My Current Favorite Things - Outdoors Edition

This week for Travel Tuesday I am going to mix it up a little and share with you some of my favorite things I am loving right now.  Because if you spend time in the outdoors, you may find you will love these things too!



I do want to start out by saying, I am not being paid to promote or talk about any of these products. I am reviewing and telling you about them purely because I love them, not because I was asked to share.


Hydro Flask Water Bottle
My new Water bottle. LOVE IT!  I bet you could guess I got this in pink too:)
Let me start off by saying this is not your ordinary water bottle.  This actually keeps drinks cold for 24 hours and drinks hot for 12 hours.  Thanks to it's double wall vacuum design.  It's also stainless steel which makes it easy to clean.

First time I used it, I filled it with ice cubes and water. (I bought the 24 ounce one so that the mouth was wide enough to drop cubes down.)
I left it sitting in my car in direct line from the hot windshield for 4 hours, on a hot 100+ degree day.  When I took it out of my car, that mind you everything else in it was hotter than a hades.  I unscrewed the lid, took a sip.  WOW it actually was still ice cold!  FABULOUS!
I was sold at that point!
I have used it several times, well pretty much daily and lets just say it hasn't let me down yet!
Granted I have not yet tried hot liquid in it, but if it works for cold, I am a believer it will work for hot too.
I take it hiking with me, it fits fine in even my smallest backpack.

Sure, you have to unscrew the lid to drink, so it takes a second or two longer to get to, but when you can guarantee a cold drink, it's worth the extra few seconds in my mind.

I will say, it is not exactly cheap.  But it's also not so over priced that people can't afford it.  You can find them at most of your higher end outdoor sporting goods stores, but also on Amazon. They range in price $30-$35 for the size I bought, but I have seen smaller sizes for around $20.

The Bug Band
If you hike, go outdoors or go anywhere near where mosquito's are, which lets face it, are most places this time of year.  Those pesky flying vampires can eat you alive.

I came across this at a sporting goods store, I saw them and asked the clerk if they work.  I mean, I was totally skeptical, wear a braclet and not get bit??? Hmmm
She told me they can barely keep them on the shelf, people swear by them.  She also said that customers have told her this brand works better than all the others on the market.

So I bought one, and took it on a trip.  Camped by a river, mosquito's swarming all over.  I put it on, and didn't get a single bit.
Ended up using it every morning/evening on the first trip.  Took it on a couple other camping trips, and it's still been working amazing.  I haven't had a single bit while wearing it.  But I did get bit when I wasn't wearing it.

I even was surrounded by biting flies at a lake once, so I put it on and once I did they quit biting me!

I love it!  Yes there is a strong scent to it, but it's not really all that bad. But it doesn't smell like bug spray, and the best part is I can just put it on my wrist and take it off when I don't need it.
I lasts 120 hours, so I store it in the plastic container it came with when I am not using it.  Best part is, I don't have to have layers of bug spray on me while camping anymore!

They say you can clip it to you anywhere and it will work the same.  Like belt buckle, shoe lace, or ankle, tank top strap etc...  I have always just worn it on my wrist. I mean it's not all that bad looking, just looks like a plastic bracelet.

Personally, if I was hiking through back country or in the deep woods, I would still want repellent with a good Deet #, for ticks an so on.  But if you are just in your backyard, or camping or trail hiking/running this is perfect.

Wet Ones
Some of you may already have been using these.  But my sister just introduced me to them earlier this year.
Before I had just used baby wipes, but these are soooo much better.  Let me tell you why I love them.

Not only can you wash off your hands when water isn't available.  But these also disinfect, they say they kill 99.9% of germs with a mild formula.  Plus they have skin conditioning in them.
Great for kids and adults.  I love them so much more than baby wipes because you can by them in different scents.

I actually keep a small canister in my car.  I also keep on in each of my hiking packs.
I have another set in my purse.
Also, as soon as I start racing again.  I will be taking them to every race I run, because they are just awesome!
When I do my next Ragnar, I am so taking these with me in bulk for the team, hello fabulous!

So tell me, have you tried any of these products before?  If so, what are your thoughts?
If you haven't tried them, are they things you might look into using for your adventure?


14 comments :

  1. That bug band sounds like a great idea! I always feel like the bugs are attracted to me when I'm outside. I wounder if this would work for me.

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    1. Give it a try, seriously I was so skeptical at first but it actually works. But it needs to be that brand, I have been told by others that some of the other brands even expensive brand names don't work nearly as well.

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  2. Oh man, I totally need to look for that bug band! I feel like I got eaten up this past weekend on the trail by my parent's house. That's awesome that they're reusable. I've never looked into them before and I just had assumed that they were use once and throw away.

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    1. It's seriously awesome! I was in swarms of them and not a single bite, I would have never imagined something so small on one wrist could be so amazingly effective!
      They are very reusable, just store it in-between uses, they say they are good for 120 hours so I just store my during the day and take it out mornings and evenings as needed.

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  3. The water bottle sounds great! I've tried something similar to the bug band and it didn't work. On the other hand I've used bug spray with deet and I still get bit. The bugs just seem to like me either way. :p

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    1. Oh no, ya the sales lady told me that some of those bands don't work quite as well as others. If you see this brand, its seriously worth the try, especially with as much hiking as you do, I think you'd love it as I do!
      You must just have yummy blood to the pesky buggers, that sucks!

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  4. I'm getting ready to spend the weekend at camp with our church youth - I need that bug band!

    I'm checking out that water bottle - I'll pay for something that keeps things cold!

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    1. Oh how fun! I did that in early July and yes I took a bug band and it worked fabulous!
      I know, when I had a surgery a few months back, the surgeon was raving about this bottle, so I had to go check it out, and frankly it does what it says it will do and for that, I didn't mind forking over the extra cash. Besides, aside from if I accidently let it get run over by a car or something, it should last forever:)

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  5. Wow, I am definitely looking for one of those mosquito bands. I get bit all the time - it's like a special talent. I even found a new bite after going to the indoor gym last week :) I super dislike wearing bug spray, etc. but a small bracelet sounds great!

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    1. LOL, at times I am that way too! If you take a lot of Vitamin B12 it helps too:) But yes, the bug band is soo much better than sticky bug spray at times!

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  6. Well, mosquitoes love me so I need that Bug Band for my own back yard! Those Wet Ones used to come in little individual packs. I always took them along when we traveled with the kids. Very convenient.

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    1. I hear ya on that! I get bit more in my backyard than anywhere at times!
      The Wet Ones still do come in individual packs, I used them and love them!

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  7. I have always wondered about those mosquito bracelets!

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    1. This particular brand really works, and I was probably the biggest skeptic. If the lady at the store wasn't so sure everyone raved about them, and swore they can barely keep them on the shelves I probably never would have tried them, so glad I did though!

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