Sea and Ski All Day SPF 30 UVA-UVB Sunscreen Foam by Faulding:

I am writing about this sunscreen with much hesitation.  If you read last year’s blog about sunscreen you will see that I don’t tread lightly on the subject.  The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep cosmetic  safety database rated this sunscreen a 7 (not good), but if you are a family that is not concerned about specific, potential health hazard associated with certain ingredients this should be your go-to sunscreen.

I roast and toast in any kind of sun. My husband does too.  We have tried this sunscreen in extremely sunny situations, in the desert, during water sports and skiing. We have never gotten burned even after only one application for the whole day.  Also, your skin does not feel nasty after you apply it.  You don’t feel like you have to take a  shower to take it off and scrub off the greasy feel.  It also does not get stuff (dirt, sand) stuck on you.

Solar safe UV sun monitor wristbands:  A good idea for those who can’t remember when to put sunscreen or to monitor their sun exposure. They are throw away wrist bands that your child can wear and it tells you when you need to reapply sunscreen or go inside.  They change color with increased amount of sun exposure.  They work.

Girls Sport Suit: Organic Bathing suit: www.happygreenbee.com

One of my huge dilemmas when it comes to sun protection is the quality of the product you are using. Is it really good to slather chemicals on your body?  To wear synthetics against your skin?  To look like a hot pink goddess wrapped in lycra?

Happy green bee has the cutest and most old fashioned looking bathing suit out there.  It is made from organic cotton and has a little skirt attached to it.  My daughter really likes it.  On the other hand, for full sun exposure I tend to prefer suits with built-in UV protection.  So, I would recommend this suit more for indoor or shady swimming.  It also takes forever to dry.  But when she wears this suit I am so happy and confident in the quality and the comfort of the product.

MFS: www.mfseyewear.com 

We tried two different pairs of their sunglasses. They both provide 100 % UV protection, polycarbonate frames, safe plastic, and a wrap around Velcro strap.

My first Shades/ 2-5 years old:  These come in many different colors and designs, including some with a bit of an old fashioned flair shape. 

 Xtreme Elements/ 3-7:  These come in solid colors, have darker lenses and have a bit of padding to them. They look like sleek, streamlined ski goggles.

Both pairs stay on your child well and seem to be relatively comfortable.  They do leave a slight temporary mark on your child's face if you put them on tight enough for them not to fall off during sports.  I find the Velcro strap annoying because they get caught in my child’s hair and I have to tug at her head to make it fit properly, but they are the glasses that stay on the best.

Protective Zone:  Adult/Child Rash Guard 

Rash guard= word adopted from surfing, describing a long sleeved swimming shirt.  They protect you from the sun and getting a ‘rash’ from harsh waves/sand.

 UPF 50 plus: Both adult and child versions of this rash guard are simple in construction and design.  They offer great sun protection and come in a variety of colors.

The adult shirt fits snuggly and is pulled over the head.  The child version is a one piece suit with snap buttons on the legs for easy diaper change.  I felt that both were slightly see through and give a slightly odd look when worn.  My daughter who is potty trained did not like the snaps directly on her skin, and taking the whole suit off or unbuttoning were both annoying.   The adult version could be slightly longer to cover your midriff.  Overall though, the child suit offered the best sun protection. The Protective Zone rash guard for kids is a great suit to have if you don’t want to have to remember slather sunscreen on your child at regular intervals.

I Sun Play: www.iplaybabywear.com

 Rash Guard UPF plus 50: A cute rash guard top for your little ones.  What I like about this top is that it is simple and that it is separate from the bottom. I find that to be easier than the all in one suit because your potty trained child only has to take off the bottom to pee and your diaper child only has to take off the bottom to be changed.

Infant flexi glasses:  Tiny glasses for tiny people.  They are quite cute and infants seem to want to keep them on but they are not very protective because of their small coverage area. The slightly dark shade may make it more difficult for them to see.

Brim Sun Hat:  I really like this sun hat.  The brim is huge and it stays on most of the time when my daughter jumps into the water.  The only disadvantage is that it flops over her eyes at times.  She really likes the cute design and very pink color.

Ultimate swim diaper: This patented design swim diaper is quite great.  It does not require a disposable diaper or any other liner inside.  So it is eco friendly and easy to clean.  The seal is very good. Since it really contains what is inside it creates a big pouch on your child’s behind even if they did not go to the bathroom because it holds the water that has seeped in.

My daughter tried their heavy duty rubber rain boots and rain coat and stayed really dry in a few rain showers.  Both items are simple yet fashionable, so she did not hesitate to want to wear them even in sunny weather. We used the raincoat on a camping trip as an all round coat and it withstood bush waking, a lot of dirt and grime. When we got home it washed right off after being thrown in the washing machine and dryer. They came out looking the same.

