AVEX Brazos AUTOSEAL Water Bottle Review

The AVEX line of innovative water bottles was recently brought into our sights. Having been loyal fans of another top brand, we were surprised by how much we enjoyed using our new AVEX bottles. AVEX offers several styles of BPA-Free water bottles for everyday use. Check them out here.

Josh first tested the 25 oz. Brazos AUTOSEAL. Of course I had to try it out too.

Things we love: 

On the trail with AVEX.

• One handed drinking- perfect for parents of small children (you need a hand free to wrangle!)
• Drinking ease- We drank 3x more because it was so easy (and fun) to push the button.
• Sleek look- Taller and thinner than other bottles. 
• Fit- The 25 oz. actually fit into car cup holders (no more rolling around on the floorboards)!

Things we'll live with:

• Pressure buildup in the bottle (from changing elevations) can cause it to spray when the spout is opened. There is no way to avoid it because of the design (but it can be fun every now and again!).

Overall:

This bottle alone has made us convert to AVEX. It is hands-down the best water bottle that we have ever used and our go-to brand for future purchases!

Outside Challenge Week: Day 7- Mt. Roosevelt

WE DID IT!!!

Enjoying the view. 5.1.13

Today was the culmination of a weeks worth of outside family adventuring. Getting out each day hasn't been easy. A few evenings it was tough getting out the door but the rewards have been countless.

This evening we headed into the Black Hills to Mt. Roosevelt, a favorite spot of ours. The road to Mt. Roosevelt isn't plowed throughout the winter so we weren't sure if we would even be able to make it through. Thankfully, most of the snow had receded and there was evidence that many vehicles had been up through. The road was clear.

We parked and got Eli wheeled up and released Wu. The trail was easy going until we were 2/3 of the way and we ran into snow. It wasn't a huge patch so we portaged Eli over. Then hit another patch of snow and we took to the woods. Eli loved going off trail. Apparently it was very exciting.

His off-roading face! 5.11.13

The ground around the tower was clear of snow. The trees opened up and the sun beat down upon us. We took the Friendship Tower in.

The last 4 years (since we moved here) have brought a lot of change to the Roosevelt's Friendship Tower. When we first visited it was sealed off to visitors but in true Black Hills fashion, the gated door had been altered so that one could squeeze through. Then a year or so later construction began to repair the mortar and then to reconstruct a staircase. Then the roof was put on to protect it a bit from the elements (but it's not historically accurate).

Mt. Roosevelt's Friendship Tower. 5.1.13

We were hoping to follow the loop around but snow covered the rest of the trail. We opted to take the trail back the way we came but instead of blazing trail in the woods we portaged Eli over the snow patches. It was kind of awesome and we felt like we could do anything.

After working our way through several hundred feet of snow patches we were back on gravel. It was all downhill from there and our hike was over before we knew it.

Our seven day adventure was complete and we asked "why stop there?" Why not challenge ourselves to do this everyday as a habit? I think we will.