LOCAL RESOURCES

When it comes time to update your own adventure gear, we have incredible companies right here in Vancouver. We have camped, hiked, walked, boated and rv’d around vancouver for years, and these are a few of our favourite things, some we would not leave the house without.

Heres our BEST of the WEST list.

CHECK THEM OUT

VESSI SHOES- Vancouver

100% Waterproof Running Shoes

Over years of camping in the rain and shine, we could see the only happy campers with dry AND comfy feet were the ones wearing their Vessi’s. They really are that awesome.

LULU LEMON– Vancouver

Soft High Rise Leggings

You cant walk 5 minutes in Vancouver, without seeing Lulu Lemon leggings on someone walking by. I have a pair in my RV and my house, they sit comfortably at the waist, never seem to pill or fade, even after being washed a hundred times, and are buttery soft. When we go camping, I practically live in them.

MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CO-OP COMPANY– Vancouver

100% Waterproof Shell Jackets

Water Bottles & Backpacks

JavaPress Camping Coffee French Press

We chose MEC when we bought each other matching waterproof jackets for christmas last year. We wanted local, durable, waterproof coats for camping and we love the ones we got. We also found our water bottles for our ebikes there, and foldable packable back packs too for hikes. After breaking 2 glass french presses camping, I was searching for an alternative that would make a really good cup of coffee, but couldn’t break and also keep it hot. I found the JavaPress at MEC and we love it. It makes better coffee camping, than my machine does at home.

SAJE NATURAL WELLNESS– Vancouver

Roll on pain relieving essential oil.

I dont know how it works, but I take this roller with me camping for the times I get a migraine away from home. It just works. It seems to keep the bugs away too.

VANCOUVER TRAILS-Website & App-Vancouver

HIKE PLANNER

Started by a cool couple in North Van, this site has grown to the best resource for finding tons of trail hikes in and around Vancouver. I prefer it to other bigger apps because its written by locals, and has a great community feel, with people posting photos of their hikes, and my phone seems to load this one consistently even with a low signal out on trail walks. We have found some local gems and hidden spots that we have loved. Its simple to read and well thought out. Their blog community is really strong and supportive too.

STREET FOOD APP – Vancouver FOOD Trucks

We use this app to find the best food truck near us, when we have run out on a spontanious adventure without a packed lunch. It shows where every single food truck is located in Vancouver in real time. We have had POKE bowls on the beach at Kits, gluten free donuts near Stanley Park, and jamaican pockets in Fort Langley to name a few. I like the MAP planning PAGE so just in case you get a little obsessed with one food truck you can see where its going next.

BOOKING RESOURCES

Below is a list of companies we use to book travel in and from Vancouver, Canada. We have found them to be the best place for good deals, ease of use and trusted brands. These are the ones we come back to again and again, and have used for ourselves and family to dream, plan and book our next adventure.

HOTELS

BOOKING.COM

Booking.com is the most popular hotel booking site in the world. It has the largest selection and is easy to compare reviews and prices in a single screen instead of multiple direct websites. I love their app. I want it to be easy, and it is. It makes the process very quick, and the no money down feature is great. You can easily book multiple night stays, in a single session. We have been using Booking.com for 10 years for all of our hotel bookings, at home and away. We have never had an issue with a booking on arrival, which is great peace of mind. It seems to find the best deals too.

TOURS

VIATOR.COM

Viator.com is an online platform for booking city tours, experiences and activities around the globe but has the best selection in the United States and Canada. If you’ve ever been on a hop on hop off bus in Vancouver, you’ll hear people say they booked it on Viator. For the same reason that I like Booking.com, Viator makes it easy to search multiple tours, find the best price and reviews, and buy multiple tours in one checkout. We have found great Vancouver staycation tickets on Viator. I use Viator for classic city experiences like bus tours, museums, fly over Canada tickets, and the zoo. They offer free cancellation, with a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours in advance which is awesome.

GETYOURGUIDE.COM

GetYourGuide has great deals on local activities and unique excursions, I find that they hone in on most loved activities, and they even have original tours they run themselves. We like them for sightseeing tours, food excursions, city guides, boat fares, and skip the line tickets. They have bucket list worthy adventures. I really appreciate that their website has a lot of pictures of the activities and group them by type making it much easier to chose. I’m a person that needs to SEE what the experience is. Because of their high volume they run specials on tours that you wouldn’t get buying direct.