There is whinning, complaining, tantrums, and tears but there is also, joy, triumph, wonder, appreciation, and a sense of accomplishment.
Some people think hiking with young kids is too much work.
For you and them.
Maybe you are right.
No one wants to cause there child discomfort, right?
If they are never pushed they will never learn they can fail, right?
Is it worth it?
Is it worth pushing a tired child to do more then they think they are capable of?
Are the tears worth the joy and wonder in their eyes when they see the world in a whole new way?
For me the answer is yes.
The first time we took our oldest out on a hike he was less then a month old. It was a short one, I just held him in my arms for most of it instead of using a pack.
Now he is four years old and hiking a mile is as easy as breathing. He loves to climb, he loves the woods and he does not see it as a chore.
He enjoys it!
The thing that changed my way of thinking about children hiking was my son. I was watching this crazy ball of energy, flinging himself around the house. Running constantly, jumping, and playing. Why can that same child not hike for a mile?
Or more…
That being said I want to share a couple tips that I have picked up along the way to make your hike (and life) easier.
1. If you will be carrying, buy a GOOD pack.
If it is a front pack it needs lots of good support and needs to be adjusted properly. Children over 20 pounds should not be in a front pack. It will hurt your back.
Once your child is able to sit up, they can go in a backpack carrier. While I do not have a certain brand of front carrier I would say you have to buy, I do have a preference for backpacks.
I LOVE Kelty child carriers. They are fully adjustable, the companies customer service is amazing and if there is any problem they fix it. I bought both of my packs for my boys used online (one from ebay and one from craigslist). When I found out one had been recalled I contacted the company and they sent me the fix. When one of my packs broke I mailed it to kelty and they sent me a brand new one!
From that day on, I have been sharing will all of my hiking mom’s how much I love Kelty. You can buy another brand if you want but check this option out first.
2. Bring plenty of water, snacks, and…DIAPERS! You do not want that child on your back (and right next to your ear) screaming all the way back to the car because they are uncomfortable. Bring a plastic bag to put it in also! You do not want to smell that the whole hike and you do not want to put that on the ground…
Not that you would do that, right?
3. If child is in a pack bring a toy for them to play with. I found those little plastic links that they can chew on are excellent for hooking toys with loops on your pack. You do not want to have to keep picking that toy up off the ground. Very annoying.
4. Clothing is important!
Long sleeves and pants are always a good option as long as it is not too hot. You do not want your little one to be eaten up by bugs.
If in the pack, pants and shirts need to be as soft and comfortable as possible. Think about wearing a harness for bungee jumping for hours and see if jeans were your best choice. Long socks pulled up high so when his pants ride up in the pack his little legs are not exposed to bugs or passing branches. We did not put shoes on the boys before they were walking because they would just kick them off. Once they are walking age and they need shoes for those walking breaks (they need breaks in the pack or it will become uncomfortable) make sure they are nice and sturdy and HARD TO GET OFF!
Searching for shoes in the woods is not my idea of a good time!
5. Patience
It takes time for children to figure out that they are okay riding in a pack for long periods of time or that they can walk more then the couple feet to the car. Don’t give up because of tantrums or whinning. They can do it. Show them you believe in them by encouraging them to push themselves.
My boys both hike now (they are 3 and 4) and one of my favorite things to say to them when they say their legs hurt is, “it is good that your legs hurt, they are getting stronger”.
I also use a goal like, “when you are strong enough we can hike overnight” they love to camp out.
Reward the good behavior but do not stop for the bad! They can do it!
And so can you!
