THE MONTHLY ESCAPE

December 2025 Edition

Simple Adventures with Less Noise

📎 Heads up: Some links in this email may be affiliate links. If you click through and buy something, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

I only recommend gear I've used or would recommend to a friend.

Hey ,

Your inbox is probably drowning right now with all the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holiday sales. Not to mention the year-end summaries and everyone shouting for your attention. 

So I'm keeping this one short.

December is loud. The world wants you busy, stressed, and spending. But here's what I say, the best part of winter isn't the noise. It's the quiet.

The crunch of boots on snow (which I experienced last week). An empty trailhead on a Friday morning. And let’s be real, coffee steaming in cold air with nobody around for miles!

Okay, maybe this is just me.

This month's newsletter is intentionally lighter. No long stories, no endless product lists, just a few useful things and a reminder that the best escape is still the one you actually take.

Let's keep it simple.

🔧 FIELD TESTED WISDOM

If you're car camping in cold weather, here's the single biggest upgrade I made, a simple foam pad under your sleeping setup.

Seriously. Even if you have a thick air mattress or sleeping pad, cold radiates up from the floor of your vehicle. A cheap foam yoga mat or closed-cell foam camping pad underneath creates a thermal barrier. It's the difference between waking up shivering at 3 am and actually sleeping through the night.

Cost: ~$30

Time to set up: 30 seconds

Impact: Massive

WHY IT WORKS: Your body loses heat through contact points. Small layers between you and cold surfaces stop that heat transfer. It's not about expensive gear. It's about understanding how heat loss works.

You can even use this with tent camping. The same reasoning applies, but you will notice how much warmer you are.

Want more winter camping tips? I wrote a full guide based on lessons learned the hard way:

👉 Winter Camping in a RAV4

❄️ WINTER REC NEWS

I hate to mention this state in the US, but I guess they are ‘cool’ too. And if you know me, you’ll understand why (and if you don’t, it’s related to football, tis the season).

If you're looking for ways to stay warm and still have fun outside, I’ve got you covered. Click here to check out the winter rec section.

I read that Minnesotans are actually excited about this winter. After several years of disappointing snow and mild temps, early December brought the cold and snow people have been waiting for. Ski resorts are opening early, trails are getting groomed, and outdoor enthusiasts are dusting off gear that's been sitting in storage.

If you've been waiting for a "real winter" to test your cold-weather setup, this might be your year.

Read more: Minnesotans Enjoying Early Winter Bluster

🎁 GIFT GUIDE (IF YOU NEED IT)

Since the last newsletter, I received a few emails asking for an updated gift guide. Well, you asked, and here it is!

I know you're getting bombarded with gift guides. I wanted this one to be different. It's 30+ outdoor gifts organized by actual price ranges ($10 stocking stuffers to serious gear), and every item is something I've used or genuinely recommend.

No fluff. No random Amazon finds. Just useful stuff for people who actually go outside.

👉 2025 Outdoor Gift Guide for Adventure Enthusiasts

🤖 AI EXPERIMENTS (JUST FOR FUN)

If you aren’t into AI, feel free to skip this section. But I wanted to try adding something that I have been playing around with.

Okay, maybe two things.

Camping List Builder: I built a simple tool using AI that helps you create custom packing lists based on your specific trip (car camping vs backpacking, weather conditions, trip length, etc.). It's been surprisingly useful for not forgetting stuff. Still tweaking it, but if you want to try it, here’s the link. I would love it if you let me know what you thought about it (feel free to reply to this email).

Making AI Music: This one is just for fun. Tools like Riffusion (now Producter) can make custom songs in minutes. Want a campfire anthem for your next trip? A goofy holiday song for your family? It’s easier than you think and way more fun than it should be. Want to hear a few examples? Click here to listen to songs like No Excuses Just Results and Turn Your Ride Into a Home.

Not everything needs to be serious.

Sometimes technology is just cool.

💬 QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU

As I’ve said before, I want to make sure these emails are actually useful. Please hit reply and let me know:

What do you like most about The Monthly Escape?

It could be something like...

• The personal stories and adventures?

• The reminder to actually get outside?

• The preparedness and safety info?

• The practical tips and gear hacks?

• The honest gear reviews?

• Something else entirely?

Just a one-word reply would help me a lot! 

Your feedback helps me keep this thing worth reading. And honestly, I just like hearing from you.

Thanks for being part of The Monthly Escape.

Trying something new here, too. That’s me repping the Packers. Had to throw this one in after reading about Minnesota’s early winter. 

Stay warm out there and have a great December!

Let me know what you think about this issue of The Monthly Escape. I read every reply, even if you're a Vikings fan.

Stay warm out there,

Eric

📧 Forward this to a friend who needs less noise and more adventure.

"Escape the ordinary, embrace the adventure."