What Outdoor Clothing is Best for My Kids?
Ridgeline Clothing has a great range of kids’ outdoor clothes, including hiking clothes, camping clothes - even kids’ camo clothes! So what should you look for when selecting your child’s next hiking outfit or hunting jacket?
Warmth
If you live in a colder climate, look for warm and insulating materials such as:
● Fleece - toasty warm, lightweight, breathable and more affordable than wool. It’s perfect for warm kids’ beanies and ideal for dry, cold conditions. Add a waterproof and/or windproof layer for wet and windy days, or look for a fleece jacket that can handle cold, wet and wind like the Kids Cub Fleece Jacket .
● Southern Star - fleece with tiny fibres to trap warm air inside, protecting you from extreme
outdoor conditions. The higher the GSM (grams per square metre), the warmer it is.
● Merino wool - odour-resistant, UV-resistant, moisture-wicking, hypoallergenic, non-itchy, durable...Merino wool sounds amazing, but it can come with a hefty price tag.
● Down - with an excellent warmth to weight ratio, down is designed to withstand very chilly temperatures but loses most of its warming properties when wet.
● Polypropylene (PolyPro) - affordable, moisture-wicking and quick-drying; great for thermals and long underwear. If you live in a neutral or changing climate, buy blended fabrics that offer dual benefits:
● Cotton/polyester blend - cotton is durable, affordable, super comfy and hypoallergenic. It tends to absorb moisture instead of letting it evaporate though, so look for a cotton/polyester blend to get the benefits of cotton while keeping your kids comfortably
dry. The Kids Geo Hoodie and Kids Antler Hoodie are awesome examples.
● Tri-Tech - two bonded layers of durable polyester: soft, breathable and windproof.
If you live in warmer climates, consider more lightweight and breathable fabrics like:
● Air-Tech / Air-Flow - tiny mesh perforations allow air to flow freely onto your skin, keeping you covered but cool in lightweight comfort
● CoolDry - wicks moisture away from the body, like the Kids Whanau Tee
● Polyester - wicks moisture and dries quickly, like the Kids Breeze Shorts .
Durability
Kids tend to move through clothes quickly, not just by outgrowing them but because they play hard. The result is more rips, holes and tears in your kids’ outdoor clothes than you’d like. To save money long-term on replacing clothes, search for durable pieces that will last.
Look out for the following words listed on products:
● Ballistic - super tough and abrasion-resistant, like the Kids Ballistic Hoodie
● Ripstop - limits holes and tears from stretching and getting bigger.
Waterproofing
Those strange numbers on waterproof clothing measure exactly how waterproof the fabric is.
Here’s how to read them:
● 0-5,000mm - light rain or dry snow in short periods
● 6,000-10,000mm - light rain or moderate snow for days (good for hiking in the rain)
● 11,000-15,000mm - moderate rain or snow, but pressure points like where a backpack’s straps sit may eventually get wet
● 16,000-20,000mm - heavy rain or wet snow, but again, pressure points may eventually soak through
● 20,000mm+ - heavy rain and wet snow under high pressure.
For example, the Kids Spiker Jacket rates 10,000 WP (waterproof) and also has adjustable cuffs, an integrated hood and a longer length for extra protection, so it’s perfect for rainy days.
Waterproof fabrics include:
● RL-TEX - also tough, breathable and comfortable
● QUIET-TEX PRO - keeps you dry with complete waterproof, breathable protection while
keeping your garment totally silent: the hunter’s dream!
● Southern Star 340 PRO - warm fleece with a waterproof/windproof membrane.
Breathability
When your kids are outdoors playing or coming on hikes and hunts, they’re going to sweat. It’s no use having a waterproof garment if it doesn’t also allow perspiration to escape. This process is called moisture-wicking: moving sweat away from your skin and releasing it into the air. Keep an eye out for these terms:
● WVTR (water vapor transmission rate) - measures how well a garment breathes
● Southern Star - a fleece found in many Ridgeline Clothing garments that allows moisture to evaporate, keeping the fabric dry and you warm.
A soft shell jacket is perfect for keeping warm and dry while sweating in colder environments because they combine a water-resistant outer with an insulated interior. The Kids Razorback Jacket is a great pick for cold weather, even in light and dry snow.