Winter sports family holidays are incredibly popular for good reason – what other activity can the entire family, of all ages, participate in together? Add the fantastic mountain air and there is very little else anyone could wish for….

…...What about someone to carry the kids' skis?

……Or how about something to drag them along that annoying flat section between the end of a piste and the next lift?

This was the inspiration for Snowmule.

Having skied for many years, booking to take my own children for the very first time was a fantastic feeling! The reality was, however, rather stressful at times.

First the ski hire shop – how do you carry the children's skis, poles, helmets and boots back to the chalet along with your own equipment? It is always uphill to the hire shop (whether picking them up or taking them back) and the children were instantly weary just looking at all the kit.

The first trip to the slopes was even more entertaining –children trussed up in umpteen layers of clothes and walking in ski boots. They were slipping and sliding in every direction possible and struggling to carry their own bodyweight let alone anything else. Add to this a deadline for the ski school and our happy family unit was rapidly descending into chaos. So naturally (if you haven't done this you may have laughed quietly at other people doing it) I shoehorned myself onto the busy resort ski bus with three pairs of skis and poles while my wife hoisted the children inside. 

From the ski bus it was a 200 or 300 metre stroll on a flat piste to the ski school meeting point so I did as every other parent did – clipped the children in and dragged them with my poles (the same poles that would have been incredibly useful to propel myself along!). Not only was it slow progress but I had backache and felt as though I had climbed a small mountain by the time we had arrived.

Skiing with my children is one of the best experiences as a Dad but at the bottom of each slope the resort designers had cleverly incorporated a flat section to reach most of the lifts, with the odd uphill bit added for extra fun. The children are light, have short, slower skis and don't plan ahead when they see a flat bit, I felt that I walked miles dragging children with my poles.

Returning to the chalet was a sharp decline in enthusiasm from all of our family. Unfortunately, as soon as I explained that we would need to take the bus again, their enthusiasm waned and they were immediately tired, hungry and weary. Summer would come and go before they would be carrying their own skis. Good old Dad ‘the mule’ to the rescue!

Naturally we had a fantastic ski holiday and have done so many times since but I was determined to find a product which would make my life easier and buy whatever was available. However, no matter how hard I looked and however many people I asked, I could not find a solution.

Hence…………Snowmule was born.  After three years in the planning, prototyping, testing, re-planning and re-prototyping (the kids have loved being pulled along since day one – although they still seem indifferent about me carrying all their kit!) and working closely with our friend James Holroyd of Rayford Art & Design, I am proud to have produced the Snowmule backpack.

I sincerely hope it changes your holidays as much as it has ours. I enjoy hearing about your experiences and suggestions so please keep them coming.

Best wishes

Kevin Stevens