Here's to another year ofadventuring to the fullest and
checking off everything on thatbucket list.
We will see you next week.
Thank you so much for listening.
can't believe that they have lasted me all of these
years and through all of thisuse and they're still kicking.
Get it Kicking because they'reshoes.
At least I think I'm funny.
Hello, adventurers, my name isAlexandra with the Bucket List
Mermaid, and welcome to TicketBefore you Kick it, the podcast
where we talk about everythingthat should be on your adventure
bucket list.
Now, this week, we're going tobe talking about something just
(00:22):
a little bit different, justbecause Black Friday and the
holidays are coming up, and weare going to be talking about
some adventure gear that you caneither buy for yourself tell a
loved one to buy you or you canbuy for that beloved adventure
that you have in your life.
On this week's episode, I'mgoing to be talking about
several products that I havepurchased, gotten as a gift and
(00:43):
I use adventuring all the time,and they're going to be in
different price points.
So, depending on what yourbudget is, we're just going to
talk about some really cooladventure gear to get for that
special adventurer let's getadventuring or, in this case,
let's go shopping To goadventuring, if that makes any
sense.
So let's start off with thecheaper side of this and maybe
(01:06):
some gifts that are under $25that you can get for adventurers
.
Now, number one on my list Ihave a multi-tool survival kit.
Now I actually made fun of thisthe other day because I always
bring it everywhere I go, butI've never actually had to use
it, but it's kind of more oflike an emergency thing, if you
do want to.
(01:26):
Another idea a waterprooftravel journal.
This is going to get dirty andit's going to have so many
things on it dirt and mud so Ireally like the idea of
journaling and I'm also a yogainstructor, so I'm a fond
advocate of journaling and justspilling your thoughts out into
the paper and having gratitudefor all of the adventures that
(01:46):
you are going on.
I think it's beautiful.
Another idea is an adventurescratch map.
So when I moved abroad toEngland when I was only 18, I
had this big, huge map and itwas so heavy and I actually put
a bunch of pins in it and it wasmy prized possession and it
really is ironic because I wouldlove to take it with me
(02:06):
everywhere.
However, I now live full-timein an RV and travel around
everywhere as a mermaid, so thisbig, huge, fancy pinned map is
just collecting dust in astorage unit and I would really
love to have something that'smore portable to take, but it's
really nice to just figure outwhere you've been.
But it's really nice to justfigure out where you've been and
(02:27):
it's really cool to see it allon the map.
So that's another idea.
If you're looking for a verycheap gift for an adventure,
that would be a really good one.
And, yeah, another one awaterproof dry bag.
Now, this is specific for mebecause I'm a mermaid.
I absolutely get wet all thetime, obviously because I'm a
mermaid and I also lovepaddleboarding.
I always snowboard in thewinter and I paddleboard in the
(02:49):
summer and I have these dry bagseverywhere.
So if you're kayaking,paddleboarding, if you do have
an adventurer in your life whodoes love, you know, going,
adventuring in water, then thisis probably a good thing for
them.
Now, I have to have a caveat.
One time I was backpacking withthis girl in this hostel and
she had one of those phone bagswhere you put it in a little
(03:11):
pouch, and I've seen theseeverywhere all over the world.
They're everywhere.
However, we were tubing and,yeah, we were pub crawling down
this river and she dropped herphone in the water and it got
completely ruined.
So I don't like recommendingthose.
I really like the ones whereyou have to fold them over
several times and then you clipthem shut.
I've never had an issue withthose guys.
(03:32):
Now, moving on, let's go intothe $25 to $50 range.
A portable solar charger oh mygosh, if you could get one thing
in the mid-budget range for anadventure, or just buy it for
yourself, treat yourself Aportable solar charger.
So I actually went on aeight-day trekking Peru
(03:54):
expedition through the Andes.
We went over Salcante it waslike over 17,000 feet and then
back down to Machu Picchu, andpeople always ask.
They're like how did you keepyour GoPro charged?
How did you charge your phone?
How did you actually do this?
And the answer is I had a solarcharger, and so what I did is I
just draped this solar chargerover my backpack, so all day
(04:16):
while I was hiking, it wascharging and I just charged it
for the minimum amount of timepossible and I actually managed
to do it.
So that was really cool and Ijust think it's good for
emergencies to have one that issolar.
Now, I really thought that,having a solar charger, it would
be charged within like a fewhours.
That is a straight lie, ittakes so long to charge that
(04:37):
thing.
