RV Hacks - How To Use Apple TV Without Internet!!

For those who found this post by Google search, I assume we are in the same boat.  For those wondering why you would want to setup an Apple TV on an RV or while camping, the answer is simple.  We are very active with our children and take every means necessary to get our kids out in nature and to see the world, but truth be told that can be extremely tiresome with 2 toddlers and sometimes the adults just need a break.  Whether it be nap time or settling them down to their favorite movie before bed, having this little hack available to us makes life just that much more simple.  Below is a complete setup guide and video to help walk you through this simple hack.  Please excuse me if you find some of the steps redundant as I am outlining them as if you were a first time user or iTunes, AirPlay and Apple TV.  To my Android subscribers I'm sorry, I assume you can do the same thing with your Chromecast and Android devices, I don't have any and can't speak from experience on setting it up.

What You Will Need:

  1. A wireless router - An old one that you know you have the network name and password for is ideal, but if you don't buy a cheap one from Amazon.  Make sure you configure it using the start up instructions it comes with so you have the SSID (Network Name) and Password to access the wireless network. 
  2. A computer with iTunes downloaded to it.
  3.  iPhone or iPad running a version of iOS that allows AirPlay.
  4. Apple TV Gen 2,3,4
  5. TV

Getting Started:

I will walk you through how I preconfigured my setup to allow for streaming from my computer or iOS device like my iPhone or iPad.  You don't have to use my method and by all means if you don't want to worry about a computer than just use your iPhone or iPad utilizing AirPlay.

Configure iTunes

I don't like to take up all my storage on my computer for saving movies, and with the prices of external hard drives being as cheap as they are you shouldn't want to either.  So for all my media that I have on iTunes I have it stored on an external hard drive.  Below are the instructions to make this work.

  • Open iTunes -> Select Preferences -> Select Advanced -> Select Change
  • Pick Your External Hard Drive as the iTunes Media Folder Location
  • It may ask if you want to organize the media folder, I select yes.
    • This allows you to utilize the "Automatically Add To iTunes" folder.  When adding new content just download it to this folder on your external hard drive and you will see it in you iTunes interface.
  • iTunes automatically stores video files to "Home Videos", just open the "Home Videos" and and hit "Control + A" to select all, right click and change the file sorting option t

You may be asking yourself, why go through the hassle of all of this when I can just use AirPlay from my iPhone or iPad.  Well the answer for us is easy.  As you can see from our website we love to travel, not just in an RV but every form, and you can only store so much on your phone, so this method allows us to utilize it whether we are in France, on the RV in a remote campground or just at home.

Set Up Wireless Router

Plug your wireless router into a power outlet, remember we are not connecting to the internet, so you don't need to plug an ethernet cord into your modem.  I suggest doing this in your house to test things out.  Give the router a few minutes to fully load up.  Now with your phone and/or computer make sure you can log on to that network.  Once you are connected the last thing you need to do is connect your Apple TV to the same network.

Setup Apple TV

Plug the Apple TV into a power outlet and run HDMI cord into the tv.  

  • Go to settings -> General -> Network -> Select Your New Wireless Router
  • Back all the way out to main screen.
  • Select Computers
  • Access all your iTunes media
  • If you connect an iPhone or iPad to this same wireless network you can also use AirPlay.

 

 

 

Using Trekking Poles For Your Bridge Hammock

If you are anything like me, you are always looking to shed a few pounds from your pack. The problem that I ran into was, my favorite hammock requires me to carry additional poles for setup. Something I've never been to happy about but couldn't get away from because you can't beat the comfort of the Warbonnet Ridge Runner Hammock.  

However, there was a solution to my problem, and one I'm sure would work for almost any bridge style hammock. Warbonnet, sells accessory hardware that lets you turn some trekking poles into bridge bars.   

See below for how this works.  

Mountainsmith Trekker FX Monopod Poles with Warbonnet Hardware on the Head End 

Mountainsmith Trekker FX Monopod Poles with Warbonnet Hardware on the Carbide Tip

I layed my trekking poles along side the poles that came with the hammock. I marked the length of each of the bridge poles on my trekking pole with a little nail polish.  

The foot end. 

The head end.  

My daughter dressed as a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Marty Mcfly. 😀 

My test dummy.  

And here is what she looks like. The rigidity of the poles was great, actually better than I expected. I am extremely happy with how this came out and the reduction to my pack weight. When considering option make sure you have poles that give you access to a threaded screw for a camera mount. You will need to screw one of the bridge accessories on. Hope this helped. 

Toddler Camping Hack

This is a short post but one I felt worth sharing.  

This past weekend I brought my 3 year old daughter camping with me, for her first daddy daughter day camping trip. She is recently potty trained and the week leading up to our trip I was racking my brain about whether or not I was going to pack pull ups. 

