product reviews - Pitstops for Kids

Efficient vacation packing: How to create multiple outfits with three base pieces

September 16, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

I pack carry-on only 99% of the time, and I never bring an entirely new outfit for each day of my trip. Instead, I pack three basic clothing staples that can be reused with featured pieces to create multiple looks. If you want to achieve efficient vacation packing and have room for all those souvenirs you want to bring home, here’s how.

For this article, I’m using Aventura Clothing as my main example; I am an ambassador for this travel and outdoor adventure clothing brand, and am offering a steep discount to readers at the end of this post!

First, a few rules for efficient vacation packing:

Pack with a color scheme in mind: I’m fashion-impaired, so I make this easy on myself…before each trip, I decide whether I’m going to focus on black/gray/white tones or earth/beige/brown tones. Then, I pack clothes within that color scheme. This way, I only need to bring base pieces in the single color tone, and I can get away with only one or two pairs of shoes, too.
In colder weather, think dresses: When you have to pack for chilly climates, your clothing will be bulkier. Time to eliminate entire pieces! Go with wintery dresses or tunics instead of pants and shirts and cut down on the number of clothing items you have to pack.
Wear bulkier items on the plane: It will be cold with the air conditioning blasting at you anyway! You’ll need to bring a light layer or hoodie on just about any trip; wear it on the plane or stash it in your backpack or tote. Ditto for your bulkier shoes, but be sure to wear a pair that breathes and allows blood circulation.

Base pieces you’ll need for every trip:

Now that you know a few rules to keep in mind, it’s time to gather your three base clothing items you’ll need every time you travel. Base pieces include:

1-3 basic but high quality camisoles or tank tops: We love Aventura Clothing’s Aster scrappy cami, as well as ExOfficio’s version.
1 pair of high quality leggings: Try the Aventura Bienne legging, or your favorite Lululemon/Athleta/PrAna offering. You get the idea. In summer, substitute thicker leggings for a pair of tights.
1 basic tee or long-sleeved shirt: Grab your favorite organic cotton tee in a neutral shade of your color scheme. In colder weather, I’ve been loving the Aventura Zoe top, which is form-fitting but has just enough detail for a ‘finished’ look, but you may already have something in your closet. Tunics work well too (think yoga tops).

Time to supplement with seasonal pieces:

With your base pieces in place, you can now pack fewer outfits, because many clothing items can pull double duty. Your cami can go under sweaters and blouses, eliminating the need for multiple t-shirts, and your leggings can be worn with dresses, skirts, and tunics, cutting down on the need to pack bulkier items like pants. You can also eliminate most of your socks if wearing tights often. Here are are few examples from Aventura’s new fall line (the colors look boring now, but work wonders out of your suitcase!):

The Karter Hoodie: This oversized hoodie can be both a layering piece and an outfit, eliminating the need for a second light layer. Because it’s tunic-length, you can pair it with your leggings and cami and be done! Put your tee underneath instead of the cami if you think the day will warm up.
Rita Dress: The Rita is wrinkle-resistant and has some spandex added in for give during travel days. I love, love, love bringing wintery dresses on trips, because not only do I eliminate the need for extra shirts, but I can also forgo pants and socks. I pair the Rita with leggings or tights and I’m done! For the Rita and other wintery dresses to pull double duty, simply pair with a favorite scarf and leather boots for a night-time look.
Brooklyn Tunic: Tunics are great for travel. They’re forgiving, they go with many things, and they only need leggings and a cami! I love this particular tunic for the raw-edge seams and cowl neckline…it looks urban and sleek. If you want variety when using the Brooklyn on a second day, pair with straight-leg pants instead and get a whole new look.

One last tip: Always, always pack accessories that won’t take up room, like scarves and beanie-type hats. A fresh scarf can change up any outfit, at any time!

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Travel products to protect against Zika Virus

September 9, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

We love family adventure, but we’re careful to be mindful of threats to family safety while we travel. Before you go to Central or South America, or the Caribbean, make sure you pack these travel products to protect against Zika or other mosquito-borne illnesses. And of course, always consult a health care professional before any trip to a destination known to have a Zika threat, to discuss any danger to your family.

Ben’s Insect Repellent Wipes:

The first step in protecting your family against Zika is to keep mosquitos away. We don’t like using DEET on our skin, but in the case of mosquito-borne illness, it may come down to choosing the lesser of two evils. Ben’s repellent is a brand I’ve come to trust, and it does offer protection from ticks and insects that may carry the Zika Virus, West Nile Virus (WNV), Lyme disease, Malaria, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), and other infectious diseases. Pick up a bottle of Ben’s in a TSA-complient size on Amazon.