However, it's better thannothing, and when you're in the
middle of the woods adventuringsometimes you just don't have a
choice Would highly recommend.
I think every adventurer needsone of these chargers.
Now they do have two that Ihave found One of them.
The whole block is the solarcharger.
This can kind of add on weight.
(04:58):
However, I don't know, I thinkit's more portable than the
second option.
The second option you wouldactually unfold a solar panel.
So this one might be better fortime-wise because there's more
solar panels to capture thesun's rays and do its magic.
However, I did not go with thatoption.
Maybe next time I will try thatoption, but that option seems
(05:20):
to be very popular with thereviews.
Next, maybe get them some hikingpoles.
You know these have saved mybooty literally several times.
Remember I was hiking Half Domeand in order to hike Half Dome
you have to hike up this thingcalled Sub Dome and that thing
was so sketchy and I'm prettysure they just like saved my
life.
I mean, I'm a pretty youngspring chicken as of right now,
(05:41):
with this being recorded, and Istill use hiking poles.
No shame whatsoever.
You know when you're hikingthese strenuous distances, it's
really easy on your joints.
So if you have an avid hiker inyour family, get them some
hiking poles.
Next, a multi-mode headlamp.
Now, I am a fan of hiking inthe dark.
I love night hiking and I lovemoonlight hiking specifically.
(06:04):
So I love a good headlamp and,honestly, sometimes you just
never know when a hike is goingto go awry and take a little
longer than normal.
So when this happens, you mightbe hiking into the evening or
you might be waking up early tohike before the sun rises.
Maybe you'll reach yourdestination at sunrise, which is
beautiful.
Either way, you're going toneed a headlamp, because it's
(06:26):
always good just to have handsfree, especially if you are
going to use those hiking poles.
I personally like to have onewith a red light mode, just
because then, if you are goingto do a little stargazing or you
are taking that moonlight hike,you won't destroy your night
vision, because it takes like 30minutes for your eyes to
actually adjust.
A ranger told me this atCanyonlands, because I did a
Moonlight Ranger hike atCanyonlands and it was amazing.
(06:47):
But anyway, I didn't reallyneed my headlamp, but sometimes
when I was going over rocks, Iused the red headlamp.
Now moving right along portablewater filtration straws.
I'm going to be honest, I hadno clue.
This was the thing until Istarted doing longer, more
strenuous hikes.
The first time that I ran intothis issue was during Half Dome.
That was about 18 miles.
And then I definitely ran intothis issue when I did my Rim to
(07:09):
Rim Epic hike in one day andthat one I actually ended at
around 25 miles for that one.
And yes, they do have waterstations on these strenuous
hikes.
Actually, they did not at HalfDome, however, rim to Rim they
did have water spots, butsometimes it was very unreliable
.
They would shut off.
Sometimes you needed to treatyour own water.
Now I did buy some purificationtablets, which you can also do.
(07:33):
However, all of the ones that Ihave found took like four hours
for it to actually clear outall of the bacteria and gunk in
there to make it drinkable andsafe.
But, however, I found thisportable water filtration straw
which, honestly, I'm going tojust hike with all the time and
adventure with all the time,because you just never know when
(07:54):
an emergency comes about andyou need to get some clean
drinking water.
This is also good for camping,fishing trips, anything where
you're outside and you don'thave a reliable water source.
I invested in some of theseafter I was really scared that I
was going to run out of wateron my rim to rim ascent up the
South Rim Super scary.
Now another idea if you are moreof a snow hiker, you could get
(08:19):
crampons or micro spikes.
Now the only times I'veactually used these was I was
hiking Fox Glacier.
I also used them to hikeTongariro Pass in New Zealand
and these are a game changer ifyou are going in snow.
So if anything snow traction,icy you need that.
You will definitely need somecrampons.
(08:40):
Luckily they're not actuallythat expensive.
Pretty nice gift for anadventurer who maybe wants to do
some more snowy, coldadventures.
Now, if you're like man, that'sall too physical for me.
I just want to lay around.
How about a travel hammock?
I have used these travelhammocks everywhere.
Now I'm not a huge fan of doingthem on the trees, so I also
have a hammock stand and Iactually have a hammock outside
(09:02):
of my RV at all times, becausenormal camping chairs boo.
I'm gonna sit in a hammockoutside of my RV at all times,
because normal camping chairsboo.
I'm going to sit in a hammock,if I have a choice.
