Kelty Child Carrier

One of our readers here at Nature For Kids, Kris from Utah, did a nice write up about his new Kelty FC 3.0 child carrier. He graciously let me use the review as a post today. Take a look…

I skipped out of work early a few weeks ago to take Rosie out on her inaugural hike in our brand new Kelty FC 3.0.
We only hiked for a few miles, but Rosie was entertained the entire time by the two travel toys I hooked onto the backpack’s toy loops. The included sun shade (which is optional on other Kelty FC models) kept the bright sun off her little head, and we lubed her up with plenty of baby sunblock to protect her exposed skin.

Despite the warmish weather we opted to put her in a sweat shirt to keep the sun off her arms. In the future I’ll buy a lighter weight cotton jacket for her to wear.
I was impressed by the backpack, it was easy to get Rosie strapped down and secure. The waist strap is very padded, and the sliding back panel ensures that both my wife, Lissa, and I get a perfect fit despite our different torso lengths. Since we were going on such a short hike I didn’t load much gear into the pack (just the baby and a few diapers), but it seems like it will have plenty of cargo space, and I think I’ll be able to tie a sleeping bag and sleeping pad onto the frame kickstand for overnight hikes. The child carrier is also adjustable, so when Rosie gets bigger I’ll be able to lower the seat so that she still fits into the pack. The only drawback is that the mesh bottle holders are behind the seat area, which makes them impossible to reach without taking off the pack.
The carrier came with a mirror that tucks away into the right shoulder strap, perfect for checking on Rosie when she’s uncharacteristically quiet or noisy.
Photos taken by Lissa. 

Thanks Kris and Lissa! I know you’ll probably have more to say about your pack after using it throughout the summer, so we’ll check in with you then. Your daughter is well on her way to becoming a Nature Kid. 

Check out Kris and Lissa’s other great adventure pictures .

Send in snapshots of your Nature Kid to shawna@natureforkids.net and we’ll post them on the Your Adventure Page! Or if you have a review to share about kids outdoor equipment send them in and we’ll get them posted.
 

Vegetate vs. Recreate

On one particular morning we were having troubles getting motivated to accomplish anything in our day. Picture me and my three children lounging in our pajamas until 11 a.m., blinds drawn, watching television with unbrushed hair, picking at a Tupperware full of cookies we made the night before. Our activity level was, needless to say, ranking at the bottom with rats and other sewer dwellers. Eventually our lack of nourishing food and recreation led to grouchy interactions amongst us. The kids were arguing over what to watch and the baby was clinging to me.

“Okay, get dressed and get your shoes on, we’re going outside!” I said, surprising myself more than anyone. “We have to get outside of this box!”After a good fifteen minutes of moaning and complaining we were standing in the garage as the door slowly rose, the light blinding us as it trickled in. It was like a scene from a bad vampire movie.
The previous day we had gone to the library for reading time. The kids played some games and each received a prize, a bug catcher with a magnifying glass, tweezers and a net. So we took the new prize and our dog with us in search of bugs dwelling down by the river.

I pushed the baby in the stroller. Cru and Corbin began scowering the ground like metal detectors, in search of bugs. Skadi, our dog, was curious to find out what the boys were doing. She stayed close to them with the occasional inquisitive cock of her head. As the boys began turning over large rocks in search of anything moving Skadi would get her muzzle right in the action. In fact, the first rock they turned over Skadi sniffed an ant up her nose. She let out a repetition of convulsive sneezes. After one last sneeze with the simultaneous shake of her head I could almost see the ant comically flying out of her nose through the air.

