Great Kids Gear (Adventuring for Christmas!) + Baby Banz Giveaway

Our kids always benefit from some great gear for Christmas along with the "fun" stuff.  (Not that gear isn't fun, because it definitely means fun adventures!)  We are strong believers in the idea that great gear = happy kids and fun times!  It is absolutely worth the money for us.  We give each other gear for holidays, we give them gear.  And then we go play!  We thought it would be fun to make a list of the gear that we personally love to share with you.  And yes, we understand that this list does not exhaust all the possiblities and we would LOVE to hear your own opinions or suggestions in the comments!

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A bunch of other Outdoor Mamas are also doing holiday guide posts today!  Check them out:

*Family Holiday Gifts for Cyclists from Velo Mom

*A Wishlist for Cragbabies from Cragmama

*Christmas Gift Ideas - The 5 pieces of gear we take everywhere from Bring the Kids

*Gifts for Outdoor Families from Outside Mom

*Tis the Gift Giving Season - Suggestions for Skiing Families from Brave Ski Mom

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And since it is Cyber Monday, I am including links to most of the gear (because a ton of it is on sale so don't miss it!)

Molehill Mittens and Booties

We have quite honestly had some struggles finding warm enough mittens for J.  However, we are super impressed with Molehill.  We bought some mittens last year that were much too big for J, but used them to layer other smaller mittens under (and could even fit in a handwarmer between the mittens last year).  Molehill graciously sent us some thumb-less ones to review for P this year and we love them too.  They are warm, stay on and have a waterproof shell. P wears them layered under his snowsuit when it is colder out (and yep, plenty of room to grow!).  Molehill also makes some awesome booties that fit over shoes and add another layer of warmth.  P is still small for them, but we are able to put them over his shoes and under his snowsuit.  He is wearing them in the picture below and a better picture is above this paragraph.

Bear (or animal in general) Hat
I always thought animal hats for kids were silly.  They are kids, not animals.  But J LOVES this hat.  And I cannot tell you how many complements he gets on it (mostly from jealous adults, believe it or not!)  It covers his ears very well, keeps him warm and makes him growl.  We found the hat in Jackson at Skinny Skis (one of our favorite shops!)

J Wearing Bear Hat, Baby Banz Sunglasses, Patagonia Puff Coat and Molehill Mittens

Patagonia Snowsuit and Patagonia Puff Jacket
Patagonia makes some of the very best and warmest gear out there for kids.  J has a puff coat (see photo above) and a snow suit that have kept him plenty warm.  We always joke that it is the "Jackson" brand because when we are there, it is rare (no, I am not exaggerating) to see a baby/toddler NOT wearing a Patagonia coat in the winter. And Jackson knows its gear!  We have been blessed with Grandparents who spoil us with Patagonia, but we also find it on ebay and consignment shops.

Find the jacket here --> Patagonia Baby Reversible Puff-Ball Jacket  

Columbia Bunting Snowsuit
Columbia also makes great snowsuits for kids.  This one is a size 12 month, but I started putting P in it at 4 months.  It is down and very warm.  The only thing I don't like is the hood since it has no elastic in it to keep it on.

Find it here --> Columbia Bunting



Smartwool Socks
Smartwool makes socks for babies, but I personally think they are pretty worthless.  Babies are pros at getting their socks off, but these fall of faster than any other sock I have ever used.  However, their toddler socks are amazing.  Wool is a life saver and keeps wet feet warm and J wears them daily throughout the winter.
Find them here --> SmartWool Toddler Socks



IceBreaker Long Underwear (extended review and giveaway coming soon!)
Unfortunately, Ice Breaker's smallest size is just about equivilent to a 12 month size (though they call it a "1") However, their toddler (and adult for that matter) Merino Wool long underwear is top of the line.   It is soft and comfortable for kids and keeps them plenty warm.  Their sizing chart on their site is also right-on (so refer to it before ordering!)  And just for fun, you can track which sheep the wool came from for each garment (fun for all!)

And, Cyber Monday is a super great time to buy some of these (because they are not cheap, but totally worth the money!)
Cyber Monday Special! Save 15% on all items in the Icebreaker Gift Guide. Plus FREE SHIPPING on all orders! Shop now >

Boots
This is one area where we are still looking for the warmest boot.  So far we used hand-me downs, but this year will need to get J some good ones.  Suggestions anyone?

Baby Banz

We are often out skiing with our kids in carriers on our backs.  We LOVE our Chariot, but sometimes it is just not practical when we are out in the backcountry.  Since their faces are exposed to the elements, it means they need protection!  We found these infant ski goggles for J when he was just a baby from Baby Banz.  Unfortunately, they no longer carry the infant size.  And, quite honestly, they are now falling apart (the foam is coming off) and we are not sure we can use them for P.  They were great for a while, though!  However, their kid-sized ski goggles are AWESOME.  Super comfortable for small faces and definitely provides them the protection they need.  J has no problem wearing them (but, we do a lot of "goggle-wearing-practice" just to be sure!)

J wearing Infant Banz 

 

I contacted Baby Banz and they agreed to give one of you a pair of Kid Ski-Banz (in winner's choice of color!)  Just in time for Christmas (just think, you could give your own kids some gear!)  Use the Rafflecopter thingy below to enter.  Notice, for extra entries, visit (and "like") the facebook pages of all the other gals with outdoor gift guide blog posts today!  These are the some of the best outdoor blogs out there and ones I highly recommend! Good luck!
PLEASE make sure once you do a "task" on the Rafflecopter, you click the "I did this" button next to it (it will then say "done").  That is what enters you into the giveaway!  Email me if you have questions! :) mountainmamatales@gmail.com

Molehill, Icebreaker and Baby Banz gave us gear to review.  However, as always, the opinions expressed here are completely and honestly our own.  We love this gear and wanted to pass it on to you!  Some of the links in this post are affiliates (which means we would make a small percentage of any sales made through the links.) However, we are hoping to just make a little money for gear and to better this site and that's it! :)