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Tag Archives: kids outdoor gear reviews
Gear Review: Patagonia Kids Down Sweater
Patagonia Kids Down Sweater
Kids Down Jacket
Patagonia Girls/Boys Down Sweater
$99, 10 oz. (girls medium)
Sizes: boys and girls XS (5-6) to XXL (16-18)
patagonia.com
The first indicator that this kids’ down jacket was a good pick: My 10-year-old daughter didn’t want to take it off, wearing it daily to school and even around the house. Your kid loves it—that’s a plus. I like it for the performance. She wore this puffy while car camping and backpacking in late March in Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, when low temperatures ranged from the mid-teens to the 40s, as well as resort skiing (under a shell jacket) and to school on many winter and spring days. While camping, temps in the low 20s were at the jacket’s limit, although you could layer a light insulation piece under it. Continue reading →
Gear Review: REI Sahara Convertible Pants For Kids
REI Sahara Convertible Pants boys
Kids Hiking Pants
REI Sahara Convertible Pants
$45, 9 oz. (boys medium)
Sizes: boys and girls XXS (4-5) to XL (18)
rei.com
We parents face a conundrum regarding kids’ gear and outdoor clothing: We want our kids to have the same high-quality stuff we have—it’s worth it to help them enjoy the experience—but, well, they do outgrow it fast. These zip-off hiking pants soften the financial pain of outfitting your children without sacrificing quality. Moderately priced, they are made with the same fabric and features (six pockets!) as the adult version, with the added value of an adjustable waistband to help keep your son or daughter from busting out of them sooner than you’re ready to lay down plastic for another pair. Continue reading →
Gear Review: REI Salix Insulated Jacket For Kids
REI Kids Salix Insulated Jacket
Winter Shell For Kids
REI Salix Insulated Jacket
$62, 14 oz. (boys medium, size 10-12)
Sizes: boys and girls XXS-XL (4-18)
rei.com
When your kids get old enough for hours of active backcountry recreation in winter like cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, they need a shell jacket that offers protection from snow and wind and some insulation without causing them to instantly overheat. In other words, they need a shell that it fits into a layering system, just like an adult. You want a well-made, durable jacket, but it’s nice if it doesn’t rival the price of an adult model. REI’s Salix Insulated Jacket for boys and girls fits that description completely. Continue reading →
Gear Review: Marmot Storm Shield Kids Rain Jacket
Marmot Storm Shield Kids Rain Jacket
Kids Rain Jacket
Marmot Storm Shield
$65, 14 oz. (L/10-12)
Sizes: boys and girls XS-XL
marmot.com
It can be challenging to find kids outdoor apparel that delivers the quality and performance for adult-size backcountry adventures. So I was delighted to come across the Storm Shield. My 12-year-old son got a lot of use out of this jacket all summer. In Idaho’s City of Rocks, he wore the jacket through hard rain and gusts over 40 mph. Continue reading →
Gear Review: Loda Kody Mid GTX Junior Kids Boots
Lowa Kody Mid GTX Junior
Kids Boots
Lowa Kody Mid GTX Junior
$160, 1 lb. 11 oz. (size US 5/Euro 38)
Sizes: Euro 27-42
lowaboots.com
My 11-year-old son—who has tested at least one model of boots every year since he began backpacking at age five—pronounced these kid backpacking boots comfortable the moment he first put them on. He then went on to sing their praises through a weeklong, hut-to-hut trek in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park, and a five-day, 38-mile backpacking trip in Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness. Continue reading →