So there you go.
Also, if you want to be thaticonic person this Christmas to
give people socks, I know it'slike you open up socks and it's
like the worst gift ever.
However, I am obsessed withdarn tough socks.
I use them for both hiking andsnowboarding and these socks are
(09:23):
so, so nice.
They have so much support,depending on what you're using
them for, and, honestly, sockscan make such a difference.
So you might be that person whogets an adventure socks for
Christmas, but trust me, theywill thank you for it when their
feet do not hurt the next day.
I have spoken.
Or, if they are into camping,maybe consider getting them a
camping cookware set.
(09:45):
I've seen a lot of things thatare very portable and
lightweight and although I don'tI don't camp as much because I
full-time RV and I'm like mywhole life is camping However, I
do camp a few times during thesummer because I am a Colorado
local and, yeah, these, thesepots and pans are really, really
cool, and sometimes you justneed disposable, lightweight and
(10:07):
really nice camping cookware.
So now let's go into the biggersections, the 50 to 150 section
, if you're still with me here.
Good job.
I love it.
You are committed to youradventurer and I love it.
Number one a camelback.
I honestly do not go anywherewithout my camelback.
I've done so many things withthis camelback.
I honestly do not go anywherewithout my camelback.
(10:27):
I've done so many things withthis camelback and I have also
tried just taking normalbackpacks and snowboarding and
you know, going hiking and doingall this stuff with a normal
backpack and I just find myselfgetting so dehydrated because
I'm a lazy adventurer and Idon't want to take off my
backpack and go get the waterbottle out.
I sound so bad here buthonestly, when you're
adventuring and you're havingfun and you don't think about
(10:48):
stuff like hydration, it doesget lost a lot.
I have invested in thisCamelBak and my hydration level
has gone up significantly sinceinvesting in it.
Now, if you don't like CamelBakthe brand specifically I also
really like Deuter.
I haven't personally triedtheir hydration packs, but I do
have a backpacking backpackcalled Reggie that I love of
(11:11):
them.
So I trust the brand.
I would also recommend them Now.
Next, for the true adventurers,maybe a backpacking tent.
So this is lightweight and it'svery easy to set up and you
would literally just hike withit and go backpacking.
So if your adventurer wants tomaybe go a little bit further
into the adventure spectrum, gethim a backpacking tent or, you
(11:31):
know, you can just envision themsleeping in a sleeping bag on
the ground.
Maybe that's amusing for you ormaybe it's you.
Maybe you want to sleep on asleeping bag in the ground, and
if you do good for youPersonally not me, I think I
prefer a tent, but you do you.
Now, next on my list is Merrellhiking boots.
I invested in these before myPeru trek and honestly, I am so
(11:52):
surprised that they're stillalive.
I can't believe that they havestill been cooking and they have
as much traction as they do.
I think I'm in the hundreds ofmiles that I have worn these
shoes.
Seriously, they are so, so nice.
I rarely ever have foot painand I did get my first blister,
and again it was on that rim torim, but I didn't notice it
(12:14):
during the hike.
It was after the hike, so Idon't really think that counts,
because that was an insane hikeand I cannot believe that I
haven't gotten more blisters.
10 out of 10 recommend.
As I said, I can't believe thatthey have lasted me all of
these years and through all ofthis use and they're still
kicking.
Get it Kicking because they'reshoes.
At least, I think I'm funny Ifthey are into camping and they
(12:37):
like the hammock idea, but thehammock is too cumbersome.
I would also recommend there'sthis hanging camping chair, and
I get asked about this all thetime, especially for people with
back pain for some reason orlike, oh, I think that would be
good for my back.
But basically it's just likethis swinging chair.
It's very portable, verylightweight and I'm gonna be
(12:58):
honest, I would rather have thischair than a normal camping
chair any day of the week.
I love it.
It's a fan favorite there.
It is the hanging camping chair.
Another idea in this price rangeis Chaco sandals.
Now, I'm a Colorado local so Ihave to mention this.
Sometimes I do just want mylittle toes, my little piggies,
to breathe a little bit whileI'm adventuring, and Chacos are
(13:21):
amazing.
I especially like this forwater activities.
The amount of times I haverafted in these shoes pretty
nice.
Now I will say that one time Iwas in a hostel in Cambodia and
it did not allow shoes withinthe entire building, so we all
had to put our shoes outside andI actually had someone come up
to me and say oh, you're fromColorado because you have a pair
(13:42):
of Chacos, so it's a Coloradolocal favorite.
