*Gear Review* Sport Science Smarter Basics T-Shirts

I have to admit, I am no fashion diva.  Yes, I want to look nice, but more importantly, I want my clothes to perform for me and hold up between regular day-to-day activities AND biking, running, hiking, etc.  If I can't be active in something I am wearing, I am honestly just not going to reach for it on a daily level.

When Sport Science (since 2005) reached out to us to review some of their basic tees, we were thrilled about the concept of living comfortably in clothes that perform (but don't feel like they are performance clothing.)

Their philosophy:  do more. enjoy.  Now THAT is something I can handle!

What we love about the Tees:
- They really do feel like cotton, despite being a dry-fit, moisture-wicking fabric.
- Their Fresh Guard technology keeps any smell at bay (which is usually a HUGE problem for technical clothing.)  Both Mtn Papa and I have been wearing them for numerous days between washes (and I have been working out in mine and sweating plenty.)  The smell remains neutral.
- The fit is great - relaxed without being sloppy and plenty of length to allow for movement.
- They are basic and seem like a "normal T-shirt", but keep their shape and perform well.

*Guest Post* 4 Ways to Turn an Everyday Walk Into a Grand Adventure

I am so pleased to welcome Debi to the blog today.  She is a wonderful example of the fact that nature-lovers don't JUST live in the mountains.  Her blog is chock-full of inspiration, stories and pictures and is definitely a worthwhile read!  As always, please feel free to leave her comments on this post (and answer the question she poses!) and check out the link to her blog and a little bio at the end!

I live in Los Angeles, where the nearest neighborhood park is about a mile away. The closest trails, rivers, creeks, city or state parks are at least 20 minutes away – by car. So when we’re short on time but hankering for some outdoor exploring, we head out the front door and take a walk around the neighborhood.

You’d think after about the 100^th walk, our kids – ages 7 and 3.5 – would hate it. But we don’t often get complaints. 

So what’s the secret to our success? Turning our everyday walks into grand adventures. Here are a few ways my hubby and I do just that.

Create your own scavenger hunt.

Even in our very urban neighborhood, there’s nature all around us. Sometimes, you just need to slow down and look for it. Scavenger hunts are a good way to help kids focus the senses on certain items. 

We’ve taken color walks, flower walks, leaf walks – we’ve even looked for letters in nature. We’ve created scavenger hunts for each of the four seasons, a bird watching scavenger hunt and more. Sometimes we create a list ahead of time; on other occasions we just make it up as we go. You’re limited only by your own imagination.

*REVISED!* Choosing a Kid Carrier (Deuter vs. Kelty)

**Please note: After posting this review, a representative from Kelty kindly stepped in and informed us of a feature of the pack that we had somehow missed....(amazing how that can happen!)  I have revised this post, but did not revise the video (because it is hard to get a house quiet enough to do that with two young kids!)  But, we now know that you can compress the Kelty more by releasing those yellow straps that lie against the back panel. This allows the area where the child sits to fold down. They MUST be tightened prior to use to make the design work, but if you needed it as "thin" as possible you would want to loosen those straps as well.**

We have gotten fairly swamped with people wanting a fair comparison between the Kelty Pathfinder 3.0 and the Deuter Kid Carrier III (both packs that we have reviewed previously - links lead to those reviews on this blog.)  I am honestly not too keen on comparing the packs because there is certainly a HUGE amount of personal preference, but I also believe in doing real, honest reviews here and so will happily give our opinion!  While I personally believe these are two of the very best on the market right now, Osprey's Poco is starting to hit stores now, and who knows where that one will stand in the line-up!  It seems pretty great, but I haven't tested it myself.  I will certainly update this when we do!

Comparing how far they open up.

Comparing widths when compact (this is a revised photo - see note at top of post)

Let me start with saying that both carriers are excellent.  In our family they have both served their purpose and we reach for them for different things and usually for different kids.  This is absolutely our personal preference and opinions and the best way for you to make a decision about a carrier is to go into a store and try one on.


If you prefer to watch the comparison (easier to see some of the features...though note that this video is nothing professional! ;))

This Moment...

