“Just a little farther”.. “We’re almost there”…Come on Dad’s how many times have you said that?!
It feels like that has been the conversation we’ve had a millions times as a family with 4 kiddos.
And this year, it has been the conversation Mother Nature seems to be having with us on allowing summer to finally show up.
Here in Colorado, we are having some late season snow storms and much cooler temperatures than normal. Like a 2 hour snow delay on the last week of school kinda unusual.
But, that doesn’t stop us from getting out and taking our kids on adventures.
We have lots of friends who really want to get out and have a more active adventurous life with their children but there are so many questions and unknowns! So let’s dive into some of the obstacles parents face when wanting to go hiking with their kids and NOT go crazy.
TAKE THOSE EXTRA PATIENCE PILLS:
First, you have to just decide and accept that this is going to be a learning process….lol. Everything is not going to go perfect the first time. There will be melt downs and possible tantrums and you may even want to throw in the towel early and head home. But it does get so much easier and better, which in turn allows sooo much more freedom as a family to explore and experience life in a greater way.
So stick it out….lol
LOCATION:
Ok, now that you have mentally prepared yourself and taken extra patience pills, let’s figure out WHERE to go. This is a crucial first step. Might seem super obvious but if you pick an 8 mile round trip hike to some picturesque lake you saw on Instagram, you’re heading for trouble.
Now, you are going to know your kids abilities and experience level better than anyone so make sure you choose a trail and location that THEY are going to love. I sometimes forget in my planning that what I think is awesome may not be of interest to everyone. So while just getting started and allowing your children to get accustomed to hiking, pick an area with an easy trail and if you can, lots to see and do along the way. Ask them if they want to go find wildflowers or seek out waterfalls or maybe heavily wooded areas where they can build a fort. Just get them involved and they will feel much more like it is their trip and not something where they just have to go along. I love to use the Alltrails app to search for local trails or get an idea of what available in certain areas. You can enter a city or forest and the app will give you suggestions with reviews and pictures. Super helpful and a fun way to include your kids in the process.
WHAT TO BRING:
This is where the gear head in me totally geeks out!…lol. I believe it is a good thing to start your children early in carrying a small backpack with a few items. In the beginning of course you want to limit what goes in there. (There is a good chance you may have to carry their pack back..lol) Each kiddo gets a child size (12oz) Polar bottle for water. They are great insulated water bottles and are easy to use and close. It keeps everyone moving along when they can get their own water and not have to stop every hundred yards or so…lol.
There are several great hiking backpacks for kids out there. Osprey makes a very high quality pack, we tend to pass ours from kid to kid as they get older. Deuter’s Kikki packs are super fun as well. This is what our 4 year old carries. The first packs we purchased for the kids to carry was the REI Tarn. They are a really good size and capacity, lightweight and very durable. All of these packs are about 18L. If you have older kids you may want to jump up to 25L or possibly 30L range. The Osprey Kyte 36 is a perfect size for 10 year old + on overnight trips. Just remember the bigger the pack the more stuff they’ll try to fill it with!
First Aid kits are something you will most definitely use. There are going to be bumps and bruises and minor cuts and scrapes. Be Smart Get Prepared has great little mini kits that we use. With each kit it needs some customizing. I’ll add items like tweezers, Q tips and cotton balls, Sting relief is a life saver! We seem to use those more than anything. Depending on where you live Mosquitos can be a real pain in the you know what! AgraCo Mosquito Skin Patch is a Deet free option that we find works well. Having the items in each child’s pack helps to ensure that there is enough for everyone. Another great item is Wet Ones. There are so many times you’ll want to clean hands and faces. Hand sanitizer is a must as well.
Correct clothing is crucial. Avoid cotton if you can. When cotton gets wet either from a slip into a creek or a spilled water bottle at a drink stop, it gets cold and takes much longer to dry. Moisture wicking options are best. And while we are talking about being wet, make sure to have an extra pair of socks in their pack. A light rain jacket is super light weight and easy to carry. We tend to be bargain shoppers and find amazing deals at Sierra Trading Post for items like jackets. Depending on weather a nice beanie is great to have but always some kind of hat and sun protection.
If we know there is going to be water to play in, we have our kids take their crocs with them. It’s much easier then bare feet or wet shoes! But for hiking they should at least be wearing tennis shoes or hiking boots if they are old enough.