Unfortunately, I did not get to try out the heavy duty rain overalls. I believe they could really be a great addition for people who live in very wet areas.

Laken water bottles:  Aluminum/Steel/ Insulated  BPA free

Pro:  great black spout that does not stain and has great flow; fun and spicy designs from a graffiti artist but you can buy plain colors; solid spout cover that did not break, love the sizes.  My go to bottle.

Con: lining could absorb juices and make me nervous with a warm beverage, if you put a fizzy drink in it, it sprays you slightly; gets dings; could not separate the sprout for great cleaning (only my daughter could seperate the spout for cleaning with her teeth); spills easily if spout left open.

Aqua Bottle by I sun play:  BPA free plastic bottle with straw spout.

Pro:  Straw to drink out of; good strong cover for spout that would be hard to break; cute color and light weight; my daughter loves it; leaks slowly if left open.

Cons:  Straw hard to clean if you use anything but water; measuring and picture fades of it after just a few hand washings; can’t really be drank from while lying down (spills a little bit and flow is low)  for children only; my  2 ½ year old can only open it and close it with her teeth.  Straw can be shewed and pulled off.  This happened twice, which means replacing the straw and watching your child while they use the cup, a small shewed up straw in a kids mouth is not the safest.

Green Sprouts:  BPA and PVC Free aluminum bottle

Pro:  Simple spout design and look, no fuss or glam water bottle, economical, simple spout design very easy to clean and I can’t see how it would break.

Con:  spout does not flow very well; white so will start to look dirty.

Sigg:  Aluminum bottle, Free of BPA, not lined

Pro:  Millions of design to choose from; can be bought everywhere; no lining.

Con:  Paint chips; spout cover breaks; spout is white so gets stained and looks dirty even if clean; spout gets rough with teeth mark; gets dings, fizzy drinks squirts out; can only be open by small children with their teeth; spills easily if spout left open.

Aladdin “Clean & Pure Water Bottle”: Plastic, BPA Free, screw top.

Pro:  Stylish and light weight; you feel like an adult when you drink from this bottle and that you are drinking designer water.  Clear so you can see the goodness you are drinking.

Con: for parents only since the screw top is not really practical for children; scratched easily and quickly looked like a used disposable bottle.

Plastic information:  Link to article about plastic 

Great information about BPA brought to you by Laken: Click link

Heidi

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Tracy, I think you hit on some good strategies used in the past, bringing the pack and play or a toddler tent.  I have done both on different occasions and it is just what we needed.  But sometimes, this is also not necessary. The one thing I think is important is to bring one blanket that smells like home even if it is very small; it seems to make the baby sleep better. I have never tried the inflatable bed you mentioned.

I have used a portable co-sleeper.  That can definitely be brought on a rafting trip. Of course, your baby can crawl out of it but it does have small retainer walls.

Other useful items are a climbing crash pad or a thick thermarest-style pad or an insulated mattress.  I don’t think your young child needs much to sleep on. I think adding shade is good.  We struggled with this when in Mexico where it was hot and the tent got stuffy. We put up a tarp and tried to make sure the baby had a breeze.

While backpacking we brought an ultra-light insulated mattress, but that is not even necessary.  See the pictures of the sleeping babies:

Three months

Better prepared

 Camping

 Exhausted

Thermarest

Sleeping in a canoe

Have fun and let us know what you ended up doing!

Heidi Ahrens

I am going on the Deso Gray first of April - a 5 night raft trip (flat water) with our baby boy who will be 8.5 months. His first raft trip! Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can bring for him to sleep & nap in?

He is too big for those travel bassinettes and of course a pack-n-play is way to huge. Although great for rock climbing, a baby tent wouldn't work since I want it to go inside our tent.  I was thinking an inflatable travel bed that has those little bumbers. One small enough that we can also lay on the raft for him to sleep (under our umbrella and with supervision of course). Does anyone have any experience or feedback?  Something they use for baby to sleep in while backpacking?

Girl’s Tankini – size 5

This tankini has an elbow length top/ rash-guard.  The material is of high quality and the pattern is very attractive.  The top is a royal and light blue paisley pattern and the bottoms are a solid blue. The fit is very good – tight, but not too tight.  The top is a little bit on the short side.  We swim in a very chlorinated pool, so the colors did fade a bit.  I don’t think that this would be the case in most pool settings.  We loved this tankini.

Boy’s swim trunks and rash guard – size 7

This swim outfit includes swim trunks and a rash guard shirt.  The swim trunks are made of a very comfortable, soft fabric.  The color is really vibrant and the pattern is simple.  They are nice because they don’t include all of the decals and graphics that so many do.  The trunks are a little long, but appropriate for the size.  The rash guard is a short-sleeved top and comes in a solid color.  It seemed like it ran small for a size 7, especially compared to the trunks.  The colors did not seem to fade much when used in a chlorinated pool.  Our son really liked the swim trunks, but was not as crazy about the rash guard, mostly because it was too small for him.

