Gearing up the family — including the pooch — for socially distanced fun in the snow

Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Content Agency on Feb 11, 2021

Helmets, like the Anon Prime MIPS helmet (available widely at retailers, including Backcountry.com), are a lighter weight and designed with more crash protection and adjustable with the turn of a dial and with vents that enable you to fine-tune your head temperature. The helmets are also designed specifically for men, women (I like my vintage rose Juliet Helmet from Bolle) and kids. (If you are buying online, make sure to measure your head first, so you get the right size.)

You also want to invest in warm, waterproof mittens or gloves for everyone. (My Hestra mitts are so warm I don’t even need liners; the company also gives away thousands of gloves to refugee children around the world and makes gloves for babies and preschoolers, as well as older kids; Another good bet are the lightweight but super warm Compressor Gore-Tex Mitts from Mountain Hardwear. There is nothing that will make a child, or adult, crankier than cold hands and feet. (Shop for non-cotton ski socks; You can also put hand and foot warmer packets in their pockets!)

Don’t forget gear for your pooch. You’ll have your pick, including the KONG 3-1 Systems Dog Coat with a zip-out layer and other reversible ones from Pendleton with colors and signatures of different national parks. (Both available from Petco.com.) There are also all varieties of dog boots, though your dog may not like the way they feel.

Retailers report such an uptick for expensive (as much as $1,000 to gear up properly) back-country gear, including beacons, shovels and probes, that many are sold out. However, before heading into the back country, says Henderson, it’s essential to “know before you go.” Take an avalanche course and check the area’s avalanche forecast and danger, like from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. There have been six deaths in the U.S. so far this season, including four in Colorado.

Have fun and be safe!

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia, the 13th in the kid’s guide series, was published in 2020, with The Kid’s Guide to Camping coming in 2021.)