Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Tag Archives: Gear I Love

Piggyback Rider: Why Our Family Likes to Ride the Bar

Piggyback Rider: Why Our Family Likes to Ride the Bar

For the past 3 years, our household has relied heavily on two different carriers to see us through from point A to point B on our various family adventures – the Kelty KidCarrier (when we’re loaded down with climbing gear), and the Ergo Baby carrier (for day hikes).  But over the past 6 months or so we’ve found ourselves that “in-between” stage, where the 3 year old crag-kiddo is transitioning from full-time rider to full-time hiker.  Some days he is very adamant about hiking all by himself.  Other days he just wants to ride.  Most days he prefers to do…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Keeping Elbow Tendonitis at Bay with Armaid (plus a GIVEAWAY!)

Keeping Elbow Tendonitis at Bay with Armaid (plus a GIVEAWAY!)

While there are any number of items you might expect to see passed around a campfire on a chilly spring evening in the middle of the Red River Gorge, a wacky-looking contraption designed to massage one’s forearms is probably not first on the list.  But that’s just what happened at our campsite on our most recent trip to the Red.  Why?  If you assumed it was due to overindulging in one of the many other items that are more commonly passed around a campfire, you’d be wrong again.   Let me back up.  Steve and I first discovered the Armaid…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

The Best of the Best from Trango (and GIVEAWAY!)

The Best of the Best from Trango (and GIVEAWAY!)

This week marks one year that I’ve been signed on as an athlete for Trango Extraordinary Climbing Gear, and I must say it’s been a delightful ride!  I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to represent Trango and their affiliates (such as Stonewear Designs and Tenaya) at numerous festivals and demos, provide feedback on products still in the testing phase, as well as meet some really great people.  Oh yeah, and I also got loads of free gear along the way too!  And though I’ve enjoyed pretty much all of the gear I’ve received from Trango, a few products in particular have found their way into…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Keeping Hot (and Cool!) with Hydro Flask – plus a GIVEAWAY!

Keeping Hot (and Cool!) with Hydro Flask – plus a GIVEAWAY!

A few weeks ago I did a Toddlers at the Crag post about keeping your kiddos warm in winter climbing weather.  The post got a pretty good response, including one from Hydro Flask, a company I’d never heard of, but now I probably won’t forget!  They were convinced that their products were a must-have on a cold day at the crag, so much so that they offered to send a Hydro Flask to me as well as Cragbaby to prove it!  We couldn’t say no, and while we waited anxiously for our Hydro Flasks to arrive, I did a little background digging. …Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Ducksday Kids Outerwear: A Perfect Combo for Rain and Snow (and GIVEAWAY!)

Ducksday Kids Outerwear: A Perfect Combo for Rain and Snow (and GIVEAWAY!)

  While Ducksday might be a household name to outdoorsy families overseas, this kid’s outerwear company has just recently started offering their products stateside, through the family-owned Ollie and Stella Children’s Outfitters, operating out of Ann Arbor, Michigan.  What first caught my eye about Ducksday gear was that it offers a solution to the annoying part of outdoor play in the wet and cold – so much bulk your kid can’t move!  Not only do all those layers take up tons of valuable packing space, but countless times I have taken more than 20 minutes to get my little guy geared up enough for an F4 tornado only to have him…Read the rest of this entry →

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