Kids Creations redwood swing set

I was given an 8 year old Kids Creations swing set. It has a LOT of solid redwood, similar to the following:

I think it was restained one time several years ago with a semi-solid stain, and I have already begun disassembling the pieces and sanding them down to bare wood.

What would a good stain be for this application? I live in East Tennessee with hot summers and mild to cold winters, and this swing set will get a lot of sun exposure.

I'd like a semi-transparent stain that results in a light brown color, but I have tested a few TWP 1500 colors and they all look very orange or red, obviously due mostly to the original redwood color.

I also don't want to go too dark brown -- the TWP 1500 Dark Oak and Black Walnut feel noticably hotter to the touch than the lighter stains and the bare wood, which wouldn't be good for a kid's swing set.

What about these?

Defy Extreme Light Walnut
Armstrong-Clark Rustic Brown
Penofin Nantucket Mist

Would oil-based be best for this age and condition wood? Also, do I need to do anything to the bare wood before applying the stain?

Also, how much stain would I need to coat this swing set properly?

Thanks for any help!