Kid’s outdoor gear reviews Tested by Actual Kids
Honest gear reviews and outdoor guides for parents who hike, camp, and adventure with their kids — mud, meltdowns, and all.
Best Outdoor Gifts for Kids 2026
Every year the holiday scramble hits. These are the outdoor gifts for kids we would actually buy, from stocking stuffers under $25 to a few splurges.
Field Rated by Parents
Real Miles, Real Kids
Affiliate-supported, editorially independent
Gear guides
Product Reviews
Destination guides
How Tos
Field Rated by Parents
Real Miles, Real Kids
Affiliate-supported, editorially independent
Gear guides
Product Reviews
Destination guides
How Tos
Gear Guides
The Good, The Better, The Best
The gear that earned its spot, the gear that almost did, and the gear we’d buy again.
View All Guides
Best Outdoor Gifts for Kids 2026
Every year the holiday scramble hits. These are the outdoor gifts for kids we would actually buy, from stocking stuffers under $25 to a few splurges.
Best Hiking Baby Carriers 2026: Backpack Carriers for Babies and Toddlers
Best Rain Jackets for Toddlers 2026
Best Family Camping Tents 2026
Things to Do in Lake Tahoe With Kids: Our Summer Guide
Our summer guide to Lake Tahoe with kids: where we camp and how we score sites, our favorite beach, easy kid hikes, cold water and bear tips, and the gear we pack.
Reviews
Thoroughly tested. Honestly Reviewed.
Long-term reviews of the products we actually use — months of trail time, not a weekend unboxing.
Osprey Poco Soft Review
A soft carrier that can actually handle a trail, for $160 and under 2 lb. The hip belt is really supportive. The catch: there’s nowhere to carry water, and the sunshade is really just a hood.
Osprey Poco SLT Review
It folds down smaller than any framed carrier we’ve tested, which is why it rides along on every Baja road trip. The catch: the sunshade costs extra, and nothing’s within reach while it’s on your back.
Osprey Poco Premium Review
It holds more than anything else we tested, and our kids nap under its mesh-sided sunshade like it’s their job. It’s our family’s daily driver. The catch: it’s the heaviest carrier in the guide, and you feel it.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Review
A pocket for everything, even the muddy diaper, and a torso you can adjust while you’re wearing it. It’s the most feature-packed carrier we tested. The catch: buckling in a wiggly kid takes patience.
Deuter Kid Comfort Review
Our two-year-old climbs into this one by himself, and it vents better than anything else we tested. It’s our pick for most families. Just know the sunshade has no mesh sides and no pocket of its own.
Eddie Bauer Toddler Rain Jacket Review
The jacket that lives in the bottom of our backpack. It’s ultralight, rolls into a ball, and the highlighter hood makes him easy to spot. The catch: a basic hood with no adjustment.
How to
Helpful tips & How-Tos
The stuff we wish someone had told us before our first family hike, camp night, or rainy-day road trip.
View all How-tos
How to Measure Kids’ Feet for New Shoes (& a Straw Trick)
Kids’ feet don’t follow averages. Here’s how we measure for shoes with paper, a pen, and a tape measure, plus the straw trick for shopping in a store.
How to Go Camping With Kids for the First Time
Your first family camping trip doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs a plan, realistic expectations, and half the toys. Here’s what actually matters.
How to Hike With a Toddler and Actually Enjoy It
A toddler’s version of hiking is not a smaller version of your hike. It’s a different activity that happens to use the same trail. Here’s how to plan for the one you’re actually going to get.
How to Dress Kids for Snow and Cold Weather: A Layering Guide
A kid melting down outside in the cold is almost never a tolerance problem. It’s a layering problem. Here’s the system that actually keeps them warm, dry, and willing to stay outside.
About Ben & Roxy
We’ve spent a decade learning what’s good the hard way.
Roxy and Ben Dawson — guidebook authors and full-time outdoor family — share the gear, trails, and tips they’ve tested with their own kids.