Natrapel Wipes:

We’re a family that spends a lot of time outdoors, and Natrapel is the only DEET-free insect repellent we’ve found to significantly work. It uses a CDC-recommended 20% Picaridin formula, and lasts 12 hours. We use the wipes, simply because our kids tolerate them best, but it also comes in a spray bottle form. Pick up a package of wipes for under $9 on Amazon.

Adventure Medical Kits World Travel kit:

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for every family to have a well-stocked medical and first aid kit when they travel. Yes, medical supplies and medications are available almost anywhere, but that doesn’t mean they’re readily available, and it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to communicate your needs or find the right place to buy them. Sometimes, they’ll be packaged differently or have a different brand name, making matters more confusing. Even in first-world countries like Ireland and England, I’ve had trouble finding the over-the-counter medicines I’ve occasionally needed.

We use Adventure Medical Kits when we camp and backpack, and their World Travel kit has everything you’ll need for a family of four. It’s fairly bulky, but I love that there’s extra room for your personal medications, too. It’s incredibly well designed, with different pockets for everything, and each flap is labelled, so you can easily get to the right space for intestinal medications, bandages, allergy meds, etc. It comes with a diagram for communicating your needs in several languages, and a pretty thick booklet on basic first aid. For trips when I’m short on space, I may remove the book to save space and weight. Pick up a World Travel kit on Amazon at a discount.

Scarf or head net:

I almost never travel without an organic cotton or wool scarf. I find so many uses for one, from a wrap on the chilly airplane to an optional headdress or bandana while in foreign countries. In Central and South America, my scarf has doubled as bug protection. I love Aventura Clothing scarves, but use what works for you. In some cases, you may even want to upgrade to a mosquito net for your head. We have used Sea to Summit mosquito head nets. Pick one up for under $10 on Amazon.

Insect repellent clothing:

For travel to the Caribbean and Central and South America during which you know you’ll be outside a lot, such as when we were volunteering in the Dominican Republic or our upcoming trip to Panama, when we know we’ll be visiting national parks and preserves, we decided we would rather invest in travel clothing treated with insect repellent rather than spray ourselves with it daily. I love the Toad & Co DeBug line for women, and have also traveled with ExOfficio’s BugsAway line extensively. ExOfficio is the first US company to offer insect protection in clothing, and their BugsAway items keep their repellent for 70 washes. I’m still wearing my ExOfficio crew shirt from 2013. For this fall’s travel, my husband is now wearing ExOfficio’s Baja Sur shirt, which is lightweight but tough as nails.

For kids, Columbia Sportswear’s PFG Bahama long-sleeved shirt helps repel both sun and mosquitos (though it is not treated with repellent).

Mosquito-free shelter:

Part of the fun of a tropical destination is sleeping outside in warm weather. If you think you’ll be sleeping outdoors, whether in a hammock on the rental home porch or in a backcountry environment, consider a mosquito shelter like Grand Trunk’s Mozzy Net. This 144″ by 30″ shelter includes spreader bars and guy lines, so you can expand it fully, like a tent, giving you plenty of room. And it packs down small into its own stuff sack for easy transport. Pick one up on Amazon for under $60.

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Have you traveled to Central or South America or the Caribbean lately? What precautions have you taken?

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Travel Gear We Use: family tents for camping

July 29, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

This week in our Travel Gear We Use series, we’re talking about best family tents for camping. There are a mind-boggling array of family camping tents on the market, in a very wide price range. What’s best for your family will depend on where you’re camping, how often you camp, and the size of your family.

Best family tents for minimalists or backpackers:

All purpose: We love, love, love Kelty’s Trail Ridge tent.The Trail Ridge 4 is affordable yet high quality, making it a great double-duty tent: it can be used backpacking or car camping. It falls in the middle weight range for family backpacking–not the lightest tent you’ll find, but also not the most cumbersome-and it’s beautifully affordable at only $279. It technically sleeps 4, which to us, means it sleeps 3 (we always reduce the sleep number by 1 to be comfortable). Another solid option is the REI Half Dome tent, which is one of the easiest to set up of any we’ve tried.

Ultralight: Want to carry as little tent weight as possible? Camping with just one kid or as a couple? Try the Nemo Meta. The Meta is our go-to tent for these situations. It weights just two pounds, but is roomy for a two-person tent, with respectable height too. The catch: you set up the Meta with trekking poles (it does not come with tent poles at all). Set up takes some getting used to, but once you learn how to do it, it only takes about five minutes. You need to stake the tent every night, in order to keep it upright, and of course, you need to be hiking with trekking poles, which we do.

