The first year of my baby鈥檚 life was nothing like I鈥檇 imagined. I envisioned daily walks on the trails near our house, with Josephine snuggled in a wrap against my chest. In reality, she was born into a scorching drought, and the only time it was cool enough to wear her while walking was in the wee hours of the morning鈥攚hen I was too sleep deprived to consider hiking anyway. Instead, I spent hours online, researching baby sleep and perusing Instagram, wondering whether I would ever be as cool as the guy who posted photos of his twin infants on a backcountry ski trip.
Still, despite weather-related challenges, the exhaustion of being a new parent, and all the reasons it would鈥檝e been easier to stay indoors, my daughter and I spent time outside almost every day of her first year, in every season and type of weather. We played on California beaches, canoed down a Utah river, camped in below-freezing temperatures, and climbed mountains near our home in Colorado.
In many cases, the gear that made so much outdoor time possible wasn鈥檛 the $1,000听 that parents clamor over. (Although we did buy a used one, and it is, admittedly, awesome.)听It was the听relatively inexpensive items that would be easy to give or receive at baby showers. So听if you need a gift for an outdoor-loving parent-to-be, please听skip the听 and choose something they鈥檒l actually use.
Best for Sun Protection
It鈥檚 impossible to overstate how much effort I鈥檝e put into keeping my bald, fair-skinned child from getting sunburned. I鈥檝e sampled an absurd number of hats, sunglasses, and sunscreens and found these items to be the best for protecting Jo from the strong Colorado sun.听The ($13) has UVB protection.听听($29) have rubbery frames that actually seem comfortable to wear.听 ($13) is so sumptuous that you鈥檒l want to use it on your own skin, too.
Best for Cold-Weather Everything
We used our hand-me-down 听($150) for all kinds of activities: winter stroller rides, cross-country skiing, and sledding. It also works as听a makeshift sleeping bag when you zip the legs together.听The only 鈥渄own鈥 side is that this particular style is discontinued; the听 has听legs that can鈥檛 be zipped together into a sack.听It鈥檚听still great for cold weather, but if you can find the older model on Patagonia鈥檚 Worn Wear site or a local used-gear store, you鈥檒l find it鈥檚 even more versatile.
Best for Hiking
At one point, we had no fewer than six contraptions for carrying our baby, some of which run hundreds of dollars. My favorite happened to be the most affordable. The ($33) is lightweight and听packable听and flips between inward-facing (for young babies and trail-time naps) and outward-facing (for babies who want to see the world). You might want a backpack with more bells and whistles as your baby grows into a toddler, but for the first year or so, this is all you need to hit the trails.
Best for Early Walkers
($35) are wonderful for water and sand in summer, and听 ($35) get the job done in the snow and wet of winter. Most important, both pairs accommodate all sorts of foot shapes, and they stay on.听听
Best for Biking Around Town
Whether you put your kiddo in a bike seat or tow her in a trailer, the ($60) has the industry-leading听multidirectional impact protection system to guard the brain in case of a crash.听Plus, it fits the smallest-circumference heads of any quality bike helmet I鈥檝e found.
Best for Sleeping at Campgrounds or Airports
Once upon a time, I swore I wouldn鈥檛 be dependent on a white noise machine to put my child to bed. Those days are long past. Now, like so many other parents, I鈥檓 lost without white noise to drown out background sounds and lull my child听to sleep. What do I do when we鈥檙e in a tent听and friends are laughing a little too loudly around the campfire? I use the ($30), which charges via USB and can run without electricity for 16 hours.
Best for Dining Al Fresco
You know the gross plasticky taste of a new hydration bladder? I once took a swig from Josephine鈥檚 cheap plastic sippy cup, and that鈥檚 what it tasted like. So we splurged on a听 ($30), which, if we can manage not to lose it, will last for years. It pairs especially well with the ($30), which has a detachable tray for mealtime and wide feet to make it extra sturdy.
Best Base Layer
If you鈥檒l be outside for more than a few hours in cold weather, your child needs non-cotton base layers. ($35) is durable and easy to stick under a snowsuit in winter or wear alone in the shoulder seasons.