While this is written from a woman’s perspective, any person can follow this gear list and substitute the appropriate items. I’ve intentionally made this very specific because I noticed that most lists out there are pretty vague, and gear can really help or hurt your experience. Do not mistake that for “gear will be the reason you’re successful or unsuccessful.” I can’t stand when people blame their gear for everything. Without proper preparation, including your physical ability and a positive mindset, it doesn’t matter what’s included in this list.

While a shotgun isn’t completely foreign to me, I admit that it typically sits under my bed for 12+ months at a time. Then, I pull it out and attempt to remember how to properly shoulder, lead, and follow through a shot. I’d compare it to a newborn giraffe learning how to walk. Ok, maybe not that bad, but it’s not pretty! My love for archery hunting runs deep, so everything else seems to fall behind that.

For 7 years I’ve been chasing bulls with my dad - It’s become a family tradition and it’s the hunt I look forward to more than any other. He started my addiction in 2015 as a wedding gift and I’ve been hooked ever sense. I went from never knowing what a bugle sounded like before my first hunt, to finally connecting on my first solo archery bull this year. It’s been quite the journey, and this is the first year that I’ve felt called to try to accomplish it on my own. After going on guided elk hunts for a few years, we started going on DIY public land hunts as a family and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s allowed me to challenge myself and learn a lot more about elk in order to be successful. Eating tag soup isn’t easy for me, and while I know that hunting is much more than the kill, punching that tag is the biggest goal for me personally. This year, prior to this trip, I’ve been hunting OTC (over-the-counter) tags in Utah, shooting at 2 spikes already with nothing to show for it. Simply being within range is a rush, so getting a shot is something really special.

I vividly remember when women-specific camo started to hit the market. After years of wearing hand-me-downs, youth clothing, or oversized men’s clothing, including Carhartt bibs for most of those years, I happily bought the pink-it-and-shrink it lines because finally something was made “just for me,” except it was terrible. Slowly but surely, brands noticed the increase in women hunters and therefore the demand for something functional, durable, and comfortable that complimented our build a little more than a boxy cotton shirt with a few pink leaves mixed in.

The saying goes that once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up. Well hitting rock bottom is relative to what you’ve experienced in life, so I’ll start by saying that i still had a roof over my head, food on the table, and a great job when I hit my rock bottom. I felt depressed, anxious, lost, broken, and all the nasty feelings in between, even though from the outside everything seemed fine. Mental health is real and it needs to be a priority for every human being! However, it’s when I got to this dark place that I decided I needed structure and something positive to focus on. That’s when #75Hard began to pop up all around me, and without thinking too long or hard about it, I began. This is a program designed by Andy Frisella and it’s completely free!

Ever since I ran a half marathon in the Spring of 2016, my knees have never been the same. I still have a desire to run another one at some point, but my main priority is getting to a place where it’s not painful being in the mountains chasing elk for a week. I dream of that day! At the end of my 2018 elk season, after 21 grueling days in the wilderness of Colorado, the pain was so bad that I went and had MRI’s done on both knees upon my return to normal life. Thankfully the results from the doc were, “extreme inflammation with possible minor tears.” At this point it hurt to go up or down stairs, and the worst was sitting down to use the restroom. My knees were certainly better during the 2019 elk season, but then my achilles tendons were inflamed. It’s tough to choose which one I’d rather deal with on the mountain because they both suck.

There are two things that I struggle with every time I go on a hunt: staying warm and staying full. I can bring the highest calorie snacks and meals on every adventure, but I can eat more than some grown men. I’ve got a handful of 215+ pound male references at my fingertips to back that statement!

It’s amazing what a single night on the mountain will do for the soul! I snuck away and fell asleep under a (nearly) full moon, then woke up to see a shooting star within a few seconds of opening my “tent,” which is the very reason I’m throwing this article together! It never fails: every time I post anything about my bedrolls, people go nuts! This article will break down my preferred sleep system, and how I would change it to make it heavier or lighter depending on the trip. The additional weight is just for comfort when I don’t need to be strict about having a light setup. This particular trip fell somewhere in the middle in terms of size and weight. Let’s get to the details!

I’d be willing to argue that fewer places are more beautiful than Zion National Park in Southern Utah. I’ve driven through it a few times and hiked one of the shorter trails that’s close to the entrance, but it took me 1.5 years to finally TRULY experience it. Living just 45 minutes from Zion is a dream and I plan to go back ASAP! A Spring trip in May was the perfect timing, as the afternoons were already starting to warm up. For a short weekend trip (2 days for us), it doesn’t get much better than this schedule!

“You have to visit Lake Powell!!” seems to be the hot one-liner since we made the move from Central Texas to Southern Utah. It’s funny because it didn’t occur to me that a couple of the landscapes that I’ve saved from surfing the internet (like the panorama above) were apart of the Lake Powell experience! The truth is that I would screenshot or save them without researching further to figure out where the heck they were located on the map. Well, I’m here to share all the little things you need to know as you plan your first trip to this magical area!

Well I think it’s safe to say we’re taking FULL advantage of this crazy time in the world by soaking up sunshine on the weekends and consistently filling our cup with adventure. Utah feels more and more like home every day and continues to make my heart smile with its beauty. Luckily we’ve found some pretty awesome adventure buddies that are always up for something new and have really shown us some hidden gems that are within 120 miles. While I’m completely down to “rough it” in the field during hunting season, I’ll never be mad about having a few finer things in camp. I’ll go ahead and say it: I enjoy glamping too.

Regardless of my love for the outdoors, I am a WOMAN and deep down every woman has a desire to feel beautiful! A few months back my bonus mom, who happens to be more "in-the-know” than myself on all beauty products, mentioned Halo hair extensions. I’ve stayed away from extensions because of how much time I spend outdoors, and clips-ins were itchy or uneven. I’ve even tried glue-in extensions way back in my college days! However, I think I’ve found the perfect solution for my outdoor girls that want something easy to remove that doesn’t damage your hair and is the furthest thing from high maintenance: Halo Couture Hair Extensions.

In December 2020 I finally did something I’ve been contemplating doing for years. I decided to get my teeth straightened back out, after years without wearing a retainer. I had braces in 4th grade and got them taken off 2.5 years later in 6th grade, but my orthodontist gave me clear retainers rather than a permanent retainer. I wasn’t quite responsible enough to have those, and here I am nearly 20 years later getting them fixed! This time, I decided to go the Invisalign route, rather than braces. I figured with COVID-19 cancelling all of our tradeshows, meaning I wouldn’t be in front of a camera or having important meetings face-to-face, it was time.

I’ve contemplated getting my teeth fixed for years after I noticed them shifting more and more with time. To everyone else, my teeth were already straight, but the slightest movement had created a “less than perfect” alignment, something that I once experienced after wearing braces for 2.5 years. For this reason, it’s been difficult to ignore the change. My teeth are also a sensitive subject because I can remember being made fun of for having “buck teeth” and I even had people close to me say, “she could eat an apple through a fence.” While it was lighthearted, it still hurt!

I had an overwhelming response to a recent Instagram story regarding quality phone mounts for your vehicle and it only seemed appropriate to share it with all of you! After finally breaking down and purchasing a new vehicle, I went down a rabbit hole to find the best cell phone mounts for your vehicle. Below are the recommendations I received from my audience!