The important stuff! Having your baby dressed properly for the weather is going to make your hike or adventure go a lot smoother.
In this post, I'll go over the gear I used for my son when he was a baby.
All the layers
Layers are so important when it comes to dressing for the cold.
The most important layer being our base layer. This layer is usually fitted and is the one against our skin.
An important thing to remember with this layer, is what it is made of. We want to avoid cotton. Cotton holds on to moisture, pulls heat away from the body and can cause us to get cold, really quickly.
The best material and my favourite base layers are made from merino wool. Another good base layer material is polyester. I use both of these for me and my son.
I used these merino base layers for my son. I also have their adventure onesie.
I love them.
Merino wool is expensive, but if you are going to be getting a lot of use out of them, I would definitely recommend getting some.
Some benefits of merino wool:
natural UV protection
keeps you warm, even when wet
keeps you cool in the summer
odour resistant and quick drying
no itch hypoallergenic material, so it's a safe bet for baby's skin
I also have these polyester base layers for him. I love the design of these and they fit really well. They are less expensive but still have great qualities as a base layer
quick drying
lightweight
wick away moisture from the skin
durable
Mid layer
The mid layer is going to provide the warmth. I always use these fleece zip onesies. They come in lots of colours and sizes, and usually packs of 2 or 3. Inexpensive, soft, really easy to wash, durable and well, they have zippers! See ya later, buttons!!
Other options for the mid layer are fleece buntings. I used this one . I love the hood on this, it really snugs their face. It has fold overs for the feet and hands, too.
These are relatively inexpensive and you can get a size up so it lasts longer.
Top layer/outer shell
These are an insulated waterproof/water resistant layer that will provide some protection from the wind, too.
The layering usually depends on how cold your winters get. It gets well below freezing here for most of the winter and we get a good amount of snowfall.
So, I use a snow suit for my son. It has a synthetic polyester fill but you can also get down filled snowsuits.
My mum gets my sons snow suit each year from this store. I used the smaller version of this snow suit when my son was younger. The hands and feet have fold overs on the smaller size. I'm really impressed with how warm it is. Sometimes I could skip out on the mid-layer and use just the base layer and snow suit.
If it's not going to be as cold where you are, using the fleece bunting over a mid layer would work.
Rain suits are a great option, too. They work well as a wind barrier.
You can find lots of these suits second hand online for a much cheaper price, especially the down filled ones.
I got this down filled one second hand, and I really liked it.
They are great to have. An easy, warm layer to put on over anything if you're in a rush.
The spring and summer are a great time to get some winter gear at a cheaper price, as most of the stuff is on sale.
Head, hands and feet
I use a merino wool hat underneath his favourite Carhartt beanie
If your bunting or snowsuit doesn't have fold overs for their hands, I love these mittens from Stonz . Until they learn to use their teeth to pull them off...
For socks I go with these wool polyester mix socks. They keep feet toasty warm and double up well as mittens!! You can put a pair on their hands underneath the snow suit.
For booties, I like these . Also from Stonz . I have used the same pair for two winters. They stay on well and can fit over layers. Great for snow.
I used my neck buff for my sons neck at the beginning. Now I use this wool one. It can be useful if you have a drooling baby, to wipe and keep them dry.
Something I've found useful when out hiking in the cold is putting some Vaseline on my son's face before we head outside. His cheeks and nose. It acts as a barrier from the cold and wind.
Avoid using your baby's hands or feet as an indicator of how hot or cold they are (obviously we want those parts warm, but it's not a tell tale sign of baby's core temp).
Use your (warm) hand to check the back of their neck and upper back. That will let you know whether you need to add or remove any layers.
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