NEEDS
Essential Upstate Snow Gear
We've been spending the majority of our time in the Catskills since getting our little cabin here in 2015.
These are a few of the items that have become snowy weather staples for the three of us.
Women's Insulated Overalls by Carhartt
Snow pants, rain paints, work pants... can we simplify things here?
Whether you're helping with a construction or renovation project and need some extra warmth and protection, or building a snowman with your family, these overalls have you comfortably covered.
Yes they're warm, and yes they'll keep you dry, but the magical thing is the "drop-seat" which basically means you can run to the bathroom without taking an hour to take off all of your gear. Hooray! Thank you Carhartt :)
Hard Bottom Snow Tube by Snow Pro
There are endless options out there for cheap plastic blow-up snow tubes. Most of them are goofy looking and all of them have a pretty short lifespan. We knew there had to be something better.
With a little searching, we found this Canadian maker of snow tubes who most often supplies commercial tubing operations (yay, high quality!). These tubes come in multiple sizes, include a heavy-duty lead and handles, have the option for a foam insert for butt comfort, and can be linked together for even more fun.
Also, it's constructed of an inner tube and outer cover, so if the rubber tube does fail, you can easily get a replacement tube at a much lower cost and keep using the original cover.
Insulated Tumbler by Kinto
I love an iced latte in the morning, but when I get distracted or interrupted constantly it means my latte usually ends up a watery melted mess before I get to drink it :/
Then I tried drinking it from this insulated tumbler and it was a whole new world. I've even left iced coffee inside overnight and there were still ice cubes in the morning!
This tumbler is in three parts: the main tumbler, a sipping ring that adds a more comfortable edge to drink from and a cover over the top, and then an additional top that seals the drink and gives you a convenient carrying handle as well. The manufacturer logo is also tiny and discrete, unlike most high quality insulated tumblers out there.
And although the manufacturer does not recommend it, I put all the pieces in the top shelf of the dishwasher with no problems.
Kids Easy-off Snow Boots by Bogs
Snow boots are pretty bulky. There's just no getting around it. But they don't need to be a chore to get on and off.
We love bogs because they're fast and easy, especially for kids... the ridges on the back of the heel help them take them off with their other foot/without hands, the handles on top make them easy to slide on quickly, the seamless design makes them less heavy and bulky and the lack of laces make for one less tripping hazard.
Plus they can twin it up with the whole family since this design also comes in men's and women's versions.
Rain Defender Sweatshirt by Carhartt
While it's technically just a sweatshirt, this has become the go to uniform for any temperature 50 or below.
Cold, wind, rain, snow this thing is thick and water-repellent enough to keep you warm and protected even during those awkward times when you're going back and forth from inside to outside and don't want to take a coat on and off.
Get at least 2 -- you probably won't be taking it off for a while.
Impervious Kids Snowsuit by Dedricksons
Do I want to spend a small fortune on something that gets warn for 1, maybe 2 seasons? Nope. Do I want to make sure our little dude is super warm, comfortable, and well-protected so he can explore the snow more easily? Yep. Bonus points if it's stylish and sustainably made too :)
One of our favorite kids' retailers, Baby Shop, always delivers with perfect snow, rain, cold weather, and summer gear. Minimal and stylish, high quality (many items are often free of potentially harmful substances), and not as expensive as you might think. One downside is that the shop is based in Sweden (offering mostly Nordic brands), meaning your items are traveling quite far (although very quickly) to get to you.
Women's Winter Play Jacket by Burton
I love jackets–too much. But I also value efficiency and would rather have a great thing that can do many things well, than many things that only do one thing well.
In the city, I used to be able to get away with wearing whatever daily-wear puffer jacket I had if we went out playing in the snow. But now that we're living upstate playing in the snow gets a little more serious and it honestly wasn't super comfortable trying to hike up a sledding hill in a calf-length puffer jacket.
So I finally broke down and bought this Burton snowboarding jacket which I love. It's roomy for easy maneuvring (even though I'm usually picking up a child, not snowboarding) and it keeps me warm and dry. But it's also slim and minimal enough that it doesn't look like I just got off the slopes when we go for a Target run.
Womens Easy-off Snow Boots by Bogs
Snow boots are pretty bulky. There's just no getting around it. But they don't need to be a chore to get on and off.
Yes there are gorgeous lace-up boots that are also great for hiking, but when you just need to run out and shovel some snow the last thing you want to do is sit and bend over for 10 minutes just to get your boots on and off.
We love bogs because they're fast and easy... the ridges on the back of the heel help you take them off with your other foot/without hands, the handles on top make them easier to slide on quickly and the seamless design makes them a little less heavy and bulky. Plus you can twin it up with your whole family since this design also comes in men's and kids versions.
Snow Brick by Ideal
Snowmen are great and all, but snow forts? And snow castles? Even better!
While it's still a lot of work making a structure out of snow (make sure to get a few of these so everyone can help with the brickmaking) the sturdiness and (relative) precision these brick-makers provide allow for more deliberate and sturdy creations.
And when it turns to summer? Use them at the beach for the ultimate designer sand fort. :)
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