kids outdoor gear reviews

Gear Review: REI Sahara Convertible Pants For Kids

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REI Sahara Convertible Pants boys
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.

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Gear Review: REI Salix Insulated Jacket For Kids

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REI Kids Salix Insulated Jacket
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.

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Gear Review: Marmot Storm Shield Kids Rain Jacket

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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.

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Gear Review: Loda Kody Mid GTX Junior Kids Boots

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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.

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Gear Review: Evolv Venga Kids Rock Climbing Shoes

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Evolv Venga kids rock climbing shoes

Kids Rock Climbing Shoes
Evolv Venga
$45, 11 oz. (pair of youth size 5)
Sizes: unisex kids 11 to youth 5
evolvsports.com

Kids are often happy to climb in their low-cut hiking shoes up to a certain age—then they want a pair of real rock shoes like mom and dad. When my 11-year-old son decided this summer he wanted to graduate to sticky climbing shoes, I got him the Venga.

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