Baffin Candy Boots Let Girls Fight the Winter
Do you want your daughter to have warm feet, dry feet, and the ability to stay upright on packed snow and ice? If you outfit her in these Candy boots from Baffin, she’ll be next to indestructible from the calf down—but she’ll look cool too.
Baffin is probably Canada’s best-known footwear brand and they know a thing or two up there about dealing with frigid winter weather. When local conditions aren’t bad enough to test out their boots’ performance in sub-zero weather, the president has been known to trek to the North Pole for a test run. These are serious boots with the technology to take on whatever wintry conditions you may encounter.
This particular Candy version is a great example of the toughness. There’s a thick rubber sole with serious tread, but the boots have some bend to them even in extreme cold. The rubber extends over the tops of the toes, with an extra layer over the front. The whole upper is waterproof. The laces and tassels on the side can be left as is for show, but they are functional if it makes sense to tie the boots tighter around the calf.
Inside there’s a removable 5-layer lining that makes these really warm and snug: they’re rated to -40 degrees F. Brrrr! Despite that and the lack of scrimping on the rubber, they are surprisingly light, weighing in at 1 pound 6 ounces each.
No girl or tween worth her doll collection wants to be seen in a clunky pair of boots with no style though, so these Baffin Candy ones look as good as what Mom wears, with a healthy dose of pink. The fake fur on the cuffs along the top helps too. There’s also a solid black version if she’s too cool for pink.
So far my daughter has just worn these in barely freezing weather in Virginia, so I can’t vouch for that minus-40 claim yet. She didn’t whine when we asked her to put them on and when it’s time for a ski trip or a journey to an icy place, we’ll be ready.
The Baffin Candy boots list for $80, but check prices online at Backcountry and Altrec. See the full line of Baffin boots for kids here, including some more boy-friendly versions.
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Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family on January 11th, 2012
5 things I always pack: Amy Whitley
Amy Whitley is the newest reviewer here at Practical Travel Gear. She’s a freelance travel writer and founding editor of Pit Stops for Kids, a site for traveling families (and parents who have heard ‘Are we there yet?!’ one too many times). A partner of Best Family Travel Experts, Amy’s articles have appeared in print newspapers, online travel sites, and Redbook. She makes her home in rural Oregon, and travels extensively with her husband and three children. So Amy, what do you always pack?
1. iPad or iPod Touch
As extensive road-trippers, we’re believers in technology on the road. But even more so, we’re believers in streamlining the amount of gadgets, chargers, and books and movies we need to pack. Our iPad 2 tablet is the ultimate multi-tasker: we use it for in-car entertainment, mapping, storing our itinerary, communicating with people at home, and maybe, if I get a spare moment, working. Downloading movies and TV programs onto our iPad allows us to skip the big tote bag of DVDs we used to lug along on every trip, and eReader and audio apps allows us to bring books without the bulk (for car-sick apt kids, I recommend a Tales2Go audio subscription). An unexpected perk: my kids have taken to creating their own movies while in the backseat of our van, creating video travel journals and interviewing one another on the attractions we see. My son’s pocket-sized iPod Touch is not only a source of entertainment while en route, but serves as a camera and video camera while touring sights.
2. Tuffo Family Car Organizer
There are a lot of car storage solutions out there, but I’ve found that most take up more space than the things they’re intended to store! What I love about the Tuffo car organizer is its sturdy, square shape (it won’t get stuffed under a seat and forgotten), its many pockets and dividers (so toys and games don’t get buried), and the way it can be secured with a seat belt. It’s snap-on and off lid doubles as a tray or writing surface, and there are side pockets for water bottles. If you have two kids sharing a back row, the Tuffo provides the perfect barrier to promote personal space while keeping everyone’s stuff on-hand.
3. Airborne Immune Defense
Does it work? Does it not? It depends upon who you ask, but we’ve found that bringing immune defense supplements such as Airborne on the road can stop some minor sniffles and coughs before they take hold (and ruin a vacation). And who couldn’t use a little extra Vitamin C while traveling?
