Gear Post--Kids and Clothes

Gear post! For multiple days now, I've planned a morning hike with the dog, and had it either rain or ice on me, thus canceling my plan. So instead of pretty pictures of frosted trees in Fort Ben, I've been working out in my gym and thinking about gear. 

Child Carrier Devices. Whew you can spend a pretty penny on these, but if you are into walking or hiking or anything that involves being on the go on foot with kids who just won't keep up, it's worth it. This was a purchase for us on par with a car seat--it was going to be in regular use, and we were going to keep it as long as possible. Unlike a car seat, we could reuse it for the next kid (our kids have too big of an age gap to effective reuse car seats before the expiration date) and eventually resell it. So. We sunk the money in, and I would do it again.

Having said all that, our first one was a bit of a cheat. We were about to take a weekend hiking trip for the first time with a slow moving kid, and scoured Craigslist of all things to find a child carrier backpack. We found a Deuter Kid Comfort, one of the original models, and got for the low price of $20. It had been well loved but was still in good condition.

We used it for quite some time before deciding to upgrade for the next kid--also we were older at that point, and wanted something with a bit more back support, so that we could keep using it until new kid was older and ready to roam free. Incidentally, the Deuter still had a ton of life left in it, so we gifted it to another family with younger kids. The Deuter is still out there, living its best hiking life.

We moved on to the Osprey Poco, which had several great upgrades. Our Deuter didn't have a sun/rain shade (most of them do now), and it did not have a great place for JD to put his feet. The Poco DID have those things, and it was a great addition. It's also got great pockets, and who doesn't love pockets?

A critical thing to look for is a good hip belt, along with how the back is vented. Those two things--support plus cooling--will make the hike more enjoyable for you all. 

In the end, I high recommend either the Deuter Kid Comfort or the Osprey Poco. I lean towards the Poco, but keep in mind we had a older, used model of the Deuter. The two are very comparable. 

Eventually, JD declined to be contained, and wanted out. He was still too little to keep us with us, and frequently wanted to be held, which, the kid is a tank. So, we said goodbye to the Poco, and got a piggyback assist device. Picture included so you can see what I am talking about.

As you can see, it's literally that: it assists with a kid riding piggyback. There would be a harness for JK, a harness on JD, and he just stood on the bar. When he was done and wanted down, we would unclip and JK would either leave it on, or I would stuff it in my daypack. Easy peasy.

Clothes. This is so specific to each person, but here's what we like. 

• Kuhl pants. We love their hiking pants. The material is great and durable. 
• Duluth Trading Co. Dry On The Fly pants. Again, durable, great material, more pockets than I can shake a stick at. Love that I can roll them up and that they have double snaps so one side doesn't sag down. 
• Smart Wool. Does anyone really do a base layer better than Smart Wool? I don't think so. I've got leggings that I layer under my favorite hiking pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a long sleeve hoodie that I wear as a base layer or as a hoodie. 
• Duluth Trading Co NoGa pants. Sometimes I want more of a yoga pant style material, and that's when these are my go to. I get the slim leg (but not leggings) because the regular is way to wide and swooshy. 
• LL Bean, sweaters and vests. When I am hiking in super cold weather, I have a few really heavy-weight cable knit sweaters from LL Bean that do the trick, especially if they are paired with my smart wool. Then I don't need a super bulk coat (unless its even colder). We are both also very picky about our vests, and we like LL Bean vests. They have a nice sweater fleece long vest that does not pill, is a long length, and is the material I like, aka, no swooshing sound while I walk. Also, many pockets. 
• Duluth No Yank. These tank tops and shirts are fantastic. The material is such that it tends to stay put, rather than ride up, and it's all longer in length, so truly, I am not yanking my tops back down. They just don't ride up.

Basically, the themes and things I would look for in clothes are (1) does it fit and feel comfy, even when you are squatting? (2) do you like the material? (3) POCKETS; and (4) does it feel durable? I am willing to spend a bit more if I know it will last, and I don't regret the money I spent on my Smart Wool, Kuhls, LL Bean, and Duluth stuff. 