So I just have to mention it.
They're like these reallysturdy hiking sandals and they
just scream outdoor adventure,so I have to add them Now.
Also, if you are looking for aportable, you know some way to
charge your devices.
They do have a portable powerstation.
My mom is deaf.
(14:03):
She needs hearing aidsSomething that happened with
COVID, just really messed up herears.
So she is deaf, she needshearing aids Something that
happened with COVID, just reallymessed up her ears.
So she is very, very hard ofhearing and unfortunately, when
we go camping she has a heck ofa time charging her hearing aids
.
So we actually found a prettyreasonably priced portable power
station in there and itactually does charge her hearing
(14:23):
aids.
Now, of course, you can get theMac Daddy power station,
totally up to you, but we justhave this medium budget one and
it works great.
And lastly, in this section, anational park pass Love ours.
This has saved us so much money, I believe as of right now it
is $80.
It's like the America theBeautiful pass, and what an
amazing gift to give to somebodythat they get to go to all
(14:46):
these national parks With thispark pass specifically.
I believe that we have entered11 or 12 just in one year that
we have RV'd to and it has justbeen the adventure.
And I just love national parksbecause obviously they're
national parks for a reason andthey're all just so unique in
their own way and, yeah, whatbetter gift for an adventure
(15:06):
than just to get them a NationalPark Pass?
So now let's go into the MacDaddy gifts.
These are over $150 and theyare amazing.
So the first one is my Insta360camera.
Holy guacamole, honestly, Ihave tried a lot of action
cameras because I'm an adventuretravel blogger and this one
(15:28):
just has a very special place inmy heart and here is why I
travel everywhere as a mermaid.
If you haven't seen it, go tothebucketlistmermaidcom.
You can see me in my tail andpeople always ask me how do you
get all these pictures whenyou're traveling solo and you're
basically a beached whale?
Well, I will tell you, a lot ofthem are with my Insta360
camera.
Basically, you just hold it outin front of you.
(15:49):
It takes 360 footage from everysingle angle and then you go
back in there.
You can get pictures from thefootage.
You can get horizontal, you canget landscape pictures, so
you're getting multiple thingswith one shot, and then you can
also get multiple videos fromthe same shot.
So, for example, like if I'mgoing snowboarding, I have this
thing out here, I can focus onmy buddy in front of me or I can
(16:09):
focus on myself.
I get two different videos,both portrait and landscape,
with the same video, and I canalso get really cool epic photos
that I would never be able toget.
It's basically like having adrone, but it's like a huge long
selfie stick, but then it editsout the selfie stick anyway.
Love my 360 camera.
Cannot recommend this enough.
(16:30):
I think this is the ultimateadventure camera.
Absolutely love it.
Now, if you are looking for abeginner drone, I would actually
recommend this new product,which is called a hover air.
Now, this is pretty cheap foras far as drones are concerned
and you don't need a remote.
So basically, you just go onyour phone or even just hold out
(16:51):
the drone.
It launches in seconds rightfrom the palm of your hand, and
you can tell it to do differentthings, like follow me or orbit
or do a bird's eye view.
So this is really good foradventurers who don't want to
like full-on, take on a drone,but just wants to upgrade their
footage a little bit.
It's also very lightweight andvery compact, very good for
(17:12):
beginners.
As I said, I don't have like amassive like DJI drone, but this
Hover Air has gotten me somepretty good footage.
Now next, obviously, a GoPro.
This is like the gold standardfor all adventure cameras.
Personally, I like using myGoPro for underwater footage.
I am a few models back and itstill looks pretty darn good, so
it will definitely last them avery long time if they do love
(17:34):
GoPros.
And it's also easy to mount andthey have so many accessories
depending on what adventure theyare doing.
For example, like you can mountit to a helmet and go mountain
biking.
That might be for youradventurer, who knows?
Also, I'm going to talk aboutthis jacket next and now, if you
ask me to pronounce the name,if you've listened to this
podcast, you know that mypronunciation skills are very
(17:55):
subpar.
However, it's called like a.
Okay, I'm going to try it now.
Arcteryx, I'm going to.
I'm going to go with that.
A-r-c apostrophe, t-e-r-y-x.
Now, this is a very high-end,luxury outdoor adventure brand
and I kind of thought it wasfull of it because of the prices
.
