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Kids’ Outdoor Gear Reviews for Real Families

Honest gear reviews and outdoor guides for parents who hike, camp, and adventure with their kids — mud, meltdowns, and all.

Child in Patagonia jacket walking through dry brush outdoors

Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Jacket — Kids’ Review

We tested the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L in actual Colorado graupel and it held up completely.

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Roxy Dawson

Oct 7, 2026

4–6 minutes
a boy in a camoflauged rain jacket walks toward a path in the rain

The North Face Antora Rain Jacket — Kids’ Review

The North Face Antora is the jacket Cypress, 4, keeps asking for by name — tested on a .8-mile loop in the rain in Cincinnati and completely dry for two hours.

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Roxy Dawson

Oct 24, 2026

4–5 minutes
Toddler in green Columbia winter jacket outdoors

Columbia Watertight II Jacket — Boys’ Review

The Columbia Watertight II is the jacket we reach for on rainy school days and park runs — tested on a 4-year-old at a farm school where outside time is mandatory.

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Roxy Dawson

Oct 24, 2026

3–5 minutes
a little boy with a rain jacket hood over his head

REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket — Kids’ Review

The REI Rainier is our top pick for kids' rain jackets, and it earned that spot in real conditions — a rainy February music festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where Cypress, 4, wore it for full days in wind and sustained rain and stayed completely dry.

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Roxy Dawson

Oct 16, 2026

5–7 minutes
Young child riding green balance bike on outdoor path

Best Rain Jackets for Kids 2026

We tested nine kids' rain jackets across real conditions — a music festival in a rainstorm, nature walks in Colorado graupel, rainy park days in Cincinnati, and a road trip through five states.

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Roxy Dawson

Nov 5, 2026

7–11 minutes

Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Play Hat Review

A four-year-old chose this hat voluntarily from a lineup of seven. That's the review. The only catch: it's a lot of hat for a kid who's already resistant to wearing one.

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Roxy Dawson

Nov 5, 2026

5–8 minutes
Hikers exploring a mountain stream surrounded by forest and peaks

The 5 Best Hikes for Kids in Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park can feel intimidating for families. Many of the best-known trails involve serious elevation or long approaches. We spent a month finding the hikes where the scenery-to-effort ratio actually works with kids — two waterfalls, a boat ride, and one lake loop worth every step.

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Roxy Dawson

Oct 18, 2026

5–7 minutes