Merrell Vintage Parks Tee Collection Review
Growing up, I was very fortunate in that my parents were able to take me and my siblings on vacation during the summer months. It was more common for us to visit the national parks versus theme parks and I am very thankful for that. I think back to my childhood and I still remember seeing Old Faithful going as high as the sky could reach. I still remember seeing bears, moose, elk, deer, and dozens of other animals while visiting the national parks. So when I saw that Merrell came out with a line of tee shirts in association with the national parks, it put a smile to my face. The parks featured on the tee shirts include; Yellowstone, Sequoia, Shenandoah, Yosemite, and Crater Lake. The fabric on the shirts is made out of 100% organic cotton and has a UPF 20 rating.
These days, UPF rating in clothing is very important to me. Over the many years of being exposed to the sun, I developed a spot on my skin with Melenoma. I was lucky in that I caught it early and I had it safely removed, but these days if I am going to be out in the sun for any prolonged period of time, I always look for clothing with additional UPF protection. With sizing changing from brand to brand and year to year, I always try to inform readers on sizing. That said, I am 6’0 tall and 175lbs and a size large fits me well. Not too baggy, not to small.
For more information or to purchase your own Merrell Vintage Parks Tee, please visit Merrell.com
Contest Alert!
We will be giving away a shirt a day for 8 days starting 4-19-2011
Contest description:
Comments will be judged based on creativity, popularity, and entertainment value.
Day 1 What is your favorite experience or most memorable story you have while visiting a National Park? If you have never been to a National Park, what would you like to do while visiting a particular park?
Winner- Anne Mower- Hopefully this keeps your National Parks spririt alive!
Day 2 What are your favorite activities to partake in at national parks?
Winner-
Day 3 If you were a national park, what park would you be and why?
Winner- Rick Rusch
Day 4 April 22nd is Earth Day, so in celebration of Earth Day, what is your commitment to making our planet a better place to live?
Winner-Mrs. H
Day 5 If you had to camp and live in a national park for a year, what park would you choose and why?
Winner – Kelly
Day 6 If you could recommend a low cost improvement to the National Park System, what would it be?
Winner – Gaby
Day 7 If you could Volunteer for the National Park System, what would you do?
Winner – Eugenie
Day 8 Do you think park rangers should change their uniforms with today’s clothing technology? Why or why not?
Winner-Constance
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If I had to camp out in a tent for a year in a National Park, I would choose somewhere warm so I wouldn’t freeze in the winter. I think that Virgin Islands National Park on St. John would be a great place to spend a year. It has hiking trails as well as beaches for swimming, kayaking and sailing. The snorkeling over the reefs is beautiful as well.
If you could recommend a low cost improvement to the national park system, what would it be?
Have every guest that comes into the park review information about the ‘leave no trace’ ethics of camping/hiking, etc. If guests of the National Parks can learn about the ‘leave no trace’ movement, they can leave behind a better National Park than when they first visited! Education is a great way to start in cutting down on the amount of litter left behind in parks.
In my case I just wish they weren’t so far away. We live in Kansas but we’d like to visit Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore and several of the other parks out west. With gas prices going up that makes it harder to afford the trip there to enjoy them.
If I were to improve the NPS I would put in more benches at strategic places along the trails – specifically in places that people are less aware of. People always flock to the most popular sites, but many of the most beautiful sites lie in places where people fly by to get to the more popular view or along the less-traveled roads. Some wooden benches to enjoy the serenity and beauty of the world would be nice. Not to mention, benches are great resting places and water stops along the trail.
If you could recommend a low cost improvement to the National Park System, what would it be?
I would call it “The Green Trails Tour”. It’s a guided tour with a “green” twist for kids/ families. Imagine being a kid and walking through the woods on an interactive guided tour, getting to asking questions about all the plants and wildlife around them. The tour guide explaining that all the things we do in our daily lives has a huge impact on places such as these all over the world. Get the kids thinking about what they can do while they are in the parks and what they can continue to do at home. It would serve as a big motivation for kids to start thinking “green”. At the turn around point of the walking trail they could (as a group or individuals) help plant a tree. When they get back to the starting point of the trip, their trees’ name can be added to a computerized map of the trees in that location. The next time they come back they can visit their tree. The map would also be accessible online via the parks web site. An automatic email alert can go out each season reminding parents to help their kids log on and get an update and a seasonal picture of their tree. The proceeds would be put back into the park. The email alerts would be playing double duty. Its fun for the kids to see what’s going on with the tree but it would also keep the park experience in their minds fresh. Bring them back year after year.
I would like to volunteer for the National Park System by helping with some scientific or archeological work.
I’ve always been interested in investigating the natural world as well as ancient cultures.
They could add SPF to the uni, but I wouldn’t want them to change the look too much (if at all). Those unis are so iconic. Everytime I go to an NP and see those men and women in the khaki and green, I want to quit what I am doing a become a Natioal Park Ranger.
I think the look of the park rangers is good, but of course they should change with technology. Why should they be in clothing that is too warm on a warm day so the clothing should be weather appropriate. With all of the nuances in clothing today someone should be selling the latest comfort clothing to the Department of the Interior. I like the green color because they blend in to the environment. And the hat is essential! I love this contest…makes me think and appreciate our beautiful National Parks that are so unique to America the Beautiful!!
The park rangers are there to augment the natural beauty of the national parks and to assist and inform visitors. Changes should be made to the rangers uniform for the rangers comfort and with spf for safety, but the uniforms should blend in with the environment and not be obtrusive.
Do you think park rangers should change their uniforms with today’s clothing technology? Why or why not?
It would be nice to see our park rangers benefit from the advancements in clothing technology, while keeping true to the standard look of the uniforms. Those uniforms always gave off a feeling of “these people know what they are doing,” to me. Other than the armed forces uniforms park rangers uniforms were always the quickest to be recognized, even above police officers.
I like the style of the uniforms as they are at present. The fabrics used should incorporate the modern technologies of quick-drying, lightweight fibers for the summer and fleece for the winter.
I enjoy the National Park website because it gives the parks in each state and you can travel there and be sure not to miss one. I love the National Parks in Utah because they are so colorful and unique esp. Arches National Park. It is a living work of art.
I like the multimedia programs on the website. They show great photos of the different parks and explain the geology, ecology, history and other interesting facts about individual parks.
I love that Ohio has a National Park. But very few people outside of OH know that it is there or want to visit. It is not filled with wild animals or have amazing sites. Just history that is waiting to be learned.