However, I ended up getting oneof their jackets on a Black
(18:17):
Friday sale and it was a men'sjacket and whatever.
No shame, it was the only oneavailable.
I ended up going for it and,I'm gonna be honest, this jacket
has lasted me througheverything.
It's so warm, it's socompactable, so fortunately, I
kind of see the price point forit.
But honestly, it's lightweight,durable, squishable and it's
(18:40):
probably the only adventurejacket you will need, unless, of
course, you're hiking throughthe tundra.
Then you probably would want alittle bit more.
However, it's a great layer forany adventure and it has lasted
me four years.
Again, I went 50 plus mileswith this baby through the Andes
Still good.
Now next, an inflatable paddleboard.
(19:02):
As I said, I'm a paddle boarderand I just love paddle boarding
because you can make it aworkout, but you could also just
like bring a bunch of friendsand drinks and go hang out on a
lake, so I absolutely love it.
I did find a deal on Amazon.
The one that I got was way moreexpensive and I got a hole in
it because I left it out in like120 degree weather.
However, I did find this one onAmazon.
(19:23):
I will link it in the shownotes and it's really not a bad
deal for an inflatablepaddleboard.
It's probably the best I'vefound, honestly.
So check that out if you arelooking for an inflatable
paddleboard or you have anadventurer who would love to go
paddleboarding.
I also found thatpaddleboarding is really good
with kids.
One part of my family has theseadorable little girls and they
(19:44):
absolutely love paddleboardingand it's just adorable.
Now, next one I'm going torecommend is a Via Ferrata
harness.
If you want to hike and youkind of want to climb but you
don't want to fully commit toclimbing, Via Ferratas are very,
very fun.
I've done this in Peru and I'vealso done this in Uruguay.
Now for this, it's basically aharness and then you have these
two carabiners and then you goon a via ferrata course and then
(20:05):
you basically just hook thecarabiners to the other side.
This is so fun and it's not asphysically demanding as actual
climbing and kind of just feelslike climbing, but you have
security.
The reason that I put this isnot for all those niche people
who want to go climbing.
It's also because I've gone ona few bucket list hikes and
experiences that I wished I hada Via Ferrata harness.
(20:27):
One of the examples wasclimbing Half Dome.
Those cables were so sketchy todo without a harness and I
really, really wish that I wouldhave had that extra support.
And yeah, I've done just acouple things where I've just
been like you know, I wish Iwould have been strapped in and
a Via Ferrata harness would havebeen perfect.
So that's why I put it on thislist is that it can be
transferred to multiple thingsand, last but not least,
(20:49):
honestly, like a Yeti cooler.
It's just like the dream justto have a Yeti cooler.
They're so nice, they keepthings cold for just days and
days on end and they're superfamous.
True or false, a Yeti coolersignifies that you have made it
in the adventure world.
So that is what I haverecommended for all of the
(21:09):
travel gear that I can think of,just for, like, the basic
necessities of camping andhiking and just general outdoor
adventures.
Again, these are things that Ihave tried and things that I
would have loved to have gottenas a gift, as an adventure.
Or, as I said, maybe you'rejust treating yourself, maybe
you are an adventurer, maybeyou're just looking for some
cool adventure gear.
Well, I've tried it.
(21:30):
There it is.
That's what I recommend.
I also want to hear, becauseobviously gear lists are very
subjective, so maybe you havesomething that you have on your
personal adventure gear list.
I would love to hear about it.
I'm on all the social medias,at the bucket list mermaid, or
you can go to my website, thebucket list mermaid.
Now for all of these, I wouldhighly highly recommend going to
(21:51):
the show notes.
Now I'm going to link on theshow notes.
I'm gonna link my adventure gearguide on here.
It has every single link toevery single thing that I can do
.
Know, if you do purchasethrough this, I am an affiliate,
so I do get a small commission,but I would just really
appreciate it because I'm asmall business thing, mermaid,
and it doesn't increase the costfor you.
(22:11):
It just helps me out a littlebit.
If you are consideringpurchasing any of these things,
please just go onto those shownotes and purchase through my
link, because if you're going tobuy it anyway, you might as
well support this little mermaid, you know.
Thank you in advance.
I really appreciate it and Iwish you, your fellow adventurer
, your family, anybody who youdo adventure with.
(22:31):
I wish you guys a happyholidays and a happy new year.
Here's to another year ofadventuring to the fullest and
checking off everything on thatbucket list.
We will see you next week.
Thank you so much for listening.
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