Only need a single person tent? Sometimes you have one extra person or are planning a solo adventure. Our teen checked out the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 during his PCT hike, and loved it so much, he uses it all the time now. Like the Meta, it’s just over 2 pounds, but on the Fly Creek, this includes the tent poles. If you want to get really posh, get the Fly Creek with Big Agnes’ light system, Mtn Glo. This LED light system illuminates the interior of the tent, freeing you up to go without a headlamp or flashlight inside. We’re spoiled now!

Best backpacking and small family tents at a glance:

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Best family tents for car camping or large families:

Best big tent: As our family grows (in height and age, not number!) we’ve found the need for a larger, less portable tent for family car camping adventures in campgrounds and state or national parks. Enter the Slumberjack Grand Lodge 8-Person Tent. Sounds pretty fancy, doesn’t it? And to our minimalist standards, it feels pretty fancy, too: the Slumberjack has room dividers, multiple entrances and windows, and great ventilation. We can even stand up inside it! The Grand Lodge comes in an 8-person or a mind-boggling 12-person. Even for the 8-person, you’ll want to make sure your tent space is large in your campsite! The downside of such a large tent is the set up time: it takes considerably longer to set up the Slumberjack than the Kelty, and it’s definitely not pack-ready. However, it does get easier with experience, and does pack down into its own (large) duffel for car or garage storage.

Six person or less: Don’t need the 8-person capacity of the Slumberjack? Try the Coleman Carlsbad. This six-person tent includes a screen room attached, PLUS has ‘dark room’ technology, which is designed to help kids fall asleep when it’s still light out (does the sun EVER set in summer?). We’ve found our kids, naturally early risers, also sleep in with this tent. It does feel dark when you’re inside, however, so this isn’t the tent to hang out in during the daytime. It also comes in a 4-person size.

All the bells and whistles: Want lots of storage space and technology in your tent? Try the Eureka Jade Canyon. This six-person tent has 10 x 10 feet of space, with lots of built in pockets and sleeves. It even has a media pocket, where you can prop up your iPad in a transparent pocket to view movies or TV. It also features E!Luminate, which is Eureka’s technology that enhances light. You simply place the provided panels on your ceiling of the Jade Canyon, and your headlamp or lantern light will shine brighter. It really does work.

Best large family tents at a glance:

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Want more camping info? Get Pit Stops for Kids’ camping gear list!

Travel Gear We Use: GoTenna review

July 8, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

When we visited Paris last winter, we spent a wonderful day in the Louvre. At least, it was mostly wonderful, except for the two hours we spent looking for each other. My husband had our two older sons in one section, and I had our youngest in another, and our plans to ‘find each other later’ went woefully sideways. We both had phones, but had put them in airplane mode to save on our international data plan. When I turned my phone on to contact him, he had his turned off, and vice versa.

Months later, I was introduced to GoTenna. The minute I saw what it did, I knew we could have used it in Paris. And in Rome. And in Costa Rica. And so on and so forth. GoTenna is a thin, 2-ounce wand that connects to a smartphone app via Bluetooth low energy (LE). It creates a low-frequency radio wave network for its iOS and Android app that reaches about 1 mile in skyscraper-filled urban areas, and, supposedly, up to 9 miles in most open outdoor areas (even longer on mountain tops).

How to use GoTenna:

When you buy GoTenna, it comes in a pack of two (for $199). I had ours set up in about two minutes. You just take the wands out of the package, and pull the little tab on each to extend the stick. When it clicks, you can see whether the GoTenna wand is charged by waiting for the light to blink. If it does, you’re in business. If not, charge the wands first using the included USB cords.

Once they’re ready, turn them off, and download the free GoTenna app. It will walk you through the activation steps, which, again, took me only a minute or so. You turn the GoTenna back on to pair it with your phone via Bluetooth (one wand per phone), add your phone number and name, and you’re in business. You can import your contacts, so it’s easy to find other people when you need to contact them (more on that in a minute) and download maps to use off-line (more on that, too).

Once you and a partner both have the wands paired to your phones, you can use them offline to contact each other. Each GoTenna has a nylon loop so you can attach it to a backpack, jacket, or hat. You don’t hold it; you need it to have a clear path to get a signal. Think of GoTenna like a messaging app: it has the capability to send messages and location, but not much else. You cannot use GoTenna to send photos or video, make phone calls, or scroll through social media. It’s like a walkie-talkie, only much better.

You do everything you want with GoTenna from the app.