This isn’t all inclusive and can customized on your kids and their experience levels. We also include more “survival” items in each of our kits. Like fire starters, a metal cup to boil water in and even water purifiers.
Of course depending on the ages your kiddos will want to bring toys. Some you can talk them out of others are non-negotiables…lol. My 10 year old daughter loves to bring her Cabbage Patch doll on every. Single. Hike….lol “Huey” is very well traveled.
FOOD | SNACKS | REWARDS
Ok, I know this can be a touchy subject but please trust me that this is not the time to be rigid on sugar intake and dietary restrictions. The idea is to make sure everyone has fun and enjoys the experience. Now that doesn’t mean loading them up with sugar and turning them loose…lol. All I am advocating for is compromise. The more positive experiences that they have the easier and more likely you as a family can enjoy the outdoors together.
The favorites in the London family are granola bars(Nature Valley, Sweet and Salty), BelVitas, gummy bears (huge for helping to push on when tired), Trail mix and beef sticks. We try to toss in apple slices and oranges when we can. Of course there are always special requests or picky eaters. But we try to go for high energy items. Make sure to have a ziplock baggy or 2 for trash. Remember Leave No Trace. Candy, we try to keep at a minimum but things like skittles and M&M’s are a nice treat. Mom and Dad should have lunch items and the main meals. These are just ideas for snacks along the way.
Having a hungry little one can turn a great trip into a dreadful one in a heart beat. Make sure there are plenty of things to snack on. You’ll be burning way more calories then normal and so will they. Plus having to carry out a tired child is no fun…lol.
ON TRAIL:
Keeping a good attitude can be tricky. Finding things to occupy the mind is so helpful and can be very educational as well. Activities while hiking such as finding wild flowers, looking for animal tracks and even scavenger hunts help to keep the mood positive. We went to a local bookstore and found some resources to help identify animal tracks and flowers. They come on laminated trifold like sheets. So they’ll last longer than one trip. Finding different birds, rocks and sticks will all be apart of the journey.
One of my kids favorite games to play with me is a pine cone fight! It usually doesn’t take long before I am getting pelted in the back with one once on the trail. They can turn into all out wars and I love it! They have so much fun teaming up against dad. It’ll be fun to discover what games your family creates!
Prepare yourself for lots of breaks. Speed records will not be broken I promise…lol. But each time you get out they will be able to go a bit longer and longer. If you can plan to have places to stop like a creek or other fun things along the way it helps. We try to plan hikes with ponds, lakes or rivers. They seem to be the most desired areas by our little kids. It’s a great place to take the packs off and let them roam for a minute.
One of the favorite items no matter the age is a sketch pad or notebook to draw and write in. Field Notes are a perfect size to keep in a backpack or even a pocket. They even offer small pens to accompany them. But it is a great way to keep them busy and engaged with their environment. Creating a list ahead of time of things to find along the way is a great idea as well.
THE PAYOFF:
Once you make it to your destination allow the munchkins to just play. Set them free to enjoy the fruits of their labor. I always bring a hammock with me to set up and relax in. It creates a great vantage point to keep on eye on everyone. The main point is to enjoy where you are and just to take it all in. Being away from the busy day to day life and reset your natural rhythms and is very therapeutic. You don’t want them to feel like all they did was hike so make sure to plan enough time to have fun where you’re going and not have to rush back down the mountain.
Of course pay attention to weather. Especially if you are in the mountains. Storms can arrive and show their ugly head in just a matter of minutes. Have a plan in mind if you get caught in weather. Communicate ahead of time that if the situation arises it’s time to go no questions asked. My kids know that if we spot some storms clouds making their way our direction it’s time to pack up and head back. I’ll write another post with what to carry as mom and dad to help make sure you are prepared for whatever nature throws at you. Being able to sustain yourselves is a huge help in survival situations and emergencies. No one wants to be a liability for someone else.
Heading back will almost always go much faster both mentally and physically. Keep an eye on everyone and watch for signs of fatigue. It’s when we are tired that most of the injuries can happen.
Take breaks and make sure everyone is hydrated throughout the day and you’ll make memories to last a life time. Exploring nature together as a family can be some of the best times spent together. There is almost always teaching and learning opportunities. Chances for life lessons to be shared and close bonds to be made. Take a little extra time getting ready but remember that it will never be perfect. Just Add Wilderness to your family life and watch how incredible the benefits are!
-Mitch
