Black Diamond Wiz Kids Headlamp: Review

I got a headlamp for Christmas. It was a nice Black Diamond with dimmer and red LED (possibly a Storm?). Turns out, headlamps are much more useful than flashlights.

Lee kept borrowing it, and Boo really wanted one. So I got Boo the kid’s Black Diamond. It’s light (2oz according to REI) and has a sweet octopus twisting around the band (looks like new designs this year, also pretty cool). It's distinctly smaller than mine, much better for a kid-sized person.

The battery compartment has a screw, which is nice from a losing batteries and safety perspective. I’m afraid I’m going to lose the tiny screwdriver that came with it….

 It throws a nice bright light. Not a spot, but not totally diffuse, either. She's not confidant enough in the dark to go running in it, but it's plenty for an evening stroll or potty run.


It only has on/off, which I think is best for a 5-year-old. She wants it to dim and have a red light, which I think is more complicated than she needs. Other than not being as complicated as mine, she loves it.

It has the same feel as the adult Black Diamond headlamps I've handled. Same strap type and setup, same general case thickness, same tilt mechanism.

I prefer the headlamp because I'm less likely to get flashed in the face, and it's easier for her to keep track of than a flashlight.

Boo says, "I like it a lot. It's very good. I use it to see when we're going camping in the dark and when I go potty at night.  (Is it comfortable?) Um yeah. (Is it easy to use?) Yeah, all you have to do is put your finger on it and push."

How do your kids see at night?

And Sometimes, there are Grandmas

 My mom and her friend came down for Boo’s tumbling recital. She got a lot of swimming and spoiling in.

Our hike Sunday was limited by lunch reservations, guests from even flatter land than we’re in, and seriously sleeping in.

It didn’t mean we didn’t have fun, find cool things, and flap our wings back to the trailhead.

How was your weekend?

Weldon Springs: October 11-12, 2012

Last October we needed one more overnight, even though it was getting a little chilly. Enter Weldon Springs. The map didn’t look too thrilling, but it’s only 1 ½ hours from home, there’s a river… So we went. 

We checked in at the park office, and the person who checked us in seemed a little inexperienced at such things. I asked about trail conditions, and she said they were overgrown. Apparently she was comparing them to a suburban lawn, because the trails were wide and obvious. She did tell us that in the spring the two more distant campsites flood, so if you’re planning to go, call ahead. 

There are 4 campsites within 100 yards of the trailhead (and outhouses and a pump) that would be good for very inexperienced kids or a gear shake out or anything where you might need to bail.  The most direct route to the further campsites is about a mile. We took a slightly loopier route. 

The trailhead map and the park map show a relatively straightforward 4-way intersection at the bottom of the hill. That is actually a 5-way intersection, with a couple other options close enough to see. We took our time and pulled out a compass (much to Boo’s curiosity). I suspect the other trails would have gotten us there just fine, but I prefer to know where I am.

Besides that, the trails were easy. We saw quite a bit of poison ivy in the woods. The 2 farther campsites are along Salt Creek. The more east site is up on a rise, and the more west site has more easy kid access to the water. (The west site was also used by at least beer-heavy parties. There was broken glass by the fire pit, and we picked up 24 cans.) In October, there was a lengthy sandy beach, and if it had been warmer we would have let her splash in the shallow water. She “fished” with sticks instead.

After setting up camp, we took a meander along the fishing trail along the creek. That lead to more sandy areas and some climbable trees. Boo took to tree climbing like the monkey she is. She also practiced her knots and tied leaves into a fabulous belt thing. 

Lee cooked dinner on the beach, and we ate on a log and watched the creek. Something was jumping in it, but we never caught sight of it. 

Being October, it was dark before the adults were ready for bed. I tried to take some long-exposure pics of the tent, Lee went on an evening walk, and we watched the stars. Early in the night we could hear the dogs in the campground. Later in the night, we heard coyotes and owls. It got down around 40F overnight, but we were toasty, even Boo who squirmed off her sleeping pad. Better prepared for that temp than Siloam Springs last spring… 

Breakfast was chilly, and I was glad I’d packed Boo’s winter coat. Warm oatmeal and cocoa/tea/coffee were what we all needed. We packed up and got to the car so early that we decided to hike some of the other trails in the park. Boo said we should carry our bags to build our muscles. What an awesome kid. 