Send one-on-one messages: this is the primary thing we’ve done with it. You can send messages to anyone in your contacts who also has a GoTenna (this is the reason for the pack of two).
Send Shout messages to everyone in the area with a GoTenna: A ‘shout’ message is basically a general message that will go out to everyone with a GoTenna within range. Not many people have these, so it’s not much of an issue right now, but in theory, you could use this feature to send out a general invite to meet up at a location at a concert or festival to meet other users, or send an ‘all call’ as an emergency.
Send emergency messages: this feature is deceiving, because GoTenna cannot actually connect with emergency services (a con to using it, for sure). It can only connect with other GoTennas (not satellites), so this emergency feature is just a ‘shout’ set in priority mode. If anyone nearby is also using GoTenna, they’ll get a message that someone needs assistance. I guess it’s better than nothing.
Use maps: I love this feature. While online, you can download tons of pre-existing maps in GoTenna’s app. (This feature is under ‘location’). Then you can use the maps while offline. We could have used this in Paris, and we will be using it in Central America this fall.

When and why to use GoTenna:

GoTenna is touted as a solution for communicating in the outdoors, when traveling without coverage, and during natural disasters other situations when off the grid. I initially thought I’d like using the wands while backpacking and camping, but in practice, we leave GoTenna at home during outdoor trips. Why? The range isn’t long enough for hikers or campers to communicate with family back at home (reason #1 I’d use it), and to use it hiker to hiker, we’d also have to carry multiple cell phones in the wilderness, which would require bringing solar chargers. While we might do this occasionally (I love the Waka Waka solar charger for this purpose), most often, we’re tech-free in the wilderness.

So what DO we use GoTenna for? International travel. We’re also glad to have it in case of a natural disaster when we may need to communicate off the grid, but primarily, it’s a wonderful tool for travel. When we travel internationally, we pay for limited service plans, so more often than not, we’re in Airplane mode and offline. With GoTenna, we can continue to communicate when we separate during the day, and we can use the maps. The teens and I used GoTenna last month in the Caribbean, when we were doing different service projects a few miles apart, and we’ll use it again in Costa Rica and Panama later this year. The only place we’ve used GoTenna where it’s only worked so-so was on a cruise ship. I think all the metal walls and doors messed with it.

Pick up GoTenna for $199 or look for it at REI. If you travel even a few times per year off the grid (or in Airplane mode), it’s well worth the investment.

Disclosure: We were given a GoTenna to test, for the purpose of review. As always, all opinions are our own.

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Aventura capri breakdown: Which Aventura capri pant to buy

July 1, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

For today’s Travel Gear We Use, I want to take a moment to compare various style of my favorite travel pants and capris. If you’ve checked out Aventura Clothing, you can probably see why this brand is my favorite for traveling in. Aventura clothes are almost all organic cotton, which don’t wrinkle, they’re designed for an active lifestyle, and they’re comfortable and practical.

Me, wearing the Galina capri while bird watching in Louisiana.

Aventura capri breakdown:

I get it: when you’re ordering online, you can’t try things on, and even when a company makes it easy to return and exchange things, it’s a pain in the rear. Hopefully, this guide on which Aventura pant to buy will help you make the right selection on the first try.

I have a true size 8 waist, but larger thighs (I’d like to think it’s all muscle, but…). I find that the following capris and pants fit me well. If you tend to be ‘pear shaped’, try these styles:

Harlow capri: I love this new capri style! The Harlow is thin and lightweight, has a narrower waist and more generous thigh, and falls to mid-calf for me. (It will fall to just below knee-length for tall women.) The white color especially is very summery. It also comes in a short.
Arden pant and capri: The Arden capri is a classic of Aventura’s, and also comes in a pant and short. Like the Harlow, it has a true-to-size waist and shorter leg length, and it’s organic cotton. The legs can roll up or down to change the length, too. It comes in a wide variety of colors now.

If you have thinner legs but maybe a larger middle, I’ve found the following styles to be roomier than most in the waist, but straighter in the leg:

Mackenzie capri: The Mackenzie is a dressier capri that has cute button accents on the bottom and a 17″ length. Plus, it’s not new this season, so it’s on sale.
Galina capri: I’ve fallen in love with the new Galina capri, because it wears almost like a skinny pant on shorter people like myself. The length goes almost to my ankle (26″ inseam), but will fall at about mid-calf for tall women. The Galina has a wider waist and narrower leg, so I needed to order up a size. They do stretch out during the day, however.

General Aventura capri and pant tips:

Aventura clothes usually run slightly big. If you’re a true size 8, for instance (just using myself as an example here), you may be a size 6-8 in Aventura clothes.
Organic cotton pants will have quite a bit of give and stretch, whereas linen (per usual) will not.
Aventura leggings and tights are true to size, and never sag, making them a great choice if you can’t find a pant you love. I recommend the Bienne capri legging, which goes great under dresses and skirts.

