Adventure Togs ..... and all that!

Your Guide to Buying Children's Waterproof Jackets and Trousers

Young children like nothing better than to play outside. They love to run through the forest or simply play in the garden with their friends, whether the sun is shining or not. However, if we prepare ourselves with quality waterproofs, there is no reason for staying inside even in a downpour.
There is an old Scandinavian phrase that there is no such thing as bad weather. With the appropriate clothes, your children can enjoy running around outdoors, come rain or shine. In fact, youngsters love to play in the rain and wet, jumping in muddy puddles. It is usually us parents who worry about letting them play outside in the wet, in fear of them getting a chill.
There is a great choice of children's waterproof clothing on the market these days at various price points, from the value PU coated nylon fabrics through to Goretex-like membrane fabrics. How much you can afford to spend is up to you, but you will need to ensure you have the best value for money.
Nylon fabrics are the cheapest and are lightweight and hence easy to carry. Children can carry a lightweight nylon waterproof jacket him or herself  in a stuff-sac which is often supplied with such clothing or in their own backpack. Nylon may be coated with a special breathable or windproof finish.
Lightweight garments also offer greater freedom of movement which is an obvious advantage for toddlers and younger children if they are wearing their waterproofs as play clothes. Seams should be heat sealed with tape. This process stops the wet getting in through the seams and therefore gives greater protection.

The style of waterproof clothing is an individual choice. There are many brands of children's waterproof all-in-one suits on the market. These offer head to toe protection without any gaps at the waist line.
You might find the flexibility of a separate waterproof jacket and trousers more beneficial as they can be worn individually if necessary. Or, alternatively, a waterproof dungarees and jacket combination is a popular choice as it will stop any gaps at the waist and hence keep out the draughts.
Children's waterproof trousers need to have an adjustment at the ankle to allow them to be gathered into wellies or boots. This may be in the form of a zip, press studs or even elastic. An elasticated waist on waterproof trousers is also a good idea for comfort, as is height adjusters on waterproof dungarees.
A nice big hood is a good feature to keep children protected from driving rain. A peaked hood with adjustment is also a good idea, as is a velcro strap at the neckline to keep the hood up.
Storm flaps on a jacket is a benefit as this will stop water getting in through the zip teeth in wind and rain. As for fit, it is best to choose children's waterproof clothing which are a bit loose over a summer t-shirt as this will allow fleece clothing to be worn beneath in the cold.
Whatever waterproof clothing you choose, the most important thing is that your youngsters will be comfortable and be happy to play. Check that you have some growing room and hopefully you will get more than one season from the garment and your children will have lots of outdoor fun in sun or rain.

For more information on Waterproof Trousers for Children or Waterproof Jackets for Children, please visit www.adventuretogs.co.uk

I don’t think I’m adventurous enough

This is a guest post written by Emily, a work at home mum with three children under five. She writes a blog called babyrambles (http://babyrambles.blogspot.com).
 
I’ve been having a read of the Adventure Togs blog and website. And I have to say it makes feel very enthusiastic about getting out and about. My problem is I’m a bit of a fair-weather adventurer. If it’s pouring with rain I tend to stay put.
 
Even though my children love rain and playing in the puddles. They’ve all got waterproofs too so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t go out and enjoy ourselves in the rain as well as in the sun. It’s just a bit… wet.
 
This wasn’t how I was brought up. My parents were big believers that nothing should be cancelled because of rain. We had two week long rainy holidays in places such as the Lake District and Scotland. And we were always out every day, rain or shine (mainly rain).
 
I think it’s an admirable quality to refuse to let weather stop you from doing something. Unless it’s extreme weather I suppose. It’s all too easy to cancel your plans, stay indoors and have your children climbing the walls with boundless energy.
 
So I need to take a lesson from my childhood. I need to make sure we get out whatever the weather. The children always thank you for it and I don’t want them to grow up being wimpish about the rain. Maybe we should get a dog? You have to get out and walk a dog whatever the weather. On second thoughts, three young children and two cats is enough for now.
 
You read it here first: from now on I’m going out in the rain. Luckily we’ve had quite a nice summer so far. But on a rainy day you can just end up in soft play and that really is hellish.

Walking for Health

I came across the Walking the way to Health website today. I don't know why I had never come across this site before. It is a joint initiative between Natural England and the British Heart Foundation.

I was particularly impressed at the number of walking groups around the country and how easy it was to find one in your area. For those who want some walking companions, I thought it seemed an excellent starting point.

But I feel the best way to walking your way to fitness into is to simply walk instead of using the car! It still amazes me how many people would rather jump in the car to go to the local shops, to school, to work when the price of petrol is sky high. I feel guilty about using the car these days and would much rather to walk for the sake of our health, the environment and my purse!