Gear Post--Daypacks and Dogs

We are by no means expert-level hikers. We've never backpacked or camped, though I am hoping to learn this year. We have hiked quite a bit though, enough to make us fairly experienced, and with kids of varying ages. We hiked with dogs, in varying environments, and we've got stuff we like, mistakes we've made, and stuff that's lasted through thick and thin. 

Daypacks. I use the Osprey Sirrus 24 Daypack, and I've got the 3L hydration reservoir in it. Key for me is the hip belt--I wanted something that would give some back support and not just a flimsy strap. This has a good, solid strap with some pockets for light storage (my phone does not really fit in there, but I cram masks and tiny hand sanitizer in there, because these are the times we live in). 

My focus in buying it was the hip belt and size, but there are some features that surprised me and made themselves indispensable. The mesh backing lets my back breath, and I never really overheat with the pack. We eventually started doing enough hiking that we got trekking poles, and lo, there is a place to attach the collapsed poles when I don't need them. Never thought I would use the attached raincover until I did, and not just for rain--snow, sleet, and even the memorable times I wrapped up creek-soaked children shoes in it and transported them home for a washing. The way the pockets are arranged makes sense and works well for access. There are a few places to clip carabiners on the outside, which is where I hang the collapsible dog bowls. 

EJ has a small kids hydration pack--the Osprey Moki 1.5L. She started using it around age 5, and has used it up to age 9. Now that's she's 10, she's switching to a larger daypack, and this hydration pack is shifting to JD. It's got the airmesh harness to keep them cool, and a small pocket so they can carry a snack or two.

JK uses a very old Camelback hydration pack. Sometimes he uses the actual reservoir, but more often, he sticks in his favorite water bottle. Since JK is the designated hauler of children who refuse to walk another step, he keeps a slim, light pack, and I carry the bigger pack with all the snacks, extra water, first aid, dog gear, etc. 

Dog gear. We hike with our golden retriever quite a bit, and we hiked with the previous golden too, until he got too old and politely declined* anything more than an amble. Telly, our previous dog, had endless amounts of energy and was extremely athletic. Finn... well, he's an excellent snuggler. He's still a puppy (turned 1 in October 2021), so he's got energy, but he's quite lazy, and he's the most clumsy dog I've ever had. He's very sweet though, and he likes to come with us, but he's also like OMG WHY about halfway through a hike, so we are measured about the length of hike we take him on. 

We keep a water bottle for Finn with us, and have a collapsible down bowl. It's the United By Blue Earth Day Collapsible Double Dog Bowl. It's easy to clean, has a spot for food and a spot for water, collapses, zips up, and comes with a hook, so I hook it on the outside of my pack. We even travel with these, and it's his car bowls. They are just fantastic. 

We don't exactly live in bear country, so we also hike with dog treats for Finn. He's food motivated, and he's still learning proper etiquette, so we use the treats to encourage (bribe) him.

Finn has three harnesses, and we always hike with a harness. He's quite large and strong, and the harness gives us a better ability to control him while still being gentle. If he surges ahead, the front clip makes him turn around--so she just doesn't surge. We have a Pet Safe harness, a Ruff Wear harness, and one from Duluth Trading Company. Our favorite leash for hiking is one that we got from Target, and it has the hand loop at the end of the leash, but also a hand loop about halfway down the leash. It gives us a comfortable two hand grip on the leash, which I like. 

I hike with a small first aid kit for Finn. I got mine from REI, and it's the Adventure Medical Kit--First Aid Kit For Dogs. It's small and its got all the basics I would need for him for minor injuries.

Lastly, we always keep towels and dog wipes in the car. Hiking can be muddy business, and we don't want to miss out on the fun in order to stay clean! We got WeatherTech mats in our vehicles--in part due to winter weather slush, part kid crumbs, and part dog dirt. It does make it so our floors and carpet are pretty protected, which is great. 

*Telly would see us assembling the hiking gear, stare at us with a disgusted look on his face, and go lay down in his favorite spot, but with his face buried in the corner. Okay, Telly, we get the message. Though that was really only the last few months of his life--before that he still was very energetic.