What’s your favorite Aventura capri?

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Travel Gear We Use: Ecoths shirts for teen travel

June 3, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

We’ve been singing the praises of men’s clothing line Ecōths for several years now. Part of my favorite clothing company, Aventura, Ecōths is all about comfortable, practical men’s wear that’s environmentally and socially responsible. Not only are many of the offerings made from recycled or organic materials, Ecōths’ GOOD SAM program has donated over 150,000 meals across the US to local food banks. How do they do it? Ecōths provides a minimum of three meals for every garment sold in America to someone in need. Make a purchase of Ecōths, and in turn you will be donating three meals to someone who truly needs it.

While my husband loves wearing Ecōths, no one is more excited about what this company is doing that the resident Millennial in our family, our 16-year-old. He’s all about environmental stewardship and the outdoors, and always needs quality travel clothing. If you have a teen boy who needs clothing that won’t wrinkle in the suitcase, will last through many washings, and will look good enough to pass the teenage test, read on!

My teen’s favorite Ecōths shirts for travel days:

Chandler Tee:

This raglan-sleeve tee is trendy and casual-looking, but made from an organic cotton blend. This means it’s very soft to the touch, and will not wrinkle…even when my teen balls it up and tosses it in his duffel. Pick it up in four neutral colors in sizes M-XL. Our teen is tall and slim, and the medium fits him nicely.

Hendrix:

Our teen is all about plaid. And flannel, but in summer, mostly plaid. He spends a lot of time in the outdoors, so he needs shirts that provide sun protection and breathability. The Hendrix short-sleeve is organic cotton and Coolmax polyester blend that ensures it’s moisture-wicking and wrinkle-resistant, even when my son is hiking or biking. As a bonus, he loves the built-in microfiber Handy Cleaning Cloth in the front interior of the shirt. It comes in two colors in M-XXL. Note: the Monroe is similar, but just a little bit more ‘rugged’ looking, in our opinion.

Beckett V-Neck:

The Beckett is 100% organic cotton jersey. This is as pure as it gets when it comes to a boy wardrobe, so pick up a couple (they’re on sale)! Our teen loves the Beckett because it’s fashionable with its horizontal stripes and V-neck, and I love it because unlike his other t-shirts, it’s high quality. No holes here! It comes in three colors in sizes M-XXL.

Ecōths discount for you!

I didn’t include pricing in this post. Why? Because I want Pit Stops for Kids readers to get 60% off! Hey, boys grow fast, and we need all the help we can get keeping them clothed, right? To get 60% off your entire Ecōths or Aventura clothing order, subscribe to our FREE travel newsletter email list (at the top of our page), then leave a comment below. I’ll email your discount code for ANY order up to $250 (while supplies last)!

#EcōthsLife:

Instagram users, share your photos of how you live an #ecothslife everyday! Each month, Aventura will pick one winner who has posted a picture using #EcothsLife and they will receive an outfit from Ecōths.

Travel Gear We Use: Spyder battery case review

May 20, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

I’m very picky about my phone case. My iPhone might just have more ‘outfits’ than me during a week! I need a case for everyday use, that’s protective but still slim and offers easy access (for me, that’s my OtterBox Symmetry), a case for the outdoors (hello, LifeProof), and of course, a case for those days I just KNOW my juice will run low. For those days, the Spyder PowerShadow battery case for iPhone 6 wins.

What sets PowerShadow apart:

I’ve tried other battery cases, as well as a wide variety of external batteries and chargers, and the PowerShadow keeps returning to the front of the line because it’s the lightest, slimmest, and easiest case to use. Yes, it’s bulkier than my Symmetry, but actually less bulky than larger, tougher OtterBox cases. The PowerShadow wraps around the phone, leaving the screen free from filters or casing, which I like, because I hate having to jab my finger at the screen really hard when there’s ‘protective’ casing around it.

The PowerShadow is shockproof, water resistant, and offers antimicrobial protection, which is awesome. We all know our phones are the dirtiest, most disgusting germ-attractor in our lives, right? Even though the main purpose of using a PowerShadow is the charging capabilities, I cannot have my phone in a non-protective case, even for a minute. I’m just too clumsy for that!

