Jenny Lonnstam is a native Swede living in Nashville with her two kids, husband and multiple dogs. She grew up in Sweden, attending schools where half the days were spent outside, year-round, with the mindset “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes". Here in the States, while her children spent hours rolling in mud, jumping in puddles and playing in the snow when they were little, Jenny realized early on that other American kids do not spend nearly as much time in nature like they do in Scandinavia! Jenny quickly understood that the main reason for this is -- people don't appreciate that good gear suited to their climate, makes all the difference! She is very passionate about helping to the spread the word about dependable and reliable (& not break-the-bank expensive) gear to get more kids and their families out in nature!
What are some of your main priorities at ODSS?
You will find me daily on Outdoor School Shop social media where I actively post about outerwear, outerwear hacks, tips & tricks, school and teacher spotlight features, and basically love on all the wonderful nature related posts put out there by other players in the community. My favorite thing about working at ODSS is seeing kiddos thriving in nature, as well as supporting all the humans working hard to make it happen. If you ever want to be featured, whether it is a program feature, teacher journey or educational piece - what we here have termed Lessons from the Field - just reach out! I love to shine that spotlight on your important work and our supportive and energetic community fostered thru social media, sure is giving and encouraging! I always love reading all your comments!
Any tips and tricks for Back-to-School?
It is time to perform a gear checkup! Kids grow A LOT during the summer, so now is the time to try on the rain boots as they might need to sizing up, check if the base layers still fit and look for any gear maintenance needed. It is easy to forget about that worn out boot strap and hole on the knee of rain bibs. Planning ahead saves a lot of last-minute stress -- for both the family and teachers! Maybe you and your child are just starting on the outdoor school journey and need to fully gear up from head-to-toe -- no worries! We have compiled gear checklists for every region of the country. Find them here. If you are an educator at an outdoor oriented school and wondering what a bulk outerwear purchase entails and if it can make a real difference for your program -- reach out! I am happy to get you started with a basic overview of how the process works and if it sounds like it might be a good solution for you -- I can put you in touch with our bulk purchase coordinator, Alyssa Marsh.
What are some essential back-to-to-school items?
Great question! Here is my personal list. I make a few purchases monthly leading up to school start so I don’t get overwhelmed come fall.
- Merino Wool Base Layers
- Merino Wool Socks
- Rain Boots
- Rain/Shell jacket and bibs
- Wind Fleece Jacket
- Lunch Box
- Water Bottle
- Backpack
- Merino Wool Mittens
- Thin Merino Wool Hat
Good to have:
- Gear patch kits (always try to repair before buying new!)
- Replacement Boot Straps
Favorite gear?
This is a tough one, but since I live in the south and we get lots of rain - Rain gear! I am especially fond of shell as it is breathable and very versatile. The south gets MUGGY and with shell outerwear my kiddos can stay outside and be comfortable for hours at an end on a warm day in a downpour AND on our rare cold snow days rain shell is excellent as their outer layering to keep dry. Not gear specifically, but I also really love and recommend a pair of mitten clips and the PO.P marker to help label your clothes. Both these items ensure you will never have your items in the lost and found or on the forest floor.