Best Women’s Outdoor & Travel Gear for Spring

Although originally a mountain lifestyle brand featuring only mens styles, in recent years they’ve branched out and added a women’s line.  I feel they’ve struggled a bit with sizing, with a past tendency to run small.  They’re getting on the right track now, though.  The Two Ocean Tank runs true to size.

No one.  That’s who.

Check out the hip womens Native Sixty-Six style, new for Spring.  Aaaahhh… love these!  Extremely comfortable to wear, with advanced polarized lenses that block up to 4x more infrared light than regular polarized lenses.  What kind of quality are we talking here?  Well, all Native Eyewear sunglasses come with a lifetime limited warranty.  I’ve worn various styles of Native Eyewear on nearly all my year-round outdoor adventures for the past 5 years, and never experienced a single issue.  These are some terrific shades.

I’d say they run a little large, but I stuck with my typical size.  They do have a slight “jodhpur” shape (bowed out at the hips). I tailored mine myself and took the side seam in, since I like a straighter shape. I’m curvy, but even altered they were quite roomy and comfortable.  I’m also 5’10” and they aren’t quite long enough, but I cinch the sides for a cute crop look.

Personally, I wear my Nuu-Muu with capri leggings.  There’s a sassy little side slit and a handy pocket in the back for your phone or key, when you’re bag-free… such as on the bike trail.  Looking all cute.  Likka girl, and whatnot.

Note about sizing:  When I followed the Nuu-Muu size charts, I ordered a size larger than I normally would.  It was too big!  I recommend sticking with your traditional size to start out with.

This Spring… behold the Bliss Saddle Bag.

I’ve used mine for a month now, and I’d like to take this opportunity to nominate it for the Haiku Bags Hall of Fame.  Perfect medium sized bag, with just the right amount of organization – the Bliss will be sticking around awhile!  I’m surprised at how much I like the one central divider, as I’m not typically a fan of that layout.  But with this smallish, Messenger style bag… it serves a worthwhile purpose of having plenty of room on each side, while allowing you to find things more quickly.   Bravo!

And how gorgeous is this Cinnabar Wisteria?  Gorgeous.

Even more impressive, is they seem to have gotten the fits and fabrics right from the start.

The Tempo Hoodie fabric is incredibly soft, but not clingy, and has great tech features like moisture wicking and drying quickly.  This style is slightly fitted, but still true to size.  Works alone or over a base layer top, and has awesome side pockets.

Two thumbs up!

Made from the same soft tech fabric as the Tempo Hoodie.  The back detail is really cute, makes this a not-at-all-boring workout top, and even makes it a little more flattering.  Tops like this don’t come along every day, and I may need to stock up with another color.

New for this Spring, they’ve taken the Jammer style waist and incorporated it with a flexible “trail knit” fabric.  It’s soft yet durable, and I really like this funky hybrid Jammer Knit Knicker style.  I sized up, as I didn’t want them to fit as tight as a true legging.  This made the waistband a little large on me, but with an interior cinch cord… it still works.  I really like the mobility and comfort of these, and the side pockets are super handy.

The Jammer Knit Knicker is one of my top Hiking and Camping gear picks for this outdoor season.

Most recently, I traveled a week in Italy with my husband.  Once again, I was incredibly impressed and happy with the Expanse AWD Carry-On.  Such a great size, and held up really well through a busy, three city tour.  We did have to occasionally check our bags, and I was sad to see my pristine Expanse AWD head off into the care of the airlines.  I’m glad to report it still looks as good as new, which testifies to the durability of this little champ.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before… but boy, does it pay off to pack lightly for Europe!  Although it was cold and rainy, I was able to lug everything I needed in the compact Expanse AWD.  The outside 2 zipper pockets provide the perfect amount of organization.  The wheels are tough, yet it navigates quite smoothly.

And it passed the ultimate Best-Bag-to-Take-to-Europe Test:  Being drug over the cobblestones of Venice to meet a water taxi at 4 a.m.  🙂

Tencel fabric is one of my favorite things to wear! The Daisy is 95% Tencel, and is so soft you’ll want to double duty this cute dress as a nightgown.

I’m amazed at the difference wearing a technical jacket like this makes, to improve your comfort level on outdoor adventures.  And I’ve not found a better option than the new Parajax by Kuhl.  This super lightweight, breathable jacket protects you from wind and sun, without adding any bulk.  The right pocket can be used as stuff sack, so it turns into a teeny tiny AWESOME piece of gear to always, always include in your backpack.

Fit is spot on perfect, and it feels great on.  Flattering cut, with just enough room to fit over a base or even medium-warmth layer.  I love the technical fabrics Kuhl uses, and the Parajax AIR BLOK™ 100% Nylon Ripstop is no exception.  I’ve tested it in the chilly wind, and it works likka champ.

The reviews didn’t lie.  The Dikila is an awesome top for active adventures.  Perfect fit, true to size, not too fitted but loose enough to be flattering.  Sometime zip neck tees pull back on my neck, and the fit is a bit awkward.  Not on the Dikila, the design is perfect.  Generous sleeve length.  With such a versatile weight, this top will be in my bag for many future adventures.

I’m not entirely sure why they went with the precision of numbered sizing (vs typical legging S/M/L sizing), and I think the fit still needs a bit of fine tuning.  The pair I received has an odd little flair towards the bottom of the leg.  I do recommend sizing up one size.

If you have not tried clothing like this with the Insect Shield protection, I highly recommend investing in a piece or two for your outdoor endeavors.  Craghoppers has an excellent selection of Insect Protective clothing.

Wallaroo makes a nice array of styles at affordable prices, and I really like the interior adjust hatband feature.  Check out this classic Wallaroo Naples style, perfect for summer adventuring and looking as cool as you feel.

The wallet portion of the Cadence is a bit minimalist.  But if you can pare down, overall it’s worth it to have such an efficient, compact package.

Get the Sapphire.  The blue is so lovely!

Runs true to size, and looks classy.  It’s a great lightweight coat, and I find I’ve worn it just as much at home, as I have when traveling.

I was worried about the shoulder cut, and how it would work with bra straps.  I found it works best with a nude colored racerback styled bra.

UPDATE:  This little beauty is such a hit, that MK is out of stock!?  But you can still snag a Haven Tank on the REI website.