Skiing and Snowboarding .The British Designed Snowmule Backpack

	Clare Maloney
	Online Editor
	25-01-2012

Sometimes the best ideas are borne out of necessity. When keen skiers Kevin and Tracey Stevens found themselves fighting an uphill battle on the slopes, with tired toddlers in tow and the whole kit and caboodle to carry, they had a eureka moment.

Pre-parenthood, the couple had enjoyed the freedom and exhilaration of fresh mountain air and powdered pistes, and had the packing and carrying of their kit down to a fine art.

Determined for their children to share their love of the sport, Kevin and Tracey booked their first family ski holiday but returned stressed-out and weary, having totally underestimated the amount of extra gear and effort the trip would entail.

Recognizing a gap in the market for a product that would assist parents skiing with children, they came up with the inspired concept for Snowmule - a purpose-built backpack with retractable tows and additional straps and pockets to manage all manner of family tackle.

It was always good old Dad ‘The Mule’ to the rescue.

"I was determined to find a product which would make my life easier and buy whatever was available," says Kevin. However, no matter how hard I looked and however many people I asked, I could not find a solution. Hence, Snowmule was born."

Three years of planning, prototyping and testing later, the Snowmule backpack hit the market and proved an instant hit with skiing parents.

Featuring two self-retracting towing handles for pulling children on flat areas of snow while keeping hands free, the backpack can also carry two pairs of children´s skis and poles, along with goggles, helmets, etc. for the trek to lessons or piling on and off the ski bus.

Nothing quite prepares a parent for the added time and energy expended to put the family on the piste. You will encounter hurdles every step of the way, starting at the ski hire shop.

Just who is expected to lug all the children´s skis, poles, helmets and boots back to the chalet, never mind your own equipment?

"It is always uphill to the hire shop (whether picking up or taking back) and the children were instantly weary just looking at all the kit," says Kevin.

"Our first trip to the slopes was even more entertaining -children trussed up in umpteen layers of clothes and walking in ski boots. They were slipping and sliding in every direction possible and struggling to carry their own bodyweight, let alone anything else.

"Add to this a deadline for the ski school and our happy family unit was rapidly descending into chaos. So naturally (if you haven´t done this you may have laughed at others who have) I shoehorned myself onto the busy resort ski bus with three pairs of skis and poles while my wife hoisted the children inside.

"From the ski bus it was a 200 or 300 metre stroll on a flat piste to the ski school meeting point, so I did as every other parent did - clipped the children in and dragged them with my poles (the same poles that would have been incredibly useful to propel myself along!). Not only was it slow progress, but I had backache and felt as though I had climbed a small mountain by the time we had arrived!"

The return trip to the chalet was equally fraught and met with a sharp dip in spirits from the whole family.

"Unfortunately, as soon as I explained that we would need to take the bus again, their enthusiasm waned and they were immediately tired, hungry and weary."

Despite the trials and tantrums, the benefits of skiing with your children - the look of pure joy on their faces and the fun you have as a family - far outweigh the negatives, he maintains.

"Naturally, we had a fantastic holiday and have done so many times since. Skiing with my children is one of the best experiences as a Dad."

Since the invention of Snowmule, the Stevens haven´t looked back. So successful is the backpack, the couple has now developed a Snowmule bumbag, with the same two-handled retracting tow system but for those who don´t want a full backpack.

Picked up at this year´s ski shows as ´Ones to Watch´ and now retailing in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Czechoslovakia, Snowmule is saddling up for a very busy season.

So next time you spot happy parents on the slopes, effortlessly towing their toddlers and enjoying hands-free family fun, check their backpack - it´s bound to be a Snowmule!

* A saviour on the slopes, Snowmule is also handy for pulling children learning to skateboard, roller skate or rollerblade to help with balance.

Tracey´s Top Tips for skiing with children

• Seriously consider ski school for the kids as it gives you the chance to have a burn and blow all the cobwebs away while they have a great time.
• It is amazing how quickly they learn and their confidence grows with a group. They also learn lots of tracks through trees, which they love to take you through in the afternoon.
• Try to buy good quality ski suits and gloves. Jackets should have a ski pass pocket on the arm and a snow skirt to stop them getting snow up their backs if they fall.
• Rent skis, boots, poles and helmets as buying them is expensive and they may only last them one season. (It is quite common for some ski schools not give out poles to little ones until they feel they are a certain standard). Children often wear goggles with their helmets even when it is sunny so buy a pair that has a high UV protection.
• Layers of clothes are best, avoid thick jumpers. The thermal base layers that children wear for rugby/football, etc. are great teamed with thin fleeces and another thin mid layer if required. Kids go from too hot to very cold really easily so try to carry extras.
• If your children are like ours, keep a stash of snacks and water!
• If they are in ski school, be open-minded about your afternoon skiing plans. We thought the first couple of afternoons would be spent sledging with our´s as we were not sure how much progress they would make, but we were in fact out on the greens and easy blues on the first afternoon. So you never know!
• Never ever, however much you want to and the mountain is still calling to you, try to fit in an extra run if they are getting a little bit jaded. Believe me, it will not be worth it! Finish on a high while everyone is still smiling.
• Allow lots of time for pretty much everything. Getting them kitted out in the morning and to ski school will always take longer than you think!
• Finally take as many pictures and as much video as you can - our children love to look back at them and it is amazing to see how much they progress over the years.

Where are you skiing this year?

Tracey: There is a very long list of places I would like to visit! However, we are going to Tignes this season, as we love it. We seem to flit between there and Val D´Isere each year as it is fun for whatever you fancy doing and is really well geared up for kids. Our boys also love to visit la Folie Douce in the afternoons and watch all the fun.