Category Archives: Gear Reviews

Every climber worth their chalk knows you can never have enough gear! Pros and cons of gear I’ve used, loved, and hated!

Gear to Get Your Toddler Psyched on Bikes

Dec 14 2015

Most parents would agree that biking is great for kids. It’s great for exercise, self-esteem, and even the environment. But despite all the benefits, a lot of parents are unsure how to get their child started in the world of biking. And thanks to a lot of great products out there, your child might be ready to hit the road (or track…or dirt) sooner than you think. Here’s a few gear staples that our family has relied upon throughout the different stages of learning for each of our children, along with the ideal ages for each. BIKE TRAILER (<1 to 4): If the whole…Read the rest of this entry →

Deuter Junior for the Crag-Kiddo (aka a New “Cookie Pack”)

Dec 07 2015

Does your family ever ascribe unconventional names to everyday items? We do this ALL. THE. TIME. Sometimes it’s an abbreviation for an often-used, long word. Other times the creative moniker is merely a victim of mispronunciation by one of our children that happened to stick (in our household we use “constructions” to put together Legos.) And because we are creatures of habit, we tend to stick to these nicknames long after the reason it was created has expired. (Which is why Caleb and Bennett, two of our favorite climbing partners, will forever answer to “Cockie” and “Butt-Butt” even though my 5 year…Read the rest of this entry →

Veyo Mittyz: World’s Best Mitten for Kids!

Nov 24 2015

This post is for all of us out there that have had to endure the painstaking process of gearing up a child under the age of 5 to play outside in cold weather. (If you HAVEN’T experienced the agony pleasure, tag along with a mom friend one morning at the park…it’s the stuff birth control is made of.) But for those of you that are wrestling with boots, gloves, hats, scarves, coats, and cranky toddlers every morning, here’s a little something that might just rock your world a little bit. They’re called “mittyz,” and they are made by Veyo Kids, a…Read the rest of this entry →

Winter Footwear for Kids (from STONZ)

Oct 26 2015

A couple of months ago I was contacted by STONZwear about reviewing some of their awesome footwear for the kiddos. They said they wanted the review done by the end of October…which in many areas of the country would be easy, but was potentially problematic here in the South. While the weather can definitely get cold by then, we are more often than not still sporting short sleeves well past Halloween. So when I saw the weekend forecast a couple of weeks ago, I was psyched for the chance to try out the newest kicks for the crag-kiddos on our…Read the rest of this entry →

KEEN Footwear: From Trail to Classroom

Sep 13 2015

When Big C was just 18 months old, he got a chance to try out a pair of Alamosa hiking boots (reviewed here.) And now, 4 years later (believe it or not!), they are still stowed away safe and sound until Baby Zu can fit into them, which will probably be sooner rather than later…In the meantime, KEEN offered to suit up both her AND Big C into some of their new back-to-school offerings for the fall season! I chose the Monica CNX toddler shoes (in a super cute purple) for Baby Zu. The KEEN website says these shoes offer “cute classroom…Read the rest of this entry →

“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN