5 Great Gifts for Campermamas!

With the Holidays approaching, here are 5 great gifts for Campermamas everywhere!

Cozy Vest

Not just for camping, the MEC Uplink hoodie is perfect for any chilly morning or cool evening! Blessed with flattering design lines and elasticated thread which helps it to hug the body, this vest offers the warmth of a puffy down vest, without the ‘Michelin’ bulk. Lightweight, this vest also packs up small, making it handy for stuffing into your purse, or pack, when you’re out and about. The Uplink is $99 and comes in this lovely ‘turkish blue’ or in classic black.

 Night Vision

The Petzl Tikka RXP Headlamp also made my list because I love headlamps! Not only are they wonderful for camping, you can also use them for night snowshoeing or running on dark mornings and evenings. Headlamps are lightweight (this one weighs 115g) and comfortable but this particular model has a nice design to help it stay in place when moving at a pace. The Tikka RXP is my choice because it uses a rechargable Lithium battery and comes with a USB cable whcih makes it easier to charge when you’re camping. (It will also take a standard battery if you’re out and don’t have access to power) It’s most impressive feature is that besides the constant light of most headlamps it also has a very cool light sensor, or ‘reactive mode’ that decides whether you need a wider beam for distance or a focused beam for close up. This sounds perfect for camping as I go from fishing out my toothbrush and toothpaste to trekking to the bathroom and often have wait for my eyes to adjust to the difference in the light so that I don’t trip over a tree en route! The Tikka also has a red light option so that you don’t have to blind yourself if you need to find your watch in the middle of the night!

It might seem pricey at $99 but it’s the gadget that you’ll really appreciate when camping and if you enjoy getting out and about all year round then the Tikka RXP is a great choice!

 

 Awesome Socks

Happy feet can make all the difference to an activity and these Darn Tough Micro Crew Cushion socks are sure to please! Made of sustainable, fine gauge merino wool that won’t itch, rub or cause hot spots; pulling these socks on is like wearing slippers (that don’t slouch or bunch at the toes!) I love the colours of this particular style as it functions as a technical hiking sock but looks just as good peeking out of my UGG boots around the camp fire! Merino wool is a great choice for camping as it’s warm, anti microbial (won’t stink) and it retains heat even when wet (wonderful for those moments when you reach your foot down into what you think is a dry boot but which turns out to be full of dew! This is a premium sock that comes with an unconditional lifetime guarantee so the $23 price tag is really quite reasonable. Beware though – these socks are addictive – one pair is never enough!

 

 

Solar Power

 

If you’re camping, chances are you still have your phone with you – Aside from using the camera function it’s a great tool for checking weather reports, hiking trail maps and peace of mind safety! We are rather attached to them these days and plugging them in to an outlet in the washroom isn’t always an option.  Here’s the solution – the Eton Boost Solar 5000! At $105 you’ll get a gadget to power your gadgets over and over again and a great sustainable energy solution! The battery pack can charge a smartphone twice over and it can then be re-charged thanks to the solar panel! (The battery can also be charged via a USB port ) At only 6″ sq – this baby is compact and easy to stash so no problem finding a spot in the light to charge it up! At $105 it’s the gift that will keep giving – one that you’ll be grateful for when your tablet or smartphone dies and you’re only on day 2 of your getaway!

 

 

Layer up

Great layering pieces for camping share pretty much the same characteristics with running tops. You want a top that will breathe, dry quickly and which looks great worn on it’s own, as well as being comfortable to wear under a heavier sweater or fleece. My pick is the Oiselle Drop Top Mesh, for $78 you get style that you’ll feel happy showing off and the technical features you need to keep you warm, dry and comfortable – including thummies! This cute top will have many uses and makes a great gift as it’s sure to become a fav!

 

 

 

Do you deserve your socks? Why ‘Darn Tough’ is a badge of honour

Darn Tough socks…it’s a brand that I was first introduced to in 2004.At the time the brand was new, just beginning to find its feet in the large and competitive outdoor market. Ric Cabot, owner of a third generation hosiery mill in Northfield Vermont was trying to save his family business – the private label sock business that had sustained them in the past (Cabot made socks for brands like Gap and Banana Republic) was starting to be outsourced to overseas mills where labour was cheap. Not wanting to see his mill close and families of workers lose their jobs, he bet their knitting skills against a new market where quality was valued and came at a premium price. It paid off. Today Darn Tough is #2 in the premium merino wool sock market.

Darn Tough is still made in Vermont and offers such a high quality product that every pair of socks comes with an unconditional lifetime guarantee.

Unconditional.

No strings…no, really.

No competition in my mind.

As the name suggests, these socks are tough… but wearing them, reminds me that I’m tough too.

1. Tab No Show Light Cushion

1. (Tab No Show Light Cushion ) They carry me on the 5.30am run I make myself do 3 times a week before getting the kids ready for school and myself out the door to work. It’s not easy getting up at that time but I do it regardless. 3 times a week. My feet have never complained; rain, snow or sun, they carry me back home in comfort and I thank my socks for that.

2. 1/4 Sock Cushion

2. (1/4 Sock Cushion) Hiking in the Lake District, tramping through the countryside and shopping the high streets of London – these babies have carried me around the UK a couple of times now. They slip into whatever boots I’m wearing – hiking or moto inspired – providing all day cushion and comfort for my feet, plus minimal need for washing (a travel bonus), wherever I’m demanding they take me next.

3. Micro Crew Cushion

3. (Micro Crew Cushion – Coolmax) Camping with kids takes a certain level of patience and perseverance but it’s always worth it and in these socks I have one less thing to worry about. Summer after summer, rainy mornings, cold evenings, hot day hikes or unexpected lake wading, I know that in Darn Tough, my feet are going to feel comfortable and still look human at the end of the day (those prune toes that other socks manage to produce are so yesterday). I can take whatever comes my way with a smile on my face…well, I’m one step closer to it anyway!

4. Boot Sock Full Cushion

4. (Boot Sock full cushion) Back in 2004, I had my first baby and I took her snowshoeing with me. Up and down the local mountains we would go and when my second baby came along, I did the same thing with her. Getting into the Outdoors has always been important to me but carrying the extra weight of a child strapped to my body was not always easy. These socks (the same pair for all those years) remind me that I didn’t let that stop me. On all those trips I never once got a blister or had to stop and negotiate bending down to pull my socks up. I put them on, laced up my boots and I was off, enjoying the chance to exercise in the snow.

OK, maybe I don’t get medals or a certificate for my efforts, but every time I pull these socks on, I feel that what I do, and have done, deserves that lifetime guarantee. And so, maybe it’s the socks themselves that are my recognition. My badge of honour.

Darn Tough…it’s right there on the toe and it just so happens to say it all.

Darn Tough…says it all