Every winter over 20,000 people gather in Salt Lake City for Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. The trade show attracts companies from all over the world with some of the newest and coolest gear on the market.
This year I got to try out some of that cool gear at Demo Day at Solitude Mountain Resort. Snow shoes, skis, even and electric bike were there for attendees to try. It was like recess for adults, complete with a beer garden.
There was so much to see in the show. Here are some of my favorite picks.
It was great fun slipping and sliding on the fat tires of this Polaris E Bike at Demo Day. The pedal assist feature makes the bike do all the work when the gears shift. Instead of grueling uphills your legs pedal at the same level as a flat open trail and the bike picks up the slack. It’s like riding a bike with a boost. Also, I discovered I’m not a natural snow biker.
This stainless steel insulated beverage bottle has a unique magnetic tether. Instead of the lid flipping back into your face or flopping off to who knows where it magnetizes to the side of the bottle so you never lose it. Plus the lid doubles as an emergency compass – it floats!
Clif Bar Organic Energy Food Clif Bar makes more than just granola bars. They now offer Organic Energy Food pouches in savory flavors like Pizza Margherita and Banana Beet Ginger. I know it’s not baby food, but Baby L enjoyed it even more than I did.
Socks may not be exciting for some, but Fox River Socks were exciting for me. The original home of the Rockford Red Heel, this company makes so much more than the Sock Monkey puppet we all know. The variety of kid, men and women socks was truly surprising.
This little waterproof camera from Intova doesn’t come out until Spring. The Duo action cam is an entry level, lightweight camera designed with easy controls. It would be perfect for kids to use too.
InnoBaby I was impressed by the awesome AquaHeat line from Innobaby. Just add water to a heat packet and you can easily warm bottles, food or water on the go. It was like magic. Their food and storage containers are really cool too.
Although I haven’t tried Craft’s baselayers myself I was impressed with Craft’s Demo Day promotion to trade my base layer for one of theirs. The base layers they collected went to charity.
These are the lightest snowshoes I have ever worn. The pair together only weighs half of a typical pair of snowshoes. Plus they are based in Wisconsin where I grew up.
Platypus new fiber filter mixes soft sided water storage with a portable water filter. Scoop from the river you’re hiking by and you can conveniently drink or pour into another’s bottle.
Fimbulvetr snowshoes are a complete redesign of the traditional snowshoe. This Norwegien company created a unique asymetrical design from a polymer material that has only one contact point with the foot. The shorter, wider shoe distributes the weight outward instead of backward. Plus it’s fun to say Fimbulvetr.
These were just a few of the cool things at this years Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. Enjoy!
Even though you can’t see them, I’m wearing Bogs Boots under all that snow.
This past Christmas we were buried under several FEET of snow. When there’s that much snow, you have to have good boots. Lucky for me Bogs Footwear sent me and Big E a pair of their insulated winter boots to review. I can tell you they rose to the challenge. I was first introduced to Bogs Footwear by my sister in law. When I told her I was reviewing them for my blog she was more than enthusiastic. She sent me this note on facebook.
I like Bogs boots. Not cheap, but they are both rain and snow boots, so I only have 1 pair for all inclement weather. They last forever and don’t split (we ran through a lot of rain boots that way before). They also have good traction.
They have handles on the side of the boots for the kids, so they can get them on and off easily themselves. They are very flexible (I don’t like stiff winter boots). They don’t get too hot in warmer weather, but keep feet toasty in the winter. My kids love them, I think they’re magic. They come in toddler sizes, kids, and adults. Every member of our household has a pair.
Magic? That’s high praise.
Overall I’ve also been impressed with these boots. They’ve become the only boots I wear now because they are stylish enough to wear with skinny jeans and sturdy enough to take on rain, snow, sleet or hail. Okay, I’ve only tried them in rain and snow, but they are waterproof and rated up to -40F so I’m pretty sure they’d handle sleet and hail just fine.
Plus they’re cute. I like my feet to make a fashion statement, especially when the world around is so colorless and blah. Thanks Bogs Footwear.
Sometimes I have been cold even though the boots are rated at -40F. If I’m walking, chasing, climbing, playing or moving my toes stay warm and toasty, but riding on a snow machine or on occasion in the car my feet feel cold inside the boots. These boots come with efficient insulation that’s not bulky. In my opinion the insulation works best when it traps your own body heat.
Also, I wish I had requested one size smaller. I bought one size up thinking I would need the extra space with my thick winter socks, but Bogs Footwear run true to size.
Big E opened his boots on Christmas morning and immediately put them to use climbing up the roof and jumping into the massive snow piles at our house. He’s worn them every day since. I like that the pattern is bright and recognizable too. We were at a busy children’s museum and his boots were the only way to keep track of where he was.
Pros:
Sturdy, durable, waterproof
Handles for getting on and off easily
Beautiful designs and colors
Rated for rain and snow up to -40 degrees
High quality construction
Efficient insulation that’s not bulky
Cons:
Cost $110-140 is not cheap for adult boots ($40-80 for toddler/kids)
The foot bed insert can pull out if you wear them without socks (I know it’s winter and I should always wear socks but sometimes I just have to run out quickly to my car).
Feet can feel cold if you’re stationary in the cold
Overall I’m very impressed. Maybe my sister-in-law was right. Maybe Bogs Footwear IS magic.
Update: I parked in a puddle yesterday and stepped out into 4+ inches of icy cold street water. It completely covered my feet which were luckily in my Bogs. I did not get even a tiny bit cold or wet. Talk about Waterproof.
