One of my favorite activities is to hike to mountain tops and ice cold alpine lakes, and camp beneath the stars. In fact, my husband and I fell in love while getting lost adventuring in the Sierra Nevadas.
When we decided to have children, I worried how we would introduce them to such strenuous activities, and whether we would have to give up hiking all together. Luckily, kids are very adaptable to the world! Yes, we slowed down quite a bit, had to forego the highest mountaintops, but nothing beats seeing the smile on our kids' faces when they finally get to experience the wonders that nature has to offer. Below is a list of items and tips we found most helpful in embarking on hiking adventures with our kids:
Backpack:
Preparedness with the best equipment is KEY. Especially when hiking with young children, no matter how much you plan for them to walk on their own, the number one piece of equipment to invest in is a backpack. I can't speak more highly of the Osprey kid carrier backpacks. They are comfortable, light, and have pretty decent storage space for the essential kid snacks, diapers, wipes, and hats that they will inevitably throw off mid-hike. There are definitely cheaper options out there, none which I would recommend. We have used this backpack for four years now regularly, and it still shows no signs of wear and tear.
For smaller babies up to about age one, the Ergobaby360 works very well, even on the bigger hikes. My husband usually carries our older child in the Osprey backpack, while I take on the baby. One big bonus for me is that I even figured out how to nurse the baby while hiking with the Ergo! This makes getting to our destination even less stressful as we only have to stop for the kids' snack breaks, which as all you parents know, are never-ending.
The best part about the Ergo 360 is that you can wear it front facing, back facing, on your stomach, or on your back, making it a worthwhile investment throughout the baby's first year.
Snacks
One of the best snacks our kids can't seem to get enough of is fresh fruits like peaches, apples, and plums. They are easy for them to hold on to while they are in the packs, or even hiking on their own, and best of all there is no trash to pack out afterward.
Other great healthy snacks that our kids are always excited about are:
The ever faithful goldfish.
Fruit pouches or applesauces
Honest Juices
Cheese sticks
Clothing
The rest of the needed equipment to be prepared is mostly ensuring your kids are properly clothed.
Sneakers - Because you won't be doing anything too strenuous with your kids, they really don't need hiking boots or any crazy shoes. Their regular trusty old sneakers are fine. We sometimes even let our kids hike in their crocs or native shoes, as this doubles as their water shoe wear for any lakes or rivers we may cross.
Hat - a big wide hat that covers their face and neck is key. Kids burn easy and even the most shaded hikes will likely lead to quite a bit of sun exposure. My kids love these fun hats from I-Play. These are the only ones I've found so far that they keep on the entire time.
Socks - extra socks are important as kids will be kids and will inevitably get into mud.
Swimsuit - we ALWAYS bring a swimsuit as most our destinations involve a lake or a stream where they can cool off. Our favorite swimsuits are from Hannah Anderson. They last from kid to kid, and HA generally has very high quality, durable clothing.
Diapers - Do i need to say more?!
Wipes - These go a long way, not just for their dirty booties but to sticky fingers and muddy faces as well.
Extra shorts/pants and t-shirt, sweatshirts for layers.
Sunscreen - I highly recommend California baby. It smells great, doesn't go on goopy like other zinc based sunscreens. I also really like ThinkBaby, as it is a great value, works great, and smells amazing!
I hope this blog encourages you to get out there with your kiddos! Shoot me a message if you need more recommendations or have any suggestions for a future blog!