The Schoolhouse trail has a wetland area (dried up in the drought, sad), a little wooded area, and a beautiful red/gold prairie. 

Good trip. Low miles, but plenty to poke around and look at. We’re planning on bringing Boo’s best friend here this summer for her first overnight.


Boo's Trip Report

Lunch

Lunches are some of the hardest meals to figure out. Boo still can’t eat and walk at the same time, so snacking all day instead of stopping for lunch is right out. Sometimes we have a hot lunch, sometimes we don’t. What Boo eats varies a lot. Here are some things she’s eaten for lunch on hikes. 

Hard-Boiled Eggs

She’s been a fan of hard boiled eggs for a while. They’re good to fill her belly and stick with her, and I don’t mind eating her leftovers. The shell must be carried out, and if she’s already too hungry, there’s no quick sugar boost, but as a planned meal or snack, they’re awesome. 

Wraps

Some tortillas, meat, veggies of choice (tomatoes, greens, cucumbers), maybe a mustard packet. Pack the ingredients, build at lunch time. Awesome for unplanned dayhikes that have to start at the grocery store anyway. 

Stuff in Pitas

We often have a pita with a pouch of tuna. We have had dehydrated hummus, which was fine after it sat a few minutes. Much like wraps, almost anything can go into a pita.

Hot Lunch

Sometimes something hot is called for. We’re fond of couscous, and not just because it was the only camping food we knew when we started. I start her portion rehydrating before the water boils, so it’s not too hot for her when it’s ready. 

Calzones

One recent hike, Lee made calzones in the morning. We wrapped them in towels in our bags, and they were nicely warm for lunch. 

Smashed Sammiches

A traditional choice. Boo is fond of peanut butter and jelly. 

Random Plants

Though we try to keep this to a snack level, there is always the option to eat what plants are edible and allowed. We’ve been known to munch on dandelion greens, garlic mustard, and an assortment of berries.

What do your kids eat for lunch? Is it any different than what the adults eat?

 

Whistles: Review-ish

When she started running ahead of us, we decided we needed to start teaching her basic getting unlost skills. First was “If you get lost, hug a tree and stay put.” Then we got her a whistle. 

The first whistle she had was a yellow one like this. It was too easy for her to cover the holes with her mouth. 

Many backpacks come with whistles built in to the sternum strap (like this). While I can make an OK tweet on one, Boo doesn’t have sufficient control to keep the holes uncovered and make any noise. It’s a nice backup, but not sufficient for her yet.

Now she uses an orange whistle like this. She likes it best. The sound holes are furthest away from the mouth, so she’s most successful making noise with this type. 

We do have her practice with them occasionally, in situations where nobody is likely to mistake it for an actual emergency call (trail head, back yard…). 

The other thing we do is put her whistle on a break-awayneck lanyard. We bought a pack online, and I cut out 5-6” of the strap to make the length better for her. It stays looped on her backpack, or is a safe necklace. We did lose one once, but I’d rather she have the breakaway safety feature right now. 

I’ve considered a bigger whistle with the holes even further away and harder to cover up, but I’m afraid those are too big for a good little kid necklace. Thoughts? 

The boy had three whistles on him the last time we discussed it. One plain yellow whistle, an two that were parts of emergency/survival multi-use things. 

What whistle (if any) do your kids carry?

My Favorite Place to Play

Forest Park Nature Center in Peoria Heights, IL.

Nice little museum (mostly hands-on), some critters, frequent classes, friendly staff, store, and a few miles of beautiful trails.

And the best selection of fair-trade, organic, shade-grown, bird-pooped-on coffee in the area.

Where do you like to hang out and brag about your outdoor exploits?

Scavenger Hunt

I got a new camera, and Boo immediately claimed the old one. 

The next Saturday, instead of hiking, the adults in the house were cleaning up after a horrible pickle juice spill in the refrigerator. Boo was in desperate need of some outside time, but wanted company. I suggested a scavenger hunt. A photography scavenger hunt. She jumped at the idea. 

So I made up a list. Things I could draw, since she’s not quite literate, and both easy and hard for her to find. Easy: green grass, mud puddle, bulbs coming up. Hard: bike, bird, squirrel. She took her list and camera and had a fun almost-hour running around the yard. 

 On hikes, we generally give her one or two interesting things to look for if she gets whiny, but this has potential. And will become easier as she reads more words...

Do you kids carry a camera? 

Have you done scavenger hunt hikes? How did it go?