Powering and recharging:

Let’s talk about the charging capabilities of the PowerShadow, because that’s why you buy one. With it on your phone, you get 10 hours extra web browsing, 15 hours extra talk time, 11 hours extra video time, and 50 hours extra music playback. Most power cases seem to offer something similar, but this is where PowerShadow wins out: you can charge and sync the phone right through the case, charging both the case and the phone simultaneously. The last charging case I owned, I had to take the case off the phone and charge it separately. You can even buy a separate docking station and charge through that, if you desire. Honestly, I have so many devices and gadgets in the house, I didn’t want another…I’m fine charging the case and phone with the provided USB cable.

When I use the PowerShadow:

With my job, I have to be connected when I travel. This means lots of moments powering up my phone to take photos, engage in social media, and check in with people. I almost always go through a full charge by mid-afternoon during busy travel days and conferences. At home, I rarely do so, which is why my PowerShadow is my ‘travel day’ phone case. For $99, it’s well worth not having to bring an extra phone charger or look for wall outlets.

Pick up a PowerShadow online for $99 in several colors for iPhone 5 and 6/6+, or look for it at Amazon for a few buck less.

Disclosure: I received a PowerShadow free of charge, for the purpose of review. All opinions remain my own.

Coleman camping gear and #FindYourPark

May 11, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

It’s camping season in most of the US and Canada, and I’m excited to spend time in the outdoors for the next few months. Most of us are now familiar with our National Park system’s #FindYourPark initiative, which is helping more families than ever discover outdoor recreation in state and national parks.

Most families are also familiar with Coleman, an outdoor gear brand with a long tradition of creating family-friendly camping equipment. We’ve been using Coleman gear since I was a kid. Right now, Coleman is partnering with #FindYourPark. Through 2017, Coleman will host a variety of outdoor experiences that will enable America’s youth and their families to connect with our national parks in unique ways.

Want more camping info? Get Pit Stops for Kids’ camping gear list!

To round out this partnership, Coleman will also offer a limited edition line of products including grills, stoves, lanterns and coolers that commemorate our national parks to ensure Americans are well equipped to head out to the parks. To kick off the camping season, we wanted to share reviews of some of our favorites, and let you know how to get them.

Coleman camping gear we’re using this summer:

Carlsbad Fast-Pitch tent:

The Carlsbad tent sleeps six and includes two living spaces: a 10 x 9 ft. tented space and a 10 x 5 ft. screen room. It’s roomy vertically too, with a ceiling of 5 ft. 8 in. Families can easily spread out, with extra sleeping space in the screen room if the weather is dry, or you can use that space for a few chairs, a game of Uno, or everyone’s shoes and gear.

A few features we love: The Carlsbad features Coleman’s ‘Dark Room Technology’, which means it stays darker inside than the average tent. When you have kids with an earlier bedtime or hope that you’ll all sleep in a bit, this is golden. You also get window awnings, which is more than just a cute feature: they allow you to keep windows zippered down, even in rain, which reduces condensation in the tent. Lastly, the Carlsbad is one of Coleman’s ‘Fast Pitch’ tents, which means that for its size, it’s very easy to set up. Forget the heavy, awkward set up stage: some of the poles are pre-inserted, and it really only takes five minutes to be up and running. Buy on sale for $169 on Amazon, or grab a 4-person model for only $134.

Big N Tall cot:

We’ve really fallen in love with cot sleeping when we’re car camping. To be honest, we sleep outside on cots much of the summer. Cots are more comfortable than air mattresses for us, and sleeping off the ground simply feels like a luxury when we’re camping. The Coleman Big N Tall cot is part of their Big N Tall line, which, in our opinion, isn’t just for bigger people. The oversized cot is simply more stable and wider, which is good news for anyone. It’s designed in a military style with an X frame, and is quick to set up.

A few features we love: The design on the Big N Tall cot is a manly yet understated topography map design in sand tones. I realize a cot’s selling feature isn’t its looks, but it’s always nice to have something nice looking in your campsite! It comes in a rolling carrying case, with is really good, since this baby is heavy! Pick up the Big N Tall for $135. You can also find standard-sized Coleman cots for $79 and under.

Mountain View Screen Dome Shelter:

Coleman’s 12×12 screen dome shelter went up in our yard in May and won’t come down until August, except to go camping! We use it daily for bug-free outdoor space and outside sleeping space throughout the summer months, and it’s a wonderful addition to car camping sites when you need a bug-free zone. It has an open bottom/floor, which means you can set it up around fixed picnic tables at campsites for mosquito-free eating or card games during the twilight hour. I won’t lie: set up takes longer than for your average tent (it took us about 15 minutes) and the poles are bulky and heavy.

