EP36 | Overlanding and Outdoor Adventure with Children Featuring Megan Walthall

Watch Exclusively

Listen & Subscribe

Featuring:

Episode Description

When it comes to taking kids on adventures in the outdoors, Megan Walthall has a lot of experience to draw from. The mother of three children (two girls and one boy), Megan and her husband, Bryan Walthall, have seen a lot in their years together adventuring as a family.

Along with a host of outdoor experiences in their everyday lives, Megan and Bryan teamed up with Expedition Overland in 2020 to take their three children on an epic overlanding adventure: The Walthall Family Solo Series.

Learn from Megan, as she shares insight she has gained from her experience as an adventure-mother while offering tips for those who are new to parenting as well as those who have been at it a while.

Listen in on the conversation, as Megan and Jimmy discuss how to give your kid’s a voice in family adventures and how to help them gain confidence through participation, knowledge building, and skillsets.

Megan also discusses the valuable lessons kids learn through adventure and how to develop an effective mindset as an adventure-parent, finding the balance that leads to growth and memorable experiences for the entire family.

Detailed Episode Summary

Part 1 (1:30-8:08) Intro and Welcome Megan Walthall! Megan, her husband Bryan, and her three children were set to move to Australia to shoot a family solo series for X Overland when Covid struck. Megan explains what this narrative looked like for her and her family and how they adjusted and grew from this experience.

Part 2 (8:10-14:20) The Importance of Having Fun when it comes to Kids and Overlanding: Why is it important to focus on fun for the kids when you take them on an adventure? How do you set healthy expectations for both the kids and yourselves as parents when you head into the outdoors for adventure? Megan shares strategies for setting family expectations that are realistic and lead to rewarding outings.

Part 3 (14:21-22:58) Learning from Failure: Megan shares some of her most memorable failure stories as a parent taking her kids camping and the lessons learned from these experiences.

Part 4 (23:00-27:14) How can you utilize older siblings when taking kids adventuring? Megan and her husband, Bryan, have three children and have learned how to leverage their older children as mentors for younger siblings when the family heads out on an adventure. Megan shares how she and her husband create this environment while on the trail.

Part 5 (27:15-33:38) As Parents, how do you foster a sense of security in your children when camping? Megan explains the physical preparedness she and her husband undertake to help foster a safe environment and a sense of security in their children when on the trail. She also discusses the mindset she and Bryan work to model for their kids to build their sense of security and confidence in dealing with threats and dangers familiar to the outdoors.

Part 6 (33:40-41:15) How to Bring your Child or Teen’s passion with you on your Adventures: As their kids matured and developed passions of their own, Megan and her husband worked to incorporate these passions into their family adventures. Megan discusses how she did that and shares some stories about her own kids. Jimmy and Megan discuss how you can blend overlanding with a variety of other passions in the outdoors.

Part 7 (41:16- 45:05) What Does Adventure Look Like When You Find Out Your Pregnant? Megan shares her own experience of pregnancy and how she managed adventure and outdoor experiences throughout all three trimesters, providing tips and suggestions from her experience.

Part 8 (45:05-53:00) What Can Kids Learn from Taking them on Real Adventures? Megan and Jimmy explore the value of taking your kids on real adventures, where things don’t always work out as planned. Megan shares stories of her own adventures with her kids as a parent and what the kids learned from these experiences. She also provides actionable tips for taking your kids on adventures and improvising to make the experience fun and memorable.

Part 9 (53:01-59:00) How Do You Manage Technology with Kids When Camping? One of the biggest challenges faced by parents today when taking their kids outdoors is how to manage technology. Megan shares the approach she and her husband use to create a healthy relationship between their kids and technology when on the trail and in camp, providing tips and suggestions for struggling parents.

Part 10 (59:01-1:04:35) What are Megan and Bryan’s Goals for their Kids and Family in the Future? Megan shares how she and Bryan teach their kids to plan their own adventures and the excitement and learning for the kids that come with this.

Part 11 (1:04:36-End) How Do You Do Food Prep for Overlanding with Kids? Megan shares her strategy and tips for overland meal planning for a large family on an adventure, discussing food prep techniques, recipes, and family cooking approaches that keep everyone nourished and having fun. Megan and Jimmy conclude the podcast with final thoughts and words of encouragement for parents taking their kids on adventures.

Listen to our other podcasts