Cait Carroll

Cait currently lives in Western North Carolina with her three kids, but they have bounced all over from Utah, Texas, Wisconsin, and Sweden before moving to their current home. She loves any and all outdoor activities, and spends a lot of her week hauling her kids around on an electric cargo bike and trying to convince anyone and everyone to go backpacking or climbing with her. She has a PhD in Sociology with an emphasis on Gender and Sexuality, and currently works full-time as a User Experience Researcher in the tech industry. She loves to talk all things feminism, gardening, car-free life, and the Danish political drama Borgen.

Getting Outside After a Natural Disaster

In September of last year, Hurricane Helene came through Western NC and absolutely decimated large swaths of land in my area. Entire small towns in our area lost their communities to the floods, with some 12,000 homes uninhabitable or completely gone in the aftermath. There were an estimated 1,000 landslides in our mountains, destroying homes, … Read more

How to Keep Feet Warm in Cold Weather

Three pair of snowy boots dangle from a bench.

There is nothing worse than cold feet for adults OR kids to make a winter outdoor adventure go really bad, really fast. While we truly believe investing in great gear for your feet is worth it, there are also some easy tips keep feet warm in cold weather. Keeping kids’ feet warm in the winter … Read more

Gift Ideas for Biking Kids 2024

Choosing the perfect gift for your kid can be a delightful yet challenging task. If you have a young cyclist in your life, you know how thrilling it is to see their excitement as they pedal off on a new bike. For these young adventurers, a thoughtful biking gift can enhance their riding experience, boost … Read more

Backpacking with Kids in Western North Carolina

Backpacking with kids in Western North Carolina is a dream! The region has vast tracts of national forest land to explore with Pisgah National Forest and Nantahala National Forest, plus it shares Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Eastern Tennessee. A long section of the world-famous Appalachian Trail also runs through the state, over 300 … Read more

Minimalist Hiking Sandals

Minimalist shoes are a type of footwear that provide a more natural experience for the feet similar to being barefoot, which is why they are also called “barefoot shoes.” There are options out there to wear minimalist shoes during all seasons (check out TMM team member’s Kristin’s post on barefoot winter boots!) This post will … Read more

Rock Climbing for Kids

A kid in pink hoodie and red helmet top rope climbs on a real rock wall outdoors.

In the past 18 months, I’ve developed an intense love (bordering on obsession) of rock climbing, both on my own and with my kids. It’s been an amazing way for me to gain strength and keep my body healthy, as well as a great way to spend time and bond with my teenager (who is … Read more