Heidi Ahrens published this information but Lori Gavette wrote about and tested the suits with her two kids.

Most people who view this blog probably already have a family, but I came here to find out if the life I love -lots of hiking, backpacking, climbing, and skiing- is possible with children.  I know that I want children.  I know that I want to continue to do the activities that I love, that connect me to nature and simplicity.  Here's the difficulty...I don't have anyone around me who has children and also does the activities that I do.  I live in a community of soccer moms and football dads, where the TV and video games take up a lot of many families' time.  I often find myself having trouble relating to their lives, and then I begin to panic that I cannot continue the life that I love with children.

So, I have read your stories and tips...and they have given me much inspiration and courage.  Thank you for showing me the life that I knew was possible.  I look forward to many great adventures with children in the near future...we're hoping to get pregnant soon!

I have a couple questions though:

1) Is there anyone out there who can talk about continuing to sport climb when you have a baby or toddler?  I imagine that leaving baby behind with a babysitter is the best option.  And I have heard some people say that if you climb with another couple, then two can always be on the ground playing with baby(ies)...like in a Pack & Play or something?  I just would love to hear the basic logistics of sport climbing with baby/toddler.  Is it an idiot idea?!  I really don't know...

2) Does anyone know of an outdoor community in the Seattle area for families or women with children?  This seems like a critical point -hooking up with other outdoor families- from reading other peoples' posts.  Given that my husband and I have not managed to make this happen as a couple (in 8 years time), I am predicting it will be even more difficult with children.  Most people we know look at us like we're crazy when we talk about our weekend adventures, and I'm sure they will even further question our sanity if we say we had children in tow.  It seems like major outdoor hub cities have an outdoor community, a way of connecting with other like-minded folks.  I'm just not finding it here in Seattle...the Mountaineers appears to be our only offering, and it is 90% single males.

Thanks again for the inspiration and courage...even if we don't find other peeps around here, it helps just to be connected to all of you via the internet, hearing your tales and tips about an outdoor life with kids!

An easy 3.5 mile trail loops around Longmont's beautiful Lake Macintosh. This multi-use trail has breathtaking views of Longs Peak, Mt.Meeker,The Flatirons and the entire Front Range on a clear day. Our family includes two rowdy dogs who never tire of sniffing for rabbits and prarie dogs even on the leash. We usualy begin at Dawson Park on Harvard Street and head west toward the dog beaches for some swimming and ball throwing on warm days. Dawson park has a nice playground for the kids equiped with a new restroom. As you round the lake look for large groups Pelicans diving for the bountiful fish found in this lake. You can fish from the shore or in a Kayak or Canoe with a Colorado licence. No motorized boats are allowed. After about 3/4 of a mile from Dawson Park the shore opens up and on the right is the first dog beach before the man-made dam begins. Here the path changes from sidewalk to a well groomed dirt trail over the dam. On the left are marshes filled with many species of birds and butterflies.  On top of the dam are amazing views of rural Boulder County, with cattle and horses, and beautiful rolling hills of farmland. After crossing the dam another dog beach opens up with a nice bench and another restroom. Follow the trail around the lake north through prarie dog land and more wetlands for another mile of so, and it will turn into sidewalk again and meander through one of Longmont's finest neigborhoods.  The houses on the lake are stunning here. Traveling east now, around the lake approximately 2 miles form the start, you will come to Flanders Park.  Flanders is also well equiped with a boat ramp and playground, restrooms and picnic shelters with grills. Well protected from the wind and elements, this would be a great place for a family BBQ! Our toddler playgroup meets here regularly on Tuedsay and Thursday mornings. Flanders is easily accessed from Breakwater Lane, with lots of parking. There is a huge green-belt here for kite flying, and also basketball courts next to the picnic shelters. Finish you walk back to Dawson Park along the lake, and perhaps take in a game of tennis. An easily accessable parking lot here as well. I never fail to be amazed at how the landscape and scenery here changes from day to day. You can't help but smile, and be ever so thankful for living in Colorado after this walk/bike ride around Lake Macintosh. My kids, dog included, absolutely LOVE going to the lake. Hope your family will too!

Children bring another dimension to outdoor exploration. That is why it is healthy to take time away from your children to just go explore on your own.   I believe that relationships grow stronger in the outdoors. Erik and I are fortunate enough to live in a place where the choices of outdoor activities are endless.  We also have great babysitters that are willing to watch our daughter for a few hours.