With each rock that the boys turned over a new colony of bugs was discovered; roly polies, earwigs, firebugs, millipedes and ants. At first the boys were a bit reluctant to get near the bugs, let alone grab them with their tweezers, which they called grabber nabbers. Eventually they got use to the scrambling insects and got a system down. “Okay mom, you lift the rock and I’ll pick them up with my grabber nabbers,” Cru said. Corbin was designated as the container carrier and net trapper. “1,2,3 go”, I said “Ah, grab them grab them hurry they’re getting away!”
After lots of turned over rocks and giggles we peered through the magnifying glass at a container full of bugs staring back at us. The kids seemed amazed by the detail that the magnifying glass gave to the bugs. They could almost count each individual leg of the millipede. They cringed at the sight of the front pinchers of the earwig, and were entranced by the red design on the fire bug’s back. But their favorite seemed to be the rolly poly bug. They were in awe of it’s ability to change from a crawling bug to a rolling ball. They dubbed it what any young boy would, the transformer bug; finally something to compete with Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee.
We had gone almost a mile along the river and been outside for almost two hours and not even realized it. It was amazing. We seemed to have gone from the likes of sewer rats to actual human beings; discovering, laughing and (gasp) doing!

After adding a homey atmosphere to our bug container with some grass and leaves we headed for home. On our way Cru found a tiny orange ball in the crack of the sidewalk. It looked like a pellet from an air soft pellet gun. His eyes brightened as he said, “Hey, I have an idea. They can play soccer together.” Cru put the ball in with the bugs.
Once we got home the boys eyed the bugs carefully. “They look sad inside this tiny container mom,” Cru said. “They’re not even moving.” “Well, we better let them go,” I said. “They don’t like being trapped inside little boxes. They were meant to be outside in the fresh air, with lots of open space. It makes them happy.” They were reluctant to let their prized catches go but they knew it was the right thing to do. As they tipped the container over the bugs began to scramble out and head for a group of rocks and grass nearby. Cru took the small ball he had found and set it by the rock near the bugs. “Here you go little bugs,” Cru said. “Have fun.” Once the bugs were out of sight we all headed back inside the house.
In my mind I could picture those bugs peeking out to see if we had left, and once the coast was clear them laughing as they grabbed the ball and organized their own game of soccer.
If you haven’t already guessed what I learned from this experience I’ll tell you. The bugs and my family are very similar. Not only do we both love soccer but we also don’t belong in a box! It makes us unhappy if we’re inside too long. So now on those days when we’re feeling low, we put on our shoes and open the door.

When you’re feeling like a vegetable what are some of the things you do to brighten your day?

“Man must live, not only exist; he must do, not merely be; he must grow, not just vegetate.” - Spencer W. Kimball (Miracle of Forgiveness)

“The healing powers of nature are only limited by man’s idleness.” - Mystical Batwoman

SPRINGboard For Conversation

Kids go through many changes in their lives, some more drastic than others. Spring is a great time to talk about these changes.  On a quick hike outside they can experience the world changing; birds returning, green buds slowly opening to leaves, snow melting away to rivers and streams, and so on.  These natural changes help open a door to talk about some very difficult subjects like: death, divorce, moving, newborn babies, changing schools, etc.

I have often asked two basic questions of my clients 1) what changes do you see happening in nature? 2) What changes do you see happening in your life? 
It is amazing how deep and heartfelt young kids can experience change and get at least a small sense of understanding through this activity.

Check in again for more ways to use Nature For Kids in daily life. Contributed by Damon

No Weekend Posts

If I’ve accomplished what I set out to do here at Nature For Kids, you probably won’t be disappointed that I’m not posting on the weekend. You won’t be disappointed because you won’t be indoors near your computer, you’ll be out camping, hiking, fishing or whatever it is your family likes to do. Have a great weekend everyone! Maybe we’ll bump into each other on the trail!

Spring Sundburn

Spring sunburns are like driving your car in the first snowstorm of the winter. You’re a little rusty and forget what it’s all about. Stop, Stop, STOP! Why am I not STOPPING?! Owe, Owe, OWE! Why are my arms BURNING?!

I took our youngest out for a hike this afternoon and came home with lobster arms. Luckily she was mostly protected by the shade hood of her Kelty Kids Explorer backpack. But her arms still got a little pink. Next time we go outside for some fun I’m going to make a more conscious effort to put myself in her shoes. How is she feeling? Is she thirsty, hot, or sore?

