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For the last few weeks we have been putting the Trunki PaddlePak through it’s paces. We were kindle sent two, one for Rowan and one for Erin. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how Rowan got on with using his PaddlePak as a school bag. You can see how we got on here if you missed it.
Erin has been using her bag mainly as a swimming bag or for trips to the beach. She was kindly sent a Pink Flo PaddlePak which costs £19.99. Erin was very taken with it from the minute it arrived and unusually hasn’t let me capture any photographs of her with it! Something I can only think is because she has taken to keeping various items she doesn’t want her brothers seeing, out of sight. She will quickly hides favourite toys etc in her toy box or behind cushions. I’ve actively tried to encourage the boys to give her some space if they notice her doing this too.
Taking Erin swimming is something I have wanted to do with her for a long time but for various reasons we haven’t physically been able to go more than a handful of times this year and when we do it tends to be a family outing. However Since September I have managed to take her twice while the boys have been in school. On both occasions Erin has been keen to help pack her PaddlePak with a towel and her swimming costume. She refused to but her float jacket in the bag so it ended up in my bag!
As PaddlePaks are made from a lightweight, waterproof material they make ideal bags for swimming kit. Once your wet kit is back inside the PaddlePak you do not have to worry about any wetness coming through the bag. The clever material means that moisture is kept inside the bag if wet things are inside. But if the content of the bag is dry and it starts raining the PaddlePak will keep the contents dry. I’ve previously resulted to placing wet swimming gear in a plastic carrier bag inside a bag to prevent the wetness coming through the bags material but with the PaddlePak I needn’t worry.
The PaddlePak also has padded adjustable shoulder straps which makes wearing a PaddlePak comfortable, especially for younger children and Erin certainly enjoys wearing hers. Pink Flo has a 7.5 litre capacity although I have not filled Erin’s to this capacity mainly due to her age and height as I don’t want to over load her or cause an injury as doing so. So a towel and swimming costume, sun hat, drink and snack have been the limit since we have had the PaddlePaks. Rowan on the other hand has more in his. Erin has also taken her PaddlePak to the beach with us on a couple of occasions. We tend to spend evenings enjoying our local beaches from September through until late October/November. The children love exploring the rock pools at this time of year when the tourists have all gone home!
Erin has been able to wear her PaddlePak around the water without me having to worry about the content getting wet if she falls over or gets splashed by a wave. It has also given her a little more independence too and she has enjoyed this. I personally feel the Trunki PaddlePak is well worth the money, it provides peace of mind for you as a parent and also aids independence for your child. They have been designed to be a practical yet fun bag that your child will enjoy using. With the younger two having one each, the older two have asked if they can have one too. Which to me shows that the PaddlePak appeals to children of all ages.
You can find out more about Trunki PaddlePak and buy your own by visiting the Trunki website here
Disclaimer: We were sent a Trunki Pink Flo PaddlePak for the purpose of this post. However the content of this post is 100% my own.