With enlisted babysitting help we were been able to go white water canoeing three times this summer and raft once.  Being able to do activities that shaped your marriage before children can help you reconnect to your spouse.  Erik is an experienced canoeist and it is great to sit in the bow and feel how attuned and powerful he can be.   I love to hear him guide me through different strokes and explain river features.  Some people may read this as corny or that I am giving up power.  In other parts of the relationship I call the shots and I am the expert.  This is Erik’s time to shine and to remind me of the man I met 8 years ago.  Being parents can sometimes make you forget who you were as individuals or as a couple before children.

Another point that I want to make is that it is as important to reconnect with your spouse as it is to do activities with friends.   This summer we went rafting with friends down class III-IV rapids.  It is a great way to re-connect with friends and to remind us that life is not only about the family – it is also about relationships with others as well.  Outdoor activities offer a great way to get to know people and to create a feeling teamwork.  On this specific rafting trip we were accompanied by a couple (other teachers at the school) we did not know very well, a teenager from my husband’s school and two friends from Canada.  Since the teenager was the most advanced rafter he took the lead and enabled us to create a very good team.  When the river run was finished, some decided to kayak the same stretch of river. Others, including myself, watched from the path along the water.  Since only our teenaged guide was familiar with the stretch of river and the ability levels of the different paddlers varied, he took the lead in making sure everyone stayed safe. It is great to see a teenager take on such role.  We so often see teenagers playing x-box and shuffling along, and making poor decisions. It is great to see that people can reverse roles when necessary.  This trip enabled everyone to help each other and get to know each other more quickly than if we had went on ten dinner dates.  At one point one of the kayakers flipped and everybody needed to help – from shore and on the river.

Even if you are a single parent it is important for you to take time and do outdoor activities on your own. I like to go on bike rides and go fast.  I don’t have to worry about my daughter’s Chariot weight in the back, her happiness, or about keeping pace with Erik.  I just know that she is safe with Erik or a babysitter.  It is important to take care of yourself physically and spiritually.  I feel like the outdoors provides those avenues for me. The outdoors is a place that should also be experienced alone.

Other ideas of activities to do for yourself: Visit friends, go back to visit your college town or the city where you lived before kids, go to a coffee shop, travel to another country you always wanted to visit or even a nearby town.

Heidi

We took our 5 1/2 month old Anna to the Hotsprings in Ridgway on a nice sunny day.  We just got some Cabanalife sun protective clothing with SPF 50 and what a great find!  We didn't need to slather as much sunscreen on her head because the hat was the sun protection- and how cute!  She had a blast splashing away for over an hour.  I highly recommend the hotsprings for babies.  The water is warm enough for them to really relax and have fun.  Body temp is best - 98 degrees.  As the weather gets cooler we plan on splashing around the indoor pool at Ridgway for more winter fun.  Her sun hat also does well on hikes and washes up great, keeps its shape and color.

For those of you who are getting used to my writing and to my reasons for running this site, it will not come to you as a surprised that I like gear that can be used for a number of different purposes.

This is where Mountain Sprouts Base Set comes in to further make my point.  Gear for children that can be used for many different activities, in different seasons, for long periods of time and then passed down is always a good thing. A good thing for the planet, a good thing for your wallet and a good thing that teaches that life is about fun but not getting more material stuff.

Mountain Sprouts base set can be purchased for $40. Click on this link to purchase a base set in Cranberry, Indigo or Canary: Mountain Sprouts

This long underwear-like, top and bottom set is made here in the US by a Colorado company.  It is made of a stretch silk-synthetic that is moisture wicking, breathable, UV 50+protection, stain resistant and comes with a multi-generation guarantee.

My daughter has used her base set at the outdoor swimming pool (as a bathing suit with sun protection) and as a bottom layer on cold hikes.  In every situation the base set is the perfect clothing and it holds up to chlorine, abrasion, and stains.  My daughter is always protected from the elements, and therefore happy.

Heidi

Remember a winner will receive a fifty dollar gift certificate for Mountain Sprouts.  All you need to do is share a story, tip, trick, question on this website and one winner will be selected by October 31^st.

Leslie's boutique offers a variety of cloth diapers and accessories, but the product that caught my eye was there designer wet bags.  These bags look great and don't scream out dirty diaper or even parent with child in tow.

The bag that I tried out held ten dirty cloth diapers and had a handy little aromatic oil cloth to help with the smell.  When the bag was zipped it never leaked or any smell escaped.

For nine dollars ($9) these bags are a great bargain, since they can be used for a variety of different uses:  store dirty shoes in a suitcase, for wet cloth or for bathing suites after a long day at the beach or pool.  Leslie's boutique offers smaller versions of these bags for snacks or for a short outdoor excursion.

I want to emphasis that these bags are so great for a variety of different uses.  It will grow with the needs of your children.  This is a great bag for wet children clothes, swimsuits or dirty shoes.

To purchase one of these great wet bags visit: Leslie's boutique

Heidi