After much deliberation and thought I decided I did not want to put her back in diapers.  This however put me in a dilemma. Will I be able to convince my daughter to drop trough in the middle of the night while out in the woods?

No I Won't.  

Come the solution. Last year I was working Ina home DIY project to convert my junk mail into paper pulp and dry the pulp bricks into paper logs to be burned in the fire place. To do this I needed two 5 gallon buckets, one with holes drilled in the bottom of it. I took this bucket and her potty seat and made her a camp potty. I couldn't be any more happy with how this worked. She didn't balk at all to go pee-pee on her camp potty and I didn't stress every time she had to go.  

So that's it. Yes I will pat myself on the back.  

 

Camp Potty- potty Training Sear and 5 Gallon Bucket.  

Happy Camper  

How To Plan A Trip Around The World With Toddlers?

I should first state that I have not taken a trip around the world with my children, but it is something that I would like to do.  Possibly you want to do the same thing and we can figure this out together.  I believe the first step is making the decision to take such an undertaking and fully commit to the idea.  After making that decision, being open to the fact that your original plans will change and staying open to receiving the gifts and opportunities the universe will provide when you are committed to your decision.  If this were easy, more people would do it, and the combination of possibilities is infinite for a successful journey.  Everyone brings a different skill set and pool of resources to pull from in order to make this happen.  Networking, training and career open all sorts of doors for us and navigating that path is what requires your attention.

Machu Picchu 

Great Wall of China

Great Barrier Reef

The Pyramids at Giza

Where Should We Start....

At the beginning of course.  The starting line is the decision to traveling the planet, unplugging from everything you know and are comfortable with and diving into the abyss of the unknown.  My advice here is to trust the TAO, or whatever works for you.  Believe that you are capable of greatness and trust that when you believe things will just happen.  I know this is crazy but it has worked for everything else in my life.  Everything in the physical world started as an idea in the non-physical place in our mind, this is the place that we dream from.  Fear, anxiety, guilt and negativity from the Nay-Sayers are your only obstacles. But what about money?  That is fear, not that it isn't a question that needs to be addressed but it shouldn't be a determining factor on whether your adventure will happen.  Except that we don't know when we will go but trust that if you put the work in, it is a matter of where you will start not if.

Imagine....

Walking on the Great Wall of China, staring up at Mount Everest, hiking through the ruins of Machu Picchu.  You have to first picture it in your mind and envision yourself there.  I think about these places all the time and often wonder what it would be like to be there.  To swim in the ocean in Thailand, or to see the flying flags of Bhutan, are experiences that I hope to have and to share with my children.  We look at magazines or articles on the internet and think that these places are unreachable.  They aren't out of our grasp they just require a little planning.  

Easter Island

Northern Lights

African Safari

Sydney Opera House

MOUNTAIN CROSSINGS’ THRU HIKER KICK OFF PARTY

MOUNTAIN CROSSINGS’ THRU HIKER KICK OFF PARTY!

Our day started off with a bit of a surprise. Snow, and a lot more than we anticipated.  Georgia had received a winter storm a few days before and 60 miles south of Blood Mountain there were hardly any remnants.  Pulling in to the parking lot of the Byron Reese Trail I quickly realized that my decision to wear my trail shoes instead of boots was the wrong one.  6 inches of snow lay on the trail and as the sun broke from behind the clouds it turned to mush.  

We left our packs in the car and headed to the top of Blood Mountain to enjoy the views of the valleys below.  Our hike allowed us to cross paths with NOBO thru hikers who had recently started there trek to Mount Katahdin Maine from Springer Mountain Georgia.  Passing the trekkers made me wonder if they will make it all the way, it also had me questioning whether I could do such a hike.  It is a bucket list item for my wife and I.

After our hike up and back on Blood Mountain, we decided to join the Mountain Crossings Thru Hiker Kick Off Party . March 1 is the traditional start date for most thru hikers and Mountain Crossings lie on the path to Neel Gap.  Hikers can stop in to refuel and refresh as they have a fantastic store full of gear and food as well as a hostel for hikers to take a break and wash up.  The party was joined by vendors from various outdoor companies and live music provide by Raven and Red.

We hiked a little way up the trail, set up camp and came down to join the party.  There we were greeted by many of the locals and joined some of the thru hikers in conversation.  We were invited to join the bonfire that night and enjoyed stories and laughing while everyone had a great time around the fire.  Some of the seasoned hikers passed along some wisdom and trail etiquette that I will pay forward and adhere to on my treks.  2 of the more important pieces of information I received were in regards to the Leave No Trace initiative and to pay respects to the old timers on the trail.

If you haven't had an opportunity to join one of these events, I suggest putting it on you calendar.  You can follow them on Facebook for updates on other events and specials.  And read up on  Leave No Trace .  As important as it is to inspire others to get out on the trail it is just as important to educate the new breed to respect and treat these trails with care as the are the life blood for so many and meaningful to even more.