This post is part of a series of weekly gear reviews. And this one has a coupon code for 20% off! Check back most Wednesdays for reviews of cool gear for outdoor families.
During swim lessons earlier this year Big E was a champ. He jumped in when asked, followed the teachers’ directions and learned new skills.
His younger sister, on the other hand, was the problem child of her group. Little G did not want to get her face wet, spent several class times ignoring anything the teacher asked and often sat on the edge of the pool asking for mom. I attribute part of this reaction to the fact that she was only three, but another part is the lack of good gear.
Swimming requires very little – a good suit, access to water and a good pair of goggles. Mountain Dad knows this first hand from his years on the high school swim team. I have never had much luck with goggles. Usually I end up with elastic indents on my face, water in my eyes and general frustration.
It’s even worse with kids. Whenever we swim, if goggles are in the equation, I spend a lot of time adjusting, repositioning, tightening or loosening straps for my tots and usually they just take them off anyway.
So when Babiators offered to send me some of their Submariners swim goggles to try out I jumped at the chance. I’m a big believer in the power of design and these goggles are designed with a kid in mind. The eye piece is one solid section with a generous gasket around the edge to keep the water out. No more worrying about getting each eye to seal. Having it all one piece means it’s easy for kids to put on themselves.
The straps are adjustable by a simple button on each side that easily locks into place when needed. And although they look a little like snorkeling goggles the lack of a nose cover is great for helping kids learn how to manage their breath while swimming.
What my kids really liked were the cool submarines the goggles came in. They double as pool toys (we also play with them in the bath) but I wish there were some color on the case. We lost the front of one submarine and I can tell you it’s not fun searching the entire pool for a see through toy.
The cost of $35.00 seems steep for a pair of kids goggles, especially with how often things get lost or broken in our house. This is where Babiators is genius. Their Lost and Found Guarantee means that if you lose or break your Babiators within one year of purchase they will replace them for free! Seriously genius.
Pros:
Easily adjustable
Kids can put on themselves
Solid eye piece
Generous gasket around the eye piece prevents leaking
Cool submarine case that doubles as pool toy
Lost and Found Guarantee
Cons:
Clear submarine toy case is easily lost underwater
Price – $35.00
With cold weather all around heading to the community pool is a great way to be active with kids in the winter. It’s fun for everyone, even Baby L enjoyed it. Kinda.
After trying out these goggles I once again realize that it’s worth it to have good gear, even for kids. These goggles were so much better than other kids goggles I’ve tried. They were designed for kids, not just adapted from the adult design. That makes them worth it in my book.
You can get 20% off your own pair of Babiators Submariners. Just use the code MountainMom20Off when you check out here. It’s good through December 23, 2015!
In October my mountain family forayed into new territory. Mountain Biking. You’d think we’d be mountain bikers already, I mean we live ON a mountain. Although we have mountain bikes (Mountain Dad has a pretty nice one) we’re not what I would consider mountain bikers, mostly because it’s hard to ride single track with a kid on training wheels and two tots in a trailer. However, I was determined to change that with a trip to Fruita, Colorado.
Most people haven’t heard of Fruita. It’s a suburb of Grand Junction if that tells you anything of its size. The ones who have heard of Fruita probably know about it because of Mountain Biking. It’s world renown because of its great terrain, proximity to Colorado National Monument and the annual 18 Hours of Fruita Fat Tire Festival.
Our Mountain Family camped in the North Fruita Desert. It’s a BLM campground that serves as a base for trails like Zippity Do Da, Chutes and Ladders, and Kessel’s Run. Although the camp is bare bones – pit toilets and no water – it’s location for riding the trails is great.
Overall our trip wasn’t great. Mountain Dad fell on his bike and broke a rib, Big E had a meltdown riding on the paved Colorado Riverfront Trail (which doesn’t actually go by the river in Fruita), and little G refused to try out her balance bike. I had fun on the Pumps, Bumps and Rollers trail and was proud of myself for trying out something new, but the majority of the Mountain Family would’ve rather thrown mud balls in the river.
Along with trying out a new activity, I was also trying out a new look. The Wheel Clever shirt by Club Ride Apparel. I was given this piece to review by the online store OutdoorFamilies.com. They have a wide selection of gear for outdoor adventurers.
When I first received the Wheel Clever shirt I was in for a big surprise. It’s described as lightweight but I didn’t expect it to be see through. The fabric is thin, which is good for something breathable to wear over spandex, but I was expecting something a bit more substantial. Maybe in the darker color it would seem different.
Looking at it in the package I didn’t really like the shirt, but after wearing it while biking I changed my mind. The sly bicycle wheel pattern is really cool and I also liked the thumb holes and hidden pocket. The small zippered compartment is big enough for a car key and maybe a credit card, don’t expect to fit a phone in there. The incorporated reflective accents are a nice touch as well.
It’s a well designed long sleeved shirt that looked cool, protected my fair skin from the sun and allowed me to not feel near naked in skin tight spandex. Do I think it’s worth $64.95? Not with plastic snaps and the snag holes that appeared after just a few wearings. Do I think it’s a good shirt? Yes and I will definitely wear it again.
Pros
Cool bicycle wheel fabric
Lightweight, long sleeved
Comfortable
Could wear biking or in public, great cover for spandex
Secret Ninja pocket
Cons
Snaps and thin fabric seem cheaply made
Price – $64.95
This post is part of my Wednesday Gear Review Series. Thanks to OutdoorFamilies.com for providing the Wheel Clever shirt by Club Ride Apparel. All opinions are my own.