*No words necessary, just a precious moment from our life.*

Gear Review: Ice Queen Skirt by Skirt Sports

Skirts are hitting the big time out in the athletic world.  I have been watching them change and improve over the past few years and continue to be impressed.  It is not uncommon to see gals wearing them for running races, out skiing or just around Jackson (which we consider the local ski town and people wear their gear to the bar.)  They bring functionality and femininity together for women who continue to be active (and hate changing their clothes numerous times throughout the day!)

I wrote a post a few months back about the Skhoop skirt and using it for winter sports.  Warm skirt, but definitely not super stretchy for lots of movement.  Skirts Sports has another version of an outdoor winter skirt that is definitely more forgiving when using it to be active.  The Ice Queen is essentially a winter athletic pant with a skirt for added coverage.  I also claim that extra layer of the skirt adds just a tad more warmth (which I find helpful!)

What I love:
- Windproof thigh panels and skirt (HUGE in Windy Wyoming!) The thigh panels extend past the knee making the coverage more than adequate. The rest of the piece (that is not the windproof panels) is stretchy and soft.
- The skirt doesn't get in the way of my movement, but still does provide a bit of "modesty coverage" especially for aerobic sports where tight-fitting clothes are more comfortable anyway (XC skiing, snowshoeing, skiing).
- They are great for running, snowshoeing, and XC skiing.  I did wear them backcountry alpine skiing once with long underwear beneath them, but they don't fit over the larger alpine ski boots quite as well and I felt as though I should be wearing a little more for the conditions.
- Their boot-leg shape and 9" boot zipper allows for fitting over nordic ski boots and running shoes.
- The attaching of the pants and skirt is such that no chafing will happen.  The construction of the skirt is absolutely secure and tough.
- Two small pockets (hidden under the skirt on both sides) hold an ipod/gel easily.  Love the music port too! (see photo below for sizing peek of pockets/music port)

*Guest Post* First Ski Tour With Mama

I am pleased to welcome Katie to the blog today.  After emailing me a few months back and mentioning she lives in a cabin in the mountains with her husband and young daughter, I knew she would have some good stories!  I was thrilled when she finally agreed to share one with us all.  As always, please feel free to leave her some love in the comments!

It snowed.  Finally.  I can’t believe it’s taken until February for the snow conditions to be good enough to take our baby for a ski tour.  We’ve had more wind, rain and ice crusts this year than snow.  Typically by now, I would have been out skiing a good 30+ days; even last year, when I was pregnant.  But this winter is different for another reason; we now have a sweet 7 month old, S. 

It was a beautiful day for a ski tour, at least at first.  We typically like to get an early start, but after figuring out what gear we needed and how to fit it all into the kid carrier (we attached a separate bag), making breakfast and packing lunch, feeding and changing S again, getting the skis ready, and putting her pacifier on belay, we finally headed out at the crack of 11:30.  We were familiar with dressing her in the cold:  long sleeved Capilene onsie with pants, baby leg warmers to keep her legs warm while changing her outdoors, knitted socks, booties, wool mittens, a thick fleece one piece suit with handwarmers in the hands and feet, a little hat with a felted wool earflap hat over top, sunglasses to protect her eyes and a bit of sunscreen on her exposed face, all under a toasty down outfit.  We planned to be outside for up to 5-6 hours and wanted to be prepared for anything.   We’d done plenty of cross country skiing and snowshoeing with S on our backs or in her ski trailer, and a little skinning uphill before our local resort opens in the morning.  We like to take her on an outside adventure at least 5 days a week.  But this was the first backcountry ski tour that I skinned up and skied down with S.  I wanted to carry her so I knew I could do it, even though my husband usually carries the heavier backpack.  Note: we are both experienced skiers and have excellent backcountry travel skills.  We completely avoid avalanche terrain while traveling with S. 

Multi-Family Adventures

This past weekend for the very first time we went hiking with a couple other families.  Funny that we have really never done that before (despite knowing it can be great fun)!  We have certainly hiked/skied with other people, but not families with kids.

We had six kids between us (all under the age of 8), three dogs and a gloriously beautiful "spring" day  (quotations around spring because winter is far from being over here in the mountains.)

We definitely had our share of falling, whining, laughing, whining, jumping, whining, exploring, whining, and lots of great peer pressure....oh and whining.  It really wasn't that bad, but we have to be honest here: all kids are not going to be great troopers for a three hour hike (and that is ok!)