A few features we love: You get 50+ UPF, and the roof is waterproof (we’ve tested it extensively). You get some side-panel ‘walls’ you can drape on one or more sides if you desire, which is helpful for keeping out sun on one side, privacy, or during rain storms. If you don’t need the shelter to be screened to keep out bugs, you can zip away the attached screens to use the shelter as just a sun dome (great for sporting events). The inside height is over 7 feet, so you won’t need to duck. Pick it up for $181 on Amazon.

Conquer 200L LED Headlamp:

Sorry, flashlights, but we’ve switched entirely over to headlamps for our illumination needs while camping. We love the hands-free convenience, and the way headlamps easily convert from pathway illumination to reading lights to lanterns (just wrap one around a large plastic bottle of water). The Conquer headlamp is bulkier than we’d like for backpacking, but ideal for car camping and for kids to take to camp. It’s rugged exterior can take a beating, and the headband can be adjusted to fit just about everyone.

A few features we love: The Conquer features BatteryLock, which stops battery drain. Believe it or not, you won’t be changing out the batteries constantly! It has five modes, including high spot, high flood, low spot, low flood, and red, and lumens ranging from 200 (high spot), 150 (high flood), 70 (low spot), and 20 (low flood). You need three AAA batteries, but the LEDs never need replacing. Pick it up for just $25. There are stronger, brighter models available as well, going up to about $45, but honestly, this is all you need.

Travel Gear We Use: best overnight backpack brands for kids and youth

May 6, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

As an editor at Practical Travel Gear and a gear reviewer for OutdoorsNW, I test a lot of travel products and outdoor gear. Some of this gear we keep and continue to use as a family, and some of it gets pushed to the wayside. Some of the most-frequent questions I’m asked on Pit Stops for Kids is related to what to pack, what to bring, and what to wear. Our Travel Gear We Use series will address our most commonly requested gear recommendations.

Quality, backpack trip-worthy packs are hard to find that fit young kids and youth (tweens and teens). Many so-called kids’ packs are flimsy, or simply not designed for multi-day, serious hiking and trekking. It’s very important to find a pack for your kids that takes the weight off their shoulders and onto their hips, just like the grown-up models do. As with all travel-related activities, your kids will have better success and more fun when backpacking with the right gear. Here’s what we use when it comes to best overnight backpack picks for kids:

For young kids (ages 6-11):

Kelty Junior Tioga External Frame Pack

Why we use this pack: firstly, Kelty is a brand we trust to be of quality design at a reasonable price. Kids grow out of gear quickly and pack styles are improved upon often…no need to spend top dollar to hand-down something obsolete. The Kelty Jr. Tioga (shown in the photo above, worn by Toby, age 8) is 34L, which offers a large enough capacity to be helpful, but not so large that the child is over-burdened with too much weight. (Tip: our young kids carry only their own clothing, their own sleeping bag and pad, and lightweight food items, such as freeze-dried meals).

While the Jr. Tioga isn’t too large, it still offers a secure waist belt and sternum straps, allowing weight to be carried on the hips. The external frame is nice at this age, because the pack is more highly adjustable than most with internal frames. Not only can the waist belt and shoulder straps be adjusted to size, but the frame can be made larger or smaller. This pack has grown with our kids from age 6-11. Buy at sale price on Amazon.

Deuter Fox 40

Why this pack: once kids have outgrown the external frame pack above, enter the Deuter Fox. We tried many internal frame packs for kids in the 40-45L range, and found the Deuter to provide the best ‘adult’ features in a kid-friendly package. There’s a dedicated sleeping bag compartment and an adjustable torso, and good ventilation on the back panel and hip belt. We kind of wish it wasn’t top-loading, and kids tend to toss everything out of the bag to find that one thing at the bottom, but this is a feature we can live with. Buy on Amazon for $109.

Note: if you find you simply can’t find a narrow enough hip belt for a thin child, try the REI brand Passage 38. It was the only pack to properly fit our narrow-hipped child!

For tweens and teens (ages 12-17):

Mountainsmith Youth Pursuit

Why we use this pack: It is so hard to correctly size tweens and teens! They may be ready to carry the load of many adults, but for most teens, adult packs are still too large-framed, either in torso length or sternum/waist belt width or both. The Youth Pursuit is 45L (a nice in-between capacity) and offers an internal frame that’s fully customizable by velcro adjustment (for torso length). The waist belt fits our 12-year-old and our 14-year-old, and there are plenty of organizational pockets so older kids can be in charge of packing and using their own tools and gear. Kids get adult-pack quality ventilation on the pack pads, and pack material is equal to that of mom’s and dad’s. Read a full review here. Buy at sale price on Amazon.