4. Mesh laundry bags
Even if you only use these mesh and nylon bags bags for their intended purpose (storing dirty laundry), they’re a godsend on the road. But we take a whole handful with us when we go (they wad up to almost nothing while empty) as a means to store extra shoes, coats, or rain and snow gear, allowing us easy access to our outerwear when we make a fun pit stop at a beach or snow-park. (No one wants to dig through their suitcase for their boots after pulling up to an impromptu sledding stop! Packing all the shoes and coats in laundry bags also saves precious space in individual bags and duffles.
5. Collapsible water bottles
These bladder-style water bottles are made for travel! (Our favorite is made by Platypus and Tim just reviewed one from Vapur.) Not only do the collapse flat for easy storage (we empty them before going through airport security, slide them into carry-on pockets, then refill them on the other side), but they’re light enough (even while full) for kids to easily carry their own while hiking, city touring, and the like. Most include carabiners to clip onto backpacks or belt loops, and most importantly, they’re just plain fun. Oh, and did you know Platypus makes a wine storage version as well? Good to note!
Read more reviews by Amy Whitley here at Practical Travel Gear each week, and follow her on Twitter @pitstopsforkids or on the Pit Stops for Kids Facebook Page.
Posted by Amy in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on January 3rd, 2012
Vapur Collapsible Water Bottle
We’re regularly preaching on here about the evils of single-use plastic water bottles, so we like to keep an eye on water bottle designs that make it easier to avoid this marketing-driven environmental disaster.
This reusable, collapsible bottle from Vapur got on my radar recently when I was at an adventure travel trade show and several companies (including Eddie Bauer) were handing them out as promos. I’ve used one a few times now and while it’s kind of an unusual thing to get used to, it has some big advantages.
The main one is that you can pack this thing without taking up any space. Since you can’t go through security with a filled water bottle anyway, you can stow this in your carry-on and then use it at a water fountain on the other side of the TSA security theater. It’s also freezable, so you can have very cold water later on a car trip or even use it as an ice pack in transit. The plastic is BPA-free of course and the top pops off for easy washing. You can buy replacement tops too and keep using the same bottle.
Now you might think this wouldn’t stand upright, but the way it’s designed it will stand up until it gets pretty empty: there’s an extra section on the bottom that expands when the bottle is filled. It also comes with its own carabiner threaded through a whole, so you can hang it on your pack filled or not.
These run about half the price of a stainless steel quality plastic bottle, but there are some disadvantages. Like the Sigg kind of metal ones, this has a narrow opening at the top. That makes it harder to wash if you’re putting something besides water in it.
The other problem is you can’t use this with a SteriPen water purifier. You’d have to purify the water in something else and transfer it to here. Or use a pump filter. This only matters in countries where you can’t trust the water though. Just go from the tap if you’re in the first world.
You can buy direct from Vapur (and order ones with your logo on it if you’re a trade show exhibitor) or check out the selection from Amazon, some of them with cool artist drawings like the one at the right. Or check prices online for other retail outlets.
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Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on December 22nd, 2011
Aerobed Comfy Mattress in a Bag
Whether you’re car camping or crashing in a relative’s living room for the holidays, an Aerobed mattress can mean the difference in a being refreshed or bleary-eyed in the morning.
We must have used the first one of these I got about a hundred times before it sprang a small leak that we were never able to find (probably around the pump housing somewhere). So now we’re back in action with this Premier Cushioned Comfort version that has a handy built-in pump. For a night in a tent or a recent vacation when we had one more person than we had beds in a rental condo, this Aerobed has been just the ticket. (Aerobed is a division of Coleman, so they know a thing or two about camping.)
The pump on this inflatable bed works super fast and will go in reverse mode to deflate it in a hurry too. It works and sounds like the pump on those Sleep Number beds and is just as effective at giving you the control you want for the perfect firmness setting. You can make adjustments while you’re lying down because the controls are on a wand at the end of a cord. With stabilization built around the edge, this is a very solid and comfy bed when inflated.