Everyone out there in Mother Nature land, learn from my mistakes. I’m applying the SPF 45 on me and the kids next time and you should too.  For my kids’ faces I like to use the sunscreen that looks like a glue stick. It’s super easy to apply and it doesn’t get in their eyes.

Well, I’m getting the summer itch now. I’m seriously going to go down into our basement to dig through the kids’ summer gear; wide brimmed hats, shorts, flip-flops and swimsuits.  Hooray…it’s almost here!

Quick Nature For Kids Fact : childhood sunburns can increase your child’s risk of developing skin cancer as an adult. Check out this link for more information on sun damage and prevention.

Recreation Close To Home

Today’s challenge from Nature For Kids: Find recreation close to your home; someplace you can go that’s conveniently close and that has endless exploring opportunities, a park, a trail or even just a remote wooded area. Call it your swift sanctuary or rapid retreat. Whatever you call it, use it often.

We have four paralleling lines where I live; the train tracks, Main Street, the river and the freeway. Although Main Street’s old architecture, bakery, art gallery, library and fire station are fun to visit, my favorite line to explore with the kids is the river. When we moved to this small town I was surprised to find such an extensive greenway system in place, which follows the river through town and beyond the outskirts. On those days when we’re not feeling up for a big adventure that requires getting in the car, we head to the river. It’s just a jaunt from our front door. And you know what Bilbo Baggins says, “It’s a dangerous business…going out of your door. If you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Leave a comment - Tell me and others what your favorite swift sanctuary is and why!

Yikes! I don’t think we have one yet. The closest thing I can come up with is the park that is about a mile from our house. We usually take the jogging stroller down there. There is an astroturf field and a playground. Jeff is just getting to the age that he will enjoy the playground more. He loved the playing field because he could run and run and kick the soccer ball all he wanted. I loved it because there was a fence all the way around it. Still… I long for somthing a little less artificial.

Headlamps And Glowsticks

For Christmas we bought our boys headlamps! They are flashlights that attach to your head with an elastic band. They are the best stocking stuffers we’ve done in a long time. I think I will stitch their names in the bands so we can distinguish between the two. They’ve mostly been using them for looking at books after lights out but we were able to finally use them for something more this weekend. We went to Black Dragon in the San Rafael Swell, near Green River, Utah. It’s a beautiful deep slot canyon that runs for miles. It has ancient drawings and lot’s of different mineral deposits. My husband, Damon, took us into a deep cave, located in the canyon, that he had explored earlier last summer. The boys were so excited to go that they put their headlamps on a good two hours before we got there. As we entered the cave they were a bit timid, but once we were inside they were wide eyed! It seemed they were entranced more by the ray of light coming from their lamps, than the cave itself, however. Corbin, our youngest son, was trying to grab the particles of dust floating through the beam of light. We started chanting, “Spiders and bats, bats and spiders” A little line from our favorite Little Einsteins movie. They had to go to the deepest darkest part of the cave before we retreated. I could tell their own personal lights made them feel like little adventurers.
Glow sticks are another favorite magic item for us when camping. Damon took the boys on a father and sons camp out with some other friends. One of the dads broke out a handful of glowsticks and automatically he was the man of the hour. Since then they’ve become a neccesity on all camp-outs that provide hours of fun for the kids and a comforting glow throughout the dark night.
unique gift idea, activities for kids, outdoors, adventure, outdoor recreation

