Our friends at Icebreaker asked us if we’d like to gear test some of their clothing. The three of us split up and tested several different pieces of Icebreakers Merino Wool clothing in different environments recently, and have nothing bad to say.

Emily’s Gear

I took the Icebreaker Apex Chute neck gaiter skiing in Big Bear last week. It was as variable a day of weather as there ever was. I started the morning skiing in a base layer and ended all bundled up in whiteout conditions. The Apex Chute was super warm, but I never had to take it off. It was perfect for the icy wind that hit me on the lifts, and wicked moisture quickly as I sweated my way down the slopes. I even turned it into a beanie when my lightweight one wasn’t enough during our afternoon picnic at the top of the mountain. It was so nice to have such a lightweight item that could be so versatile.

The weather remained bitterly cold even when I moved on to a climbing trip in Joshua Tree a few days later. I took my Icebreaker Hike+ Heavy Crew Socks with me, and wore them for three days straight. They didn’t get smelly (although my feet never smell), and kept me warm all day and all night. This sock is an essential that could go with everyone on every outdoor trip.

Aimee’s Gear

I’ve been a fan of wool for years, primarily because it doesn’t stink (unlike Emily, I do get stinky on occasion). I’ve been wearing the Icebreaker Sublime Tank to barre classes, and it’s great because it’s soft and not too warm. But the real reason I like it is I can leave it on after class and go straight to the park with the kids without feeling too stinky from my workout. With a light jacket over the top, it keeps my core warm but I don’t get too hot when I’m chasing the kids around.

I also tested out the Villa pants. I’ve been looking for a new pair of black lounge pants and these fit the bill. I was afraid they’d be too warm but they’re just right. They’re so versatile–I can just wear them around the house, to chase the kids around the park, or to run errands. So much nicer than my beat up old yoga pants!

Mai-yan’s Gear

I had the pleasure of testing out a full Icebreaker outfit on a recent trip to Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Park. After a whirlwind of activities including hiking, trail running, bouldering and sightseeing, I’m happy with the performance of the different pieces.

The tech tank was my go to piece. It was comfortable and it gave me just the right amount of coverage from the hot desert sun. I liked how I was able to move comfortably in it and how efficient the moisture wicking was.

In the shade, it got a little cooler and I layered up with the Oasis Half-Zip Hoodie. This one wins in terms of style and fit. It hugged in the right places and the hoodie kept my neck warm from the breeze. The magenta accent zipper is a nice touch to contrast the purple and heather color of the shirt. This one is considered a base layer, but for Southern California winters, this works well as an insulating layer.

Finally, I tried out the Oasis leggings and ¾ Crew Stripe Tease socks in two different ways. I used them as my campsite loungewear and jammies, and also layered them with a dress while walking around sightseeing. From campsite to city, the different pieces felt and looked great. I love it when clothes are multi-functional- it means less packing! For colder climates, the leggings are thin enough to be used as long underwear under another pair of pants.

Overall, these are great quality clothes that adapt well for a variety of contexts. Yes, they are pricey, but definitely worth the investment if you want technical pieces that do what they say they will and also dress up for casual outings.

*Thank you to Icebreaker for sponsoring this post. All opinions here are our own.

Sweet and Sara Marshmallows

Ever since our wedding in February, we’ve been thinking about sharing these delicious marshmallows with you. We used them in our wedding dessert buffet (which was a s’mores bar, of course) and they were a huge hit. They happen to be gelatin-free, and come in several delicious flavors. Our favorites are strawberry and toasted coconut. These marshmallows are perfect at an outdoor fire during a holiday party or camping trip. They would also be lovely in a cup of hot cocoa on Christmas Eve.

RavPower Portable Charger

We recognize that we’ve become too reliant on technology nowadays, but it is so convenient to use our phones as our lightweight cameras, notepads, and books when away from home. This little charger is the perfect accompaniment for someone who does as much work with theirs as I do. It, too, is lightweight and compact, so it was easy to make room for it in our packs during our backpacking trip to Mineral King over the summer. I can get almost a full charge of my phone with it, but it can also be used as an emergency light source, and recharged with a solar panel for indefinite use.

Buffalo Check Flannel

Anyone who spends time in the outdoors can appreciate a classic flannel as the item that should always be around. Why not go with one of the most iconic ones. This cozy Woolrich Buffalo Check Flannel is something that you can’t go wrong with.

Barebones Forest Lantern

I bought this lantern when planning my wedding with the intention of giving it away after the event. It was so pretty, though, that it has become one of my signature items for any events I attend. It is rechargeable and can also be used to charge your devices. The color of the light is soft and warm, and the lantern is just beautiful to have on a buffet table or lighting your outdoor space. It is one of my favorite things.

