The Best Baby Registry Gifts for Outdoorsy New Parents

The Best Baby Registry Gifts for Outdoorsy New Parents

Need some ideas for your baby registry? Or trying to find the perfect gift for your outdoorsy friend’s baby shower? Check out some of the ideas below (tried and tested by mom, dermatologist and outdoor enthusiast, Dr. Jenna Peart). 

  1. My favorite sunscreen for delicate newborn skin makes a perfect registry gift –  containing only 4 ingredients and no added fragrances, this mineral SPF is ideal. It comes in an eco-friendly, travel-friendly tin and is perfect for protecting small areas of exposed skin. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends prioritizing shade and using sun protective clothing, and reserving SPF for exposed areas. And though this is not advertised as a baby sunscreen, trust me that it is actually much better than a ton of sunscreen products out there that are marketed towards babies but contain multiple things that aren’t really ideal for sensitive skin. This is what I used on my own 6 week old newborn.  See my blog post here for more details: Baby Sun Protection Tips For Hiking

Badger SPF50 adventure sport zinc sunscreen 

  1. A supportive front carrier for hiking. I personally used this ErgoBaby Omni 360 carrier and really loved it. It has a lightweight sun shield that you can pull out and attach as needed. Before 6 months of age, babies don’t have enough neck strength for a hiking backpack style carrier, so you’ll want one of these front carriers if you plan on hiking before that age. This was also great for traveling in the airport and on the plane when babies want to contact nap while you’re on the move. It is also relatively lightweight, so much easier to travel with than bulkier backpack carriers. Extra plus: you can breastfeed while hiking / on the plane / on the move in this pack pretty easily by adjusting the straps as needed! This was a skill that took a bit of practice but made life much easier once I mastered it. 

Ergobaby Omni 360 Baby Carrier

  1. For babies 6 months of age and older: for longer distance hikes with older, heavier infants you might want to invest in a more structured and supportive backpack carrier. These offer a lot more storage options for your water, snacks, and diaper changing supplies than the soft front carriers. They are also a bit heavier and a lot bulkier, making them a bit more challenging to travel with. The two most popular carriers are the Osprey Poco and the Deuter Comfort. They are quite pricey, but you can also usually find used versions on Facebook Marketplace for a more budget friendly option. Pro tip: make sure you properly fit the carrier before you start hiking with it, or you can end up with a lot of unnecessary back or glute pain from an incorrect fit. 

   Deuter Kid Comfort Child Carrier

   Osprey Poco Child Carrier

  1. Baby hats and sunglasses! These are so important for providing shade and eye protection for littles. There are many different styles out there, but here are a few of my favorites:

These Cocosand sunglasses have a strap to keep them from falling off and are fairly bendable as well as reasonably priced, coming in several fun colors and styles - I personally loved their Aviators on my son. 

Cocosand Baby Sunglasses   

Hats: both of these companies make their UPF50+ hats from recycled materials. 

This Sunday Afternoons one is the lightest weight of all of the hats we have owned: Sunday Afternoons infant sunsprout hat

The Green Sprouts hat has really great neck coverage for sunny days hiking or at the beach:

Green Sprouts UPF50 Eco Flap Hat  

  1. Full coverage swimsuits for optimal baby sun protection at the beach and pool. For your friends who spend a lot of time around water: in addition to hats and sunglasses you can consider giving one of these super cute swimsuits. Remember to think about how old their baby might be come summer time so you can try to better predict what size suit they might need when that time of year rolls around. 

Swimzip long sleeve romper swimsuit

 

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