Sponsored by Backcountry & ShopStyle.

It turns out that I’m an outside girl. If ever I’m feeling grumpy or out of sorts, I usually just need to step outside. My kids are like this, too. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve physically hauled two whining, screaming toddlers out of the house to go for — what I had mentally termed a ‘desperation walk’ — around the block, only to have them calm before we barely rounded the corner.

It’s likely no surprise, then, that our happiest/easiest times as a family are typically outdoors. Ski team saved our winter weekends, we spend as much time at the shore (Philly) or the lake (Michigan) as we can in the summer, and in the fall?

We hike.

Hiking with two young kids is tricky, but it’s starting to get easier. We’ve found that the boys do better if the hike is either insanely hard (rock scrambling, etc.,) or if there’s some sort of water feature. (And if your little is closer to preschool age…we swear by this small hydration backpack. It was the only way we could get little Pax to keep hiking in Iceland and is still our favorite gift for this age group.)

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The Backcountry Experience = An Outside Girl Win

So, when Backcountry reached out, asking if we could work together, I was thrilled. I’ve personally used Backcountry’s Gearheads to help me find ski jackets that are SUPER warm (it’s a pretty legit group of people – including former olympians, for example), and I love that there’s an option to donate to the Nature Conservatory upon checkout.

And then I found out that Backcountry is also having a major sale on many of the active brands we love and use (Patagonia, Arc’teryx, Mammut, for example) and yessss.

Outfit Details

jacket: Patagonia Silent Down Jacket (size small for reference)- SUSTAINABLE PICK – This is an everyday, active puffer in disguise. The unexpected color is so fresh and pretty, and the details are spot-on. I’ve been wearing it around the city, too, and have gotten a ton of compliments. It’s also available in a really pretty washed gray, soft blue, khaki or black. The interior is 100% recycled down, and the shell is 70% recycled material.

leggings: Alo Moto Leggings (size small for reference) – like black leggings, but with cool, moto details. We haven’t vetted (here at TME) Alo yet from a sustainability prospective, but they are 100% sweatshop free, use low-water dyes, and are converting their headquarters to solar power.

backpack: Patagonia Arbor 25L backpack – SUSTAINABLE PICK – made from 100% recycled fabric, this backpack is the one I’ll be hiking in for years to come. Why? Because…it matches my Danner hiking boots (I know I know). It just means that no matter which jacket I wear…I look a little bit cute.

hiking boots: Danner Mountain Light Boot – locally made in Portland, OR, I can’t say enough about these boots. I’ve been wearing them for years, and have hiked miles and miles in these boots. I especially like that they work for both hiking and urban adventuring. That fact makes them especially useful when packing for travel.

On Raines (older brother): Marmot Down Puffer (he likes that it’s lightweight and not uncomfortable to wear), and Pendleton hat (stole it from me haha).

On Pax (younger brother): The North Face Waterproof Jacket, hat and hiking boots…with Patagonia’s Ultralight Black Hole backpack. We LOVE this backpack because it folds down into a slim zip pouch (perfect for travel) and manages to fit all of us, from little Pax to Mike. It’s also made from 100% recycled materials.

Shop My Favorite Jackets From Backcountry

Backcountry is running a few promotions right now! You can take 20% off of one full-priced item with code TAKE20WINTER (some exclusions apply, but it does work on my Danner boots or the Patagonia jacket featured in the post). Backcountry is also having a sale of some pretty big brands (a few picks are in the shopping widget below). Lastly, first time shoppers can use code THEMOMEDIT for 15% off your purchase (exclusions apply).

xo,

S

photo credits: Redfield Photography

A huge thank you to Backcountry for sponsoring this post! As always, all thoughts, opinions and product choices are my own. And readers, thank you for your continuing support. It doesn’t go unnoticed and is so very much appreciated.