Alyssa Exline, Reno.com
February 13, 2008

Explore the great outdoors long enough and you know it is essential to be prepared for the unexpected. Share the beauty of nature with kids and pets and it becomes even more important to be prepared.

Several years ago, based on their own experiences of living in a mountain community with kids and pets, Jennifer Bloomfield and Mary Carlson of Truckee, Calif., decided to help others by starting Mountain Moms.

Mountain Moms is a local company that develops products to ensure the safety of kids and pets while outdoors. Current products include the Mountain Kids Kit and the Deluxe Canine Care Kit.

In addition to having kids the same age, Bloomfield and Carlson have five dogs between them and have drawn upon their first hand knowledge to develop the care kits. Combining their experiences with those of their friends, they determined what needed to be included in each kit.

"We decided what to include based on what people needed up here," Bloomfield explained. "We got a lot of feedback, it was fun."

Canine kit prepares owners for variety of situations
Bloomfield's husband, a veterinarian, contributed to the canine kit providing medical information about what should be included in the first aid kit. He also included a step-by-step instruction pamphlet about what to do in an emergency and how to treat your pet depending on the situation.

The kit comes with everything from basic first aid products to a variety of survival equipment. The canine kit, weighing 2 ½ pounds, includes 42 first aid, comfort and safety items. Among them are a collapsible bowl, leash, emergency blanket, K-9 Quencher and power bars for dogs.

The canine kit is available to the public online, at local vets and at several dog shows including, Paws in the Park and the Bonanza Kennel Club Show.

"People at the dog shows see it and have to have it," Bloomfield said

Kits keeps kids safe and dry
Mountain Moms kid kits are full first aid kits including a variety of safety and comfort items such as whistles, flashlights, ponchos, sun-screen and bug repellent. The kit is lightweight (weighing only 10 ounces) and is made of coated pack cloth. Reflective material covers the seams, adding an additional safety feature to the product.

"The kid kit has been a real education process," Bloomfield explained. "Parents don't like to think they would ever need it for their kids."

Also available are Mountain Moms hats with logos. Upcoming products include a travel bag for kids to hold crayons, action figures and anything else essential to keeping kids happy on a trip.

For more information or products contact Mountain Moms at 530-587-7599 or on their web site at www.mountainmoms.com .