LuluFabulous

Have you ever tried to pack for the first man mission to Mars? The outfits you would have to plan for the interviews; and who knows what the weather is like on another planet?  Well, I feel like that every time I break out my backpack for another adventure. And I swear the backpack is getting smaller every time. 

This time around we centered our trip on the epic hike to the Trolltunga, the one where all the other blogs lied about how hard it actually was, but definitely worth it. 

Anyway, I like to think I am a hiker, but I live in Florida so who am I kidding? I own a great pair of hiking boots and that’s about it. How are you even supposed to know what to wear when you are going to be hiking in anywhere from 70 degrees to 40 degrees to snow and waterfalls and mud-- lots and lots of mud?

A few months ago my friend Bella came to visit. She works for this fun company I had only passed at the mall called Lululemon. When she came to visit, we decided to walk into the store, and check it out. We were greeted by one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, named Jake, wearing a “Hike Colorado” t-shirt. 

Bella is from Colorado if you didn’t already know. 

So naturally, they became fast friends. Conversation turned from hiking, Colorado, and all things travel, to our upcoming trip to Norway and an educational session about the clothes that this company produces. 

Every article of clothing is designed with a purpose and meant for you to sweat in, hike in, stretch in, run in, box in, move in – all in the best ways possible. They dressed me from head to toe—rather fashionably I might add—in a practical and functional outfit for this hike. Trolltunga didn’t know what was coming for it. 

We’ll start from the bottom and move up. I don’t know if you knew this, but if your workout pants fall down when you are working out they are the wrong size. You’re probably nodding “yes, you idiot,” but I have been buying "my size"—or so I thought. 

It took us ten and a half hours to complete the 22-kilometer hike, and I didn’t stop to hike my pants up once. That is what they mean when they say "the right size."

 If the pants already didn’t fit like a glove the name certainly did. The Running Around the World Pants, they are navy blue with stripes and an adorable flowered waistband, and were not only warm, but felt like a second skin. 

Words like “sweat wicking” and “body mapping” sound scary, but they mean “miracle workers.” Your body sweats more in different parts therefore you need more ventilation in different areas. Your sides, back, neck, are all areas that need more breathing room when you are working out no matter what the temperature is. That's where the body-mapping comes in. 

The Swfity Long Sleeve has something else, a magical little thread, called Silverescent  that helps fight the bacteria that causes odor, so you can hike for 22 kilometers and still smell like deodorant. 

 I just learned they make socks with this magical material and I am giving Lululemon a fair warning: I am about to buy every single pair they have in stock. 

Temperatures were around 50 degrees but the wind chill was a little terrifying. We had no idea if there would be rain, snow, or sun.  So the final piece of clothing was the In Flux Jacket. This reversible, water-resistant, wind-breaking jacket was ready for the fickle weather of Norway. One side was Lululemon's cotton-like Luon to keep you feeling warm, while the other side is the Swift material, designed to wick away sweat and feel crisp and cooling on the skin. 

I kept my jacket on the water resistant side, allowing the jacket to feel warmer and let the wind roll right off of me. 

I have always been the baggy clothes wearing type. Buying shirts and jackets at least two sizes bigger to make sure I have a lot of wiggle room. It turns out that actually hinders your ability to do a lot of activities. My Lululemon clothes fit like a glove. I won’t lie, I was a little uncomfortable at first, but jumping and sliding around a mountain in these technically strong and super cute gear, was made easy thanks to one Vancouver company. Now my activities and workouts have made me feel stronger and better, and comfortable with the tight feeling clothes.   

I can’t thank Lululemon enough for all of the help they gave all of us, preparing us for one of the hardest things I have ever done. Our new friend, Jake, told me that all good things are challenging in one way or another and I couldn’t agree with him more. But there is no reason your clothes should be the one holding you back. 

So my bag was packed with one complete outfit ready for my hike. I still had a week and a half’s worth of clothes left to pack. What did I do? I hoped right back in my car, went back to the mall, walked into Lululemon and bought myself a pair of black yoga pants and I wore them almost every day on that trip.