​I was so excited to do this review of Purple Rain Adventure Skirts! Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love this brand (so my review may be a little biased 😊). These skirts are just so comfortable, well thought out, and functional it would be hard to find anything you don’t like about them. Plus they are handmade by Mandy Bland in Oregon so there is an added bonus of supporting a woman owned small business when you purchase one. Literally these skirts are a win/win!

​For me, I love how they are designed. The waistband is similar to the top of most yoga pants- stretchy, soft, and super comfortable. It is woven with moisture wicking yarn to keep you dry and cool.  It does have UV Protection of 40+ and is 90% Poly 10% Spandex. The skirts have functional pockets on each side that are large and sturdy enough to really hold stuff (my iPhone fits perfect in them). The skirt itself is super lightweight and durable. The first one I purchased years ago still looks brand new. It is made from 88% Polyester and 12% Spandex blend with a DWR finish. The skirts come in sizes XS-XXL and Mandy can also create a custom skirt via the custom order option if you would like a hiking skirt made to your specific measurements. This includes extended sizing and shorter/longer skirt length. There is also a kilt version designed for men as well.
 
 I love how they feel when you wear them- completely unrestricted with good air flow. There are no sewn in undershorts so you have the freedom to wear whatever is most comfortable to you under them. They are perfect for a warm summer hike as they do not make you hot. When it is cooler outside, they fit perfectly with your favorite pair of leggings underneath. These skirts are also a great option for travel as they fold down to almost nothing so they are super easy to pack. They are cute enough to wear on or off the trail so they are multi-functional in where you can wear them. 

Mandy wants to do her part in lessening the chemicals in many synthetic materials, especially when we are most active. She is currently working on finding more sustainable fabrics and is testing a new fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. She is hoping to move this material into the standard black skirt within a year. The current purple skirt is OEKO-TEX (worldwide recognized testing certification to prove it is made without harmful chemical) certified fabric.
 
You can get your own skirt here: http://www.purplerainskirts.com/
 
Follow Purple Rain Adventures on Facebook & Instagram
https://www.facebook.com/PurpleRainSkirts
 
https://www.instagram.com/purplerainskirts/
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We hope that you all know how much we love hiking by now and seriously have found so much joy in sharing our adventures with you!

So for fun, we created a list of random facts about us so you can see we are not only just a couple of crazy hikers!

To start, we have been married for 16 years and met 18 years ago in the mosh pit at a Social Distortion concert. We were a couple of surfers living at the beach and it was love at first sight! Since then, we have had so many adventures and now live in a small rural town in North San Diego with our dog, Phurba, and have a horse named Jake. If we are not hiking or backpacking, you can find us watching live music, hanging with friends, or at the beach. We both follow a plant-based diet and try to be the best version of ourselves everyday.

​Jaime:

1. Wanted to be a veterinarian when growing up but is way too sensitive to be able to put an animal down and took another path instead.
2. Seriously loves pickles.
3. Finds shoveling horse, cow, goat, and pig poo when volunteering at Sale Ranch Animal Sanctuary to be a special kind of mediation.
4. Self proclaimed wine snob and has carried up to three bottles of wine (in a platypus) backpacking.
5. Obsessed with old cemeteries and mines, especially if haunted.
6. Took four years of German in high school and used to be able to speak it and still dreams in German sometimes.
7. Traced her family tree and found she has Viking ancestors including a man named Ivor the Terrible Freckled One. She also has lots of freckles in her armpits 🤷‍♀️
8. Loves going to weddings and always cries during the ceremony.
9. Is an introvert- small talk is not her thing. But if you want to talk about the universe under a full moon, that’s what sets her soul on fire.
10. Loves Beatnik Poetry and had her first poem published when she was in her early 20's.

​Tony

1. Lives for vegan Taco Tuesday!
2. Is always the first one on the dance floor.
3. Is a quantum physics and epi-genetics nerd.
4. Had an 9” mohawk and played lead guitar in a punk band for many years.
5. Is the “community organizer” and brings people together.
6. Has a soft spot for the underdog, whether it’s a person or animal.
7. Sucker for mountain peaks and pine trees.
8. Timed his High Sierra Trail trek so he could summit Mt. Whitney on the 4th of July.
9. His happy place is barefoot and meditating under an oak tree or in front of a good band.
10. He is always striving to be more spiritually conscious and aware.

We backpacked Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon NP the end of September. It is in our top three places in the Sierra so far! It was absolutely stunning! If you'd like to see the route we took, check out Scott Turner's write up over at Modern Hiker:

https://modernhiker.com/hike/hiking-the-rae-lakes-loop-kings-canyon-national-park/

We got lucky with perfect weather, but understood taking the trip that late in the season was risky, and were prepared for weather including snow if needed. Luckily the weather was perfect! Enjoy the photos!