There are thinner versions that are less bulky, but I think it’s worth the extra weight for this 14-inch thick one as it’s as close as you’ll get to bed comfort in a portable package. The size means it will take sheets meant for a pillow-top mattress as well, so you can use whatever you already have in the linen closet for couchsurfers.
Once the bed is deflated, it fits into an included nylon drawstring sack that’s easy to stuff into the corner of your car trunk or a shelf in the basement when you’re not using it.
The built-in air pump comes with a three-year warranty, but any bad reviews you see of these products usually revolve around a leak developing after a few uses. Considering the huge number of these sold each year, the track record is pretty good, but use a credit card that doubles the one-year warranty on the rest of the bed if you want to be extra safe.
This premier version comes in a twin or queen size and lists for $149. (The latter supports 600 pounds—impressive for an inflatable bed!) Shipping is free if you order direct from Aerobed.
You can find the Aerobed Premier Cushioned Comfort bed at most big-box home and department stores, but Check prices online and you’ll probably save some money.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family on December 21st, 2011
Great Gear and Travel Prizes for $10
[Passports with Purpose is now closed. Tune in again at the end of 2012!]
Over at my Cheapest Destinations Blog, I’ve been involved for three years with the annual Passports with Purpose drive. In the past we’ve collectively built (and staffed) a school in Cambodia and built a whole darn village for a Dalit tribe in India.
Close to 100 bloggers are giving away all kinds of goodies thanks to some generous sponsors. This year the goal is to raise $80K to build two libraries in Zambia. All the money goes toward that goal—no fat administrator salaries soaking up the funds.
On the gear side, here are a few examples of what you can possibly get for just a $10 donation:
- Multiple giveaways of the Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, and Nook
- A pair of the great P-cubed Travel Pants we reviewed recently
- A First Ascent Microtherm down shirt
- The SteriPEN Freedom USB-charged water purifier I reviewed last week
- A $150 gift certificate to pick out travel clothing from ExOfficio
- Gura Gear Kiboko Photography Backpack
- TravelPro Walkabout LITE 4 – 29″ Expandable Spinner suitcase that Ramsey just reviewed
- Voltij backpack by Guerrilla Packs
- Bamboo Blend Traveler’s Pack from Grand Trunk
And that’s just the start because there are all kinds of awesome travel tours, hotel stays in swanky resorts, gift certificates to villa rental or B&B places, and other prizes you didn’t even know were possible for a traveler on a budget to experience—especially for a mere 10 bucks. That’s all you have to cough up to get in on the running for a prize. Spread it around to a few and increase your chances to win.
My sponsor is a company you’ve read about here on Practical Travel Gear before: Pacsafe. This company makes a lot of cool bags and gadgets that put multiple hurdles in front of people trying to get their fingers on your goods. For Passports with Purpose, Pacsafe is giving away one of their cool VentureSafe 200 daypacks pictured at the top of this post. This is an anti-theft day bag that features slash-proof mesh built in, locking buckles, and lots of small features that will frustrate bad guys looking for an easy score. (There’s a video demo at that link.)
It holds 20 liters worth of stuff and will give you years of hard-core use, keeping your gadgets safe. Their products come with a two-year warranty and I’ve got items that still work like new after five years of travel.
Follow this link to make a donation, either choosing this Pacsafe bag or going for one of the many other great prizes.
Don’t put it off too long though! The cut-off date is December 16 and notifications will go out on the 23rd. Just in time for the holidays…
As I write this a bundle of money has already come in, thanks in part to the marquee sponsors who through cash in the bucket to get things rolling: Round the World with Us, TravellersPoint, and HomeAway.
* Update – Congrats to Nora Dunn (@hobonora on twitter) who won the Pacsafe daypack. And thanks to Pacsafe for helping PwP raise $88,000 for charity. That’s huge!
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on December 7th, 2011