Granite Gear Leopard

Why this pack: the Granite Gear Leopard is our older teen son’s all-time favorite pack. Yes, he’s in a height category that opens up his options to include any men’s pack, but with a thin waist, it can still be hard to find a proper fit. The Granite Gear Leopard fits perfectly, isn’t too big at 58L (most men’s packs are 65 L or more), and doesn’t break the bank. It also comes in a minimalist 46 liters! He loves all the pockets and included loops for his accessories like an axe and a collapsible shovel, and how easily it can be cinched down or expanded. Buy on Amazon for under $150.

Top youth backpacking packs at a glance:

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Travel Gear We Use: Spring travel wear from Aventura Clothing

April 22, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

As you may have seen if you follow our Pit Stops for Kids social channels, I am again an ambassador for Aventura Clothing this year. What does this mean? It means I help Aventura promote their products with my honest reviews and endorsement of the spring travel wear I think works well for women traveling with their families. You can see my photos on the Aventura website, which is as close as I’ll ever come to modeling, and you’ll see me wearing Aventura in my Instagram feed and Facebook posts, because I authentically do wear it all the time.

Basically, my job is to show how the brand works for me, in my daily life and in my travels, because I genuinely love the products Aventura sells.

Why I love Aventura Clothing:

It’s comfortable, practical, and stylish. Those who know me well can attest that I barely remember to check a mirror before walking out the door, and rarely take the time to put together a killer outfit. When I find a brand that’s stylish without much effort from me, I’m sold. And Aventura Clothing is designed to fit regular, healthy women…no tiny sizing here that will depress you. Best of all, most of Aventura’s pieces are organic cotton, which is environmentally-friendly and also helpful when traveling…shirts won’t wrinkle!

What I’m loving from Aventura this spring:

One of the perks of my ambassador position with Aventura is the opportunity to try out quite a few pieces each season. Yes, this is very fun! This spring, Aventura has quite a few new looks, ranging from fun tie-dye prints to floral designs to classic layering pieces. My absolute favorites are rounded up below.

Brielyn Striped Dress: I absolutely must have cotton dresses in my spring wardrobe. Dresses take half (or less) the room in suitcases as pants and shirts, and they look dressier and more festive when traveling. The Brielyn is a striped jersey dress with elbow-length sleeves that’s 50% organic cotton. It comes in four bright colors with crisscrossing contrast seams. Pair with: Wesley Sweater, an awesome cotton-cashmere sweater wrap ideal for chilly nights by the pool or on the plane.

Fleur Dress: This dress is v-necked and sleeveless, but still very casual. I love it because it’s stretchy (an organic cotton-spandex blend) and can go from day to night. Again, no extra packing needed. You can tell I’m a minimalist! It comes in three colors with distressed stripes on the hem.

Poet Tank: You’ll need at least two of these, which works out, because it comes in two color patterns. The talisman print on the Poet Tank dresses it up, so you can wear it to dinner in addition to yoga class. This is going to be a summer staple for me. Also needed: Bienne strappy camisole…under-layers are crucial when traveling.

Hathaway Top: Everyone needs at least one collared, button-down shirt for those days you need some coverage on your shoulders. Maybe you need to give your skin a break from the sun, or maybe you’re visiting a place where you need to cover up, like a cathedral. The Hathaway top is done is pastel colors for spring, is organic cotton, and feels very light when worn. It goes in my bag every time!

Galina Capri: I know skinny jeans are popular, but I just need a pair of pants with a little more give when I’m traveling. The Galina is just form-fitting enough to look tailored but still be roomy enough when I’m sitting a lot on airplanes. It’s cotton-spandex with a 26″ inseam, and comes in four colors.

Hats and scarves! Just get some! A hat or a scarf will instantly add class to any summer outfit, guaranteed. My favorite hat this spring is the Cruz sun hat, offering serious sun protection while looking cute and a little bit funky. But there are quite a few to choose from! The Cruz will be joining me on a cruise very shortly (how apt!) and I’ll be wearing the Phoebe this summer as well.

Want to try Aventura for yourself?

Get 60% off your order with one of my exclusive codes! I’m offering three ways to get one. Comment below, then: 1. sign up for our free e-newsletter (sign-up bar is at the top of your screen), 2. subscribe to our feed, or 3. email me at amy(at)pitstopsforkids.com.

You can also join the #AventuraLife loyalty program! Those who join the #AventuraLife get discounts and free shipping depending on their level of membership…the more you spend, the better discounts and gifts you get. It’s more than just discounts though…#AventuraLife members embody the adventurous spirit that drew women like myself (and you!) to the brand.

Need more Aventura Clothing inspiration? Check out my archives for MANY more reviews of this brand!