A good mitten is priceless to our ski family. We spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter. And the wrong gear can mean we are spending a lot of time fussing. Today we are reviewing the Stonz Mittz. Having trouble keeping your kid’s mittens on? Check out this post after reading our review! Q&A: How…

Merino is all the rage, right? Australian merino is even more so. But why? I am not really “up” on my merino hype and only know that I simply love the stuff. But here is what I learned about I/O Merino: Australian is known for having the world’s best and most advanced wool in the…

I have a love affair with this Stonewear Designs Dryflex Double Cross top. And a funny laundry rotation going with it right now. It looks like this: Wear under a cute black hoodie as casual day wear. Wear as a baselayer on a “low-sweat” adventure. (Ie. Skiing, climbing, hiking) Wear to a “sweat-a-thon” at the…

“In The Open 2014” consists of the gear we choose, use and abuse every time we step out the door. It is the gear we love and need. The gear we’d recommend. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and we have by no means tested or tried every great piece of gear out…

I was first introduce to Pakems on the twitter-sphere of all places. A lightweight, water resistant shoe that packs down small initially designed for après-ski adventures. At the time I had my backpacking brain on and I thought, “lightweight, adventure slippers?” Sounds good to me. I was excited to give these a chance, as I…

Finding a good seat in the backcountry can be hard. (Pun intended.) I’ve tried sitting on 3 legged stools, the ‘convert a therm-a-rest to a chair’ thingamabops and have generally settled on using a tree. None of them are very comfortable. When Alyssa said we were going to be testing the Joey Chair by Travel…

Recently I had the opportunity to try out Chrome Industries’ Cobra Hoodie. The Cobra Hoodie is a 100% merino wool hoodie that is designed for an urban cyclist to be worn all day. First off, I have to be honest. I was biased before I even got to try the product. I love hoodies. I…

In the fall/winter our choice of footwear for the kids becomes less…forgiving. The low-top hiking shoes and sneakers we usually grab are not quite suitable for our messy, muddy, and snowy adventures. Our first experience with this was last winter when we took the kids snowshoeing for the first time. Well…we strapped that snowshoe onto…

Ollie and Stella Outfitters have been generous with me as I’ve tested their one-piece rain, wind, and snow suit during each of the four seasons. You might recall this item making it in our “Multi-Tasking Must-Haves” series last spring. And after 5 more months of having this piece of gear around, I still agree. While…

Softshell is the garment of fall in Utah. Breathable. Stretchy. But wind and water-resistant. This is the first time I have tried a vest. My original hopes were to wear it for cold weather running and while I believe it will be awesome this winter when I am pounding out miles in twenty degrees, it…

Another super snuggly performance top to keep you covered this fall/winter! Toaster Zip Top Location: Wasatch Range, UT Activities: Hiking, Climbing/Bouldering, Daily Living Best Use: Skiing, Snowshoeing, Backpacking/Hiking, Casual Wear Yays! Fit: Sleeve length was near perfect for me, not too long. But then I am short with short arms… The fit is relaxed in the…

I think I found a pant designed for the iPhone 5. But that is just one of the many things I love about the Rockin’ Pant. More on that later. 🙂 I am hard to please when it comes to pants. I’d say I have a hard body to fit – round hips, short legs….

Tested by: Alyssa and 7 yr-old daughter Location: Camping and Biking / Bear Lake, Wasatch Range, UT Season: Late summer / Fall Best Uses: Running, Biking, Yoga, casual wear, but honestly works for EVERYTHING!  Sizing: True to size Yays! Fit: Very comfortable a-line cut. Loose (but not too loose) around the hips and legs. Dress…

Fall is here! And that means the most reached for clothing item in our closets is our softshell jackets. We have a variety of brands we love, but this is our first time getting to try out a softshell for our toddler. Let’s just say the other kids are a little jealous… Girls Ice Plaid…

Hi Tec has graciously allowed us to do an extended test of the Timaru Down jacket for women. We received this jacket last spring and while I enjoyed getting to use it in the snow and cold, I was also significantly interested in how it would perform on our many high alpine backpacking trips this…

Kid’s Love to create. It doesn’t matter if it is with sticks, legos, or massive amounts of  paper, glue, and stickers. So when Nike contacted us to be part of their #FreeYourMoves campaign and design our own shoes, we jumped at it! Free Your Moves I’ve become more sentimental with age. Meaning a company with…

Honestly, until this summer I haven’t been all that worried about my kid’s eyes when we are out adventuring in the sun. Probably more out of ignorance than anything. But I wear sunglasses ALL THE TIME…well most-the-time since we live in sun-drenched Utah. And so I’ve been working on getting my kids to wear them…

Recently I had the opportunity to try out the Deuter ACT Zero 50 + 15. (Wow, that name is a mouthful). It is a somewhat minimalist 50-65 liter pack from Deuter. I was really intrigued to try it out since it weighs in at a scant 3lb 4oz and has the same spec’d volume as…

Campfire roasting logs? If you in our same line of thinking a real fire has real wood. But Chris and I have a funny history with Duraflame and their distant cousin the Fireside Supreme. Long before we were dating, even before we were friends we ended up on the same ill-fated backpacking trip. After realizing…

As a family, we’ve tried out a ton of different sleeping bags over the years. And for the vast amount of families, you cannot go wrong. Well…too wrong. Most sleeping bags on the market will keep your kids warm in moderate to warm temperatures. But there are significant differences that can affect a good night’s…