REI Co-op Down Vest

REI has recently unveiled a new brand within their brand. It has the name REI Co-op and a cute new logo, and their first product is a wonderful gift option. This vest is an impressive price for the quality and packability, and the outer fabric is super soft. They are working towards Blue Sign approval, which I appreciate. This vest (or the corresponding jacket) is the perfect gift!

Hydro Flask 64 ounce Growler

Cold drinks need to stay cold, and hot drinks hot. These Hydro Flask bottles work really well.

Patagonia Provisions

Patagonia is always the company that cares about social and environmental responsibility. Now they’ve begun to create responsible outdoor food. They provide sustainable salmon and a new addition called “Tsampa soup” that has been adapted from a Himalayan recipe. You can never get too much truly good food.

(1) Grandpa’s Fire Fork
This little tool is ingenious – instantly turns a branch or stick into a fire skewer for roasting marshmallows or sausages.

(2) Best Made Axe
Beautifully crafted US made axes made to last a lifetime. For an extra fancy touch, get a custom handle design made for yourself or as a present.

(3) Kermit Chair
Just say no to sitting on the ground or plastic chairs that break after a couple uses. Sit pretty in the Kermit chair made of oak, heavy duty canvas and aluminum. It is completely foldable, and is ideal for car camping and canoe trips.

(4) Hudson’s Bay Company Point Blanket
I grew up with this blanket not realizing how iconic it has become. These wool blankets been around since the 18th century and were one of the main items traded by Europeans to Native Americans in the fur trade. They have become heirlooms renown for their quality, warmth and resistance to water.

(5) Redbird Strike Anywhere Matches
Apparently reliable strike anywhere matches are hard to come by these days. These Canadian-made matches are the real deal – strike them on any surface to get your campfire going.

(6) Berger 13” German Bucksaw
This saw is for serious wood cutting! Saw those logs down to smaller pieces before getting to work with your axe.

(7) Stikkan Wood Splitter
Once you’ve sawed and felled your wood, it’s time to make some kindling. This wood splitter makes the task a breeze so you can spend more time in front of the campfire.

(8) The Maine Flame Firestarter
An all-natural fire starter made only of wax and kiln-fired sawdust. These lightweight pine tree shaped fire starters light up like a candle and come unscented or in apple, cinnamon, citronella, and balsam scents.

(9) Utility Canvas Blanket
An all-purpose almost indestructible blanket now available in fun prints. Throw it on the ground for an instant picnic or use it to protect your backseat when loading in all that firewood.

This seemed like it had good potential to be a compact campfire treat, so we quickly pulled out the graham crackers and made some smores. The major struggle with smores for many people is how to get the chocolate to melt. I’ve seen some interesting attempts to balance a chocolate bar over the fire. This creation really did the trick. The marshmallow itself was very gourmet and delicious. When it’s roasted, it gets especially gooey inside while the outside layer is thin and crisp. The chips melt beautifully, and don’t fall out. For using in smores, I only wished they had just a little more chocolate or peanut butter.

These would be really fun to take on a camping trip, either for smores or just for roasting. Everyone who tastes them is impressed. So thanks for the marshmallows, Madyson! You’ve earned yourself a place among the Ultimate Smores!

The GSI Stainless toaster comes folded flat inside a little re-usable pouch. Once unfolded, the toaster is like a little hollow box with a handle. One side of the toaster has mesh to evenly disperse the heat, and the other side is like a grill. To make toast, place the mesh side down on the heat source (stove, coals or grill) and put your bread on top of the grill side. You can toast up to two standard-sized slices of bread side by side, or one bagel half at a time. To make a nice slice of crispy brown toast, let the bread sit for about a minute on each side, keeping close watch on the prize. It is really easy to burn the bread, especially if you do not have an adjustable flame stove. Another thing to watch out for is the mesh at the bottom of the toaster. It is definitely the most delicate part of the contraption and it can rip easily if handled roughly or if it gets caught on something.

Unlike the Coghlan Camp Stove Toaster or the Camp-A-Toaster, the GSI Stainless Toaster has a handle, which makes it useful for toasting over a campfire. The handle also makes it easy to serve toast without the risk of burning your fingers on hot metal. In addition to making a fine piece of toast, the GSI Stainless Toaster’s flat box design makes it versatile enough to warm tortillas and pastries. I’ve warmed tortillas to make tacos, fajitas and even sandwich wraps, and best of all, it saves you dirtying a skillet. I’m going to try to make a tuna melt or quesadilla on it next.

Whether you are car camping, cycle touring or backpacking, the GSI Stainless Toaster is a great little all season tool to add to your camp kitchen arsenal.

