DIY Mountain Climber Halloween Costume

Evidently this is now strictly a Halloween costume blog, given that I haven't posted anything in a year. 

This year my kids decided to be a mountain climber and a yeti. Or, according to my youngest, a yeti that CHASES the mountain climber. Which is pretty accurate in real life, too. 

We basically raided the outdoor bin for the backpack, gaiters, 'crampons'/boot spikes, Ben's snowboarding helmet, a walkie-talkie (aka his Search & Rescue communication device), and his winter jacket. Those are my mom's old hiking boots, and the stuff sack from my childhood sleeping bag (a GREAT candy bag, by the way - super sturdy).  My dad provided the sweet coil of rope. 

The only thing we bought was the ice axe, bought for $35 by a guy that's moving to Texas ("No mountains", he said mournfully). It's been to the top of Mt Rainier so Ben thought that was cool. I made the harness and spent $4 on webbing. All in all, a pretty easy costume. 

This is his "I made it to the TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN!" pose. Gotta look the part.