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Outdoor Adventure Canada
Seacure
Bum Bag
Keens
Venice H2
Salus
Bijoux Infant PFD
Seacure Waterproof
Bum Bag
written
by Samantha Rogers
When
given the opportunity to test and review the Seacure Bum Bag I
was excited. It looked like it was a well thought out product
created to keep important items dry and safe; and as time went
by, I was not disappointed by its performance.
The Bum Bag
is comfortable and easily worn around the waist like a fanny pack.
It is made from a durable, impact resistant plastic, is waterproof
and floats. The lid twists on securely and is fitted with a rubber
o-ring to ensure it maintains a waterproof seal.
It is a very
versatile product and can be used for many activities, such as
canoeing, cycling, snow boarding, hiking and fishing. It works
very well in all these situations, as we found out during testing.
 My
husband wore it mountain biking one day and he took a hard fall,
landing directly on the Bum Bag. My husband was a little worse
for wear, but the contents of the Bum Bag were safe and the Bum
Bag itself didn't even have a scratch on it. He was relieved to
find his cell phone and digital camera were not damaged. As well
as those items, he carried his wallet, keys and a few energy bars
in it and there was still plenty of room for more! Now my husband
wears the Bum Bag almost every time he heads out on his bike.
While canoeing,
the Bum Bag is comfortable to have on at the same time as wearing
my PFD and while paddling, and because the strap has a quick release
locking clip, if I want to take it off for any reason I can do
so easily, practically mid-paddle. I also found it to be comfortable
enough to wear while sitting in the confines of a kayak's small
cockpit.
The Seacure
Bum Bag performs wonderfully and you can fit most anything in
it; from car keys, to cell phones and small hand-held GPS devices
as well as food and first aid supplies, and they're kept secure
and dry.
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Keens
Venice H2
written
by Samantha Rogers
My
search for the perfect pair of shoes for both paddling and portaging
was looking grim until I got my first pair of Keens. The Keens
I have are the Venice H2's, which are not only very functional,
but they're well built and comfortable.
 I
wore my Keens a few times around the neighbourhood -- okay, that's
an understatement; I wore them shopping. I wore them cycling.
I wore them when I went for a walk with my kids. Basically I wore
them everywhere, but I had yet to try them out in a wilderness
setting until late August when we headed to Algonquin Park for
a 5 day, 4 night wilderness canoe and camping trip.
Before arriving
in Algonquin Park we made a quick stop at a local outfitter in
Huntsville, where, after very little persuasion on my part, my
husband purchased a pair of Keens Venice H2's. He knew how comfortable
and supportive I had found mine to be and he was looking for something
with the same qualities for paddling and portaging I had been
looking for.
Off we went
into the wilds of Algonquin Park; full packs on our backs and
Keens on our feet. When we had to get in or out of the canoe it
wasn't a problem. The Venice H2's have drainage so we didn't get
sloshy shoes. When we were portaging we didn't have to worry about
stubbing our toes because the Venice H2's have a closed toe, and
anyone who knows me knows if there's a toe to be stubbed I'm going
to be the one to do it.
All in all
both my husband and I are very satisfied with the performance
of the Keens Venice H2's, and now I'm not the only one in my family
wearing Keens for every day activities. I think if he could my
husband would even wear his to work.
If you're
a paddler and enjoy wilderness camping these are the shoes for
you. They're functional, comfortable and the price is right.
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Salus
Bijoux Infant PFD
written
by Samantha Rogers
 When
my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our third child
we started looking into infant sized life jackets. We found a
generic one on sale for ten dollars at a local retail store. Score!
Or not. Once the baby was born and we tried to fit him into this
generic style infant life jacket we found that his torso was much
too short. All in all it was just not a good fit. There was too
much padding in all the wrong places; putting him in a sitting
position in the canoe was out of the question because when sitting
in the life jacket it pushed up on his face and was extremely
uncomfortable for him. It was definitely a no-go and a waste of
ten bucks.
We had read
some reviews about the Salus Bijoux and talked to a few people,
but were sceptical about paying upwards of $70 for an infant life
jacket. Its not that we were worried about the money, because
our son's life is worth much more than $70, but we wanted to make
sure it was going to work. However since all other options were
gone, as every other infant life jacket on the market we could
find were like the generic one we had already tried, and with
the beginning of the canoeing season upon us, we needed to do
something.
It was at
the Toronto Sportsman Show where we bought the Salus Bijoux for
our son. I was pleased to find out it came in more than the original
red and yellow colour in which I was not a fan of. I chose the
blue and yellow one. It also comes in pink.
Once we were
home we put the baby in the Bijoux. It was easy to get on, and
it was comfortable. The baby loved it. He wasn't fussing and he
could easily sit up in it without it pushing on his face. Unlike
the generic infant life jacket which is built similar to a life
jacket for an older child with the floatation around the entire
torso (as well as behind the head), the Bijoux only has floatation
behind the head and in the front covering the baby's chest and
belly. The back of the Bijoux is a breathable mesh harness which
houses the adjustment straps and keeps the life jacket securely
on the baby. Having the floatation behind the head and on the
belly ensures if the baby falls into the water he will be cradled
face up in the life jacket in the water with no risk of his face
being under the water.
A few days
later we filled the bathtub full of water, put the Bijoux on the
baby and plunked him in. What do you know? He was floating. There
is a demonstration video of the Bijoux online at the Salus website,
but we wanted to test it ourselves. We were not going to take
the word of someone else that these life jackets worked, we wanted
to make sure. My husband flipped the baby onto his belly in the
water, face down, and let go. Before we could blink the Salus
Bijoux had flipped him onto his back again. Baby was all smiles
so we tried it once more. Lo and behold it worked again. Unbelievable
… we were impressed and extremely satisfied.
We have been
out in the canoe with the baby several times since testing the
Salus Bijoux in the bathtub and never once has the baby complained
about wearing his life jacket. He actually gets excited when he
sees it.
One other
thing I like about the Bijoux is that it does not restrict the
baby's movement. He can crawl and walk while he is wearing it;
he can sit and play, and do both comfortably.
The only downfall
I found with the Salus Bijoux is that it is rated for babies weighing
9 to 25 pounds which means you will likely only get one season
out of it before having to move up to the next size life jacket.
That being said, it is still totally worth the purchase.
The Salus
Bijoux is as good as you've heard it is in all the reviews, and
I'd recommend it to anyone looking to have fun in the water with
their baby. It is a great buy and has enabled us to have many
family outings in the canoe safely with all three of our children.
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