Product Specifications:

• Folded Dimensions: 6 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ x 5/8″
• Weight: 5.8 ounces
• Rust-proof stainless steel construction

Since we had two Play and Freeze Ice Cream Balls, we made two kinds of ice cream. One was a blueberry ice cream, from a recipe (“Milk and Jam Ice Cream”) that came with the Play and Freeze balls, and the other was a coconut ice cream that we made up ourselves.

There are two openings on the Play and Freeze ball, one on each end. Open one end to fill the outside chamber with rock salt and ice, and open the other end to fill the inner chamber with your ice cream ingredients. Close and tighten both ends and start playing. After about 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your Ice Cream Maker), you need to open up the inner chamber and stir the ice cream around to keep it from freezing to the walls of the cylinder. Then close it up again and play for another 10-15 minutes.

You’ve got to be careful during the playing part of this process because the ball is hard plastic and heavy when it’s full of ice, almost like a bowling ball. The instructions clearly say not to throw or kick your Play and Freeze. Of course, we didn’t read those instructions too carefully. First, we kicked the ball around and after stubbing a few toes on the ball, we gave up on that idea and started to throw the ball back and forth. That proved to be a terrible idea as well. I ended up with a giant bruise on my palm after catching the ball a few times. The process became a lot more fun when we learned to just shake or roll the ball on the ground.

In the end, the result was surprisingly good, and an especially refreshing treat while camping. Now that summer is sneaking up on us, I’m excited to try making more ice cream outdoors. I recently bought David Lebovitz’s great book The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments, and can’t wait to test out some of his recipes in my ice cream ball.

Pros of the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker:

1. You can enjoy ice cream in the great outdoors, something that’s not otherwise possible when you’re camping.
2. It’s virtually indestructible. Some reviewers have complained that it’s difficult to get the end caps off, however, we’re really happy that they stay on so well. I wouldn’t want to lose my ice cream.
3. You can make up a game to involve the whole group, or just keep your kids busy for a while.

Cons of the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker:

1. It’s made of really hard plastic, and heavy, so it’s easy to hurt yourself if you’re playing rough.
2. The ice cream freezes to the inner metal cylinder, so you’ve got to make sure to stir it. The instructions say to stir it once in the middle of the process, and once at the end, but I think it might be better to stir it even more than that.
3. The Play and Freeze ball gets wet from condensation and can get really dirty when you roll it around in the dirt. If you’re not careful, you might end up with dirt in your ice cream when you open it up to eat it. If there’s grass around, roll it around on the grass. Otherwise, just wipe off the dirt before you open it.

Growing up, we always made camping coffee with a percolator. The coffee turned out fine, but there are a couple of things I don’t like about percolators. A percolator is heavy and only convenient for car camping. Also, percolator coffee is oily and often contaminated with grounds. When I started planning a long bike tour with Mai-yan, I knew I needed a better solution than this. Instant coffee was out of the question—a Dirty Gourmet Girl doesn’t do instant coffee!

I was happy to have a potential solution to my coffee dilemma when Mai-yan gave me a mug press—a modified french press that fits into any cup. It made a good cup of coffee, but both Kismat, my husband, and I were drinking coffee and this little press only made enough for one. When you’re scrambling every morning to get on the road again, you don’t want to have to make one cup of coffee, wait for it to brew, rinse out your coffee press, and then do it all over again (and that’s assuming you only want one cup). Another point against the mug press is that the coffee must be ground quite coarsely, or you end up with a mouthful of coffee grounds.

So, I knew that I needed another camping coffee solution, and finally found it at a Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) store (MEC is Canada’s version of REI) in Victoria, BC—the GSI Outdoor Java Drip. The Java Drip brews coffee much like your drip coffee maker at home. Just set the cone over the large carafe, put a filter and ground coffee in the cone, and pour hot water over the coffee grounds. The coffee drips into the carafe, just like at home.

Pros of the Java Drip:

1. The flexible cone collapses to nest inside the carafe.
2. The insulated carafe actually does a decent job of keeping the coffee hot. It’s not trying to be a high-tech vacuum sealed thermos or anything, but it will keep your leftover coffee hot while you sip on your first cup.
3. It makes a good amount of coffee. It comes in both 30-ounce (about six 6-ounce cups of coffee) and 50-ounce (about eight 6-ounce cups of coffee) sizes.
4. The coffee tastes great—no more oily coffee or coffee grounds floating in your cup.

Cons of the Java Drip:

1. Though it comes with a reusable filter, it takes so long for the coffee to drip through the filter that it’s not worth using. A #4 cone paper filter (available at any grocery store) is an easy fix.
2. It is easy to spill coffee unless you pour from exactly the right angle.

Overall, despite some minor flaws, I think the GSI Outdoor Java Drip is a great camping coffee maker. Does anyone else have a great camping coffee setup? We’d love to hear your ideas.