Hiking With Dogs

Nature For Kids Introduces…Skadi! A 50 lb. lug of hairy licking lovingness. We named her after a Norse snow goddess and ironically her name means “destruction”. Like any dog she has definitely destroyed many a things at our house ranging from shoes to a hot tub cover. But even though our dog has her downfalls we still love her and take her almost everywhere with us! Skadi is a yellow labrador retriever. She’s about two years old. She’s beginning to show signs of intelligence and control but her puppiness still shines through occasionally.
Skadi loves the outdoors. Knee deep snow, heavy brush or winding trail, she’s there. When we begin to put things in the backpack and put shoes on she’s turning in circles and heading for the door with excitement.
Our latest hike with Skadi was to Mary’s bathtub, a steep boulder-strewn incline which follows a small creek. At the end there is a tall waterfall and cave. It lies near Joe’s Reservoir, close to Huntington, Utah.
Before we even hit the trail head she was wet and muddy up to her haunches. She spent a lot of her time nosing through brush, zigging and zagging across the trail, sniffing out an earlier passerby. When she got thirsty she went pouncing into the creek lapping up the cold water. And of course she periodically would shake the water all over us. She was good about roaming and exploring and then coming back and checking in with us though. Because of the boulders we had to climb over and the steep incline, by the time we got back to the car she was exhausted. She slept all the way home.
Even though she is a dog and has natural outdoor instincts, I highly doubt she could survive very long in the wild. We try to prepare for her. We have a handy packable way to store food and water for her. We have these dog bowls, designed by Outward Hound, made out of fabric, gore-tex I believe. The top bowl holds food and has a draw string cord to keep it closed tight. Another bowl attaches under that bowl with a zipper. When she’s thirsty and we’re not near water we simply unzip the bottom bowl and fill it with water from our Nalgenes. Much more convenient and appetizing than letting her try and lap up the water while we pour it from our own water bottles. We usually throw her bowls in our backpack when going on longer hikes. But usually we just leave it in the car.
It makes me smile everytime I see Skadi in her natural surroundings. She reminds me of a little kid playing in a sandbox. She truly loves it. And I’m glad we can provide that time in nature for her.
I’ll be posting some more about Skadi and the equipment we like in the future. But until then let Nature For Kids know about your dog! Leave a comment about your dog’s favorite spot or what equipment it uses. Later!


hiking, dogs, outdoors, adventure, dog backpack, equipment for dogs

Packing Breastfed Babies

For the first post of Nature For Kids I’m going to break the ice by touching on an awkward subject…breastfeeding! I’ve always breastfed my babies up to 12 months of age. To me, it is the optimum way to feed a baby. All the nutrients needed, at a perfect temperature and accessible whenever necessary…making it especially convenient when packing the little rascals around in the wilderness.
While my husband hiked the South Teton about 5 years ago I was wandering the streets of Jackson Hole, WY, with our, then 8 month old, baby. Having exhausted my allotted spending money in the fun outdoor shops that line the streets, I decided to hike the local ski hill, Snow King. After filling up my Nalgene water bottle and adding a few snacks from the car, I put my son in our Kelty Kids backpack (which I probably will be referring to in many future posts…because it simply ROCKS!) and headed up the mountain. Once I reached the peak I noticed there was a man unexpectedly playing the bagpipes. So I thought I would take a seat and listen to the music, looking over the Jackson Hole valley…while nursing my son, discreetly of course. It was an awesome experience that will stick with me forever.

I’d like to add that it might be wise for a nursing mom to invest in a compact camp chair. We have a Crazy Creek and it is perfect for clipping on to a backpack with a carabiner and then whipping it open whenever you need a seat to breastfeed. I’ve used ours on several occasions, on the beach, at the top of a mountain, even just around a campfire.

Overall I would recommend breastfeeding for any mother who wants to stay in the outdoor loop.
For those of you who bottle feed I’ll pass along a few tips I’ve seen as well. When my sister-in-law is on the move I’ve seen her put a measured amount of powdered formula in a bottle. When she needs it she simply adds water from a water bottle and shakes it up. It’s more compact than toting around a whole canister of formula and it’s nice and neat.I know there are mothers out there who take their babies outside, unfortunately we’re in the minority, so leave some comments or other ideas on this subject so that we may inspire other mom’s to take part in Nature For kids


backpack, child carrier, baby backpack, breastfeeding, outdoors, adventure, mom