You may think that hiking with a baby is a crazy idea, but it doesn’t have to be a challenge at all. Hitting the trails with your baby can be a fun and enjoyable outing for everyone. Babies just love being outdoors and there are so many things for them to see and experience.
Spending time in nature is beneficial for so many reasons, for yourself and your baby. These are special bonding moments that will never be forgotten. So don’t be wary of the thought of taking your baby on a hike. With good preparation, you can both have a wonderful time on the trails and may even find yourself outdoors more often than not!
Whether you are planning an overnight camping trip or just a family day hike, remembering a few important items when packing, and keeping in mind these essential tips will go a long way to making your trip a memorable one.
1. Use a comfortable baby carrier.
This is essential! One of the most important items when hiking with a baby is a comfortable and suitable baby carrier. There is nothing worse than walking long distances on tough terrain with an uncomfortable carrier breaking your back—or an uncomfortable and unhappy baby wiggling the whole way.
Having a carrier that can carry your child both in front of you, and on your back, is your best option for comfort on the trails. This way you have two options when one side is getting a little tired. It’s even better if you are able to find a carrier with rain and sun protection.
If your baby is around one year old, consider getting a carrier that props them up high on your back so that they can take in all the surroundings. Letting them see everything keeps them occupied and in good spirits.
2. Pack the essential baby hiking gear
While you may know what to pack for your usual camping or hiking trip, when you are taking a baby along, there is a lot more to remember! If you forget an item, it can lead to a miserable baby and an unhappy parent. Some items you and your baby should not go without are:
Sun Protection: Get your baby a good sunhat. Babies constantly want to pull off their hats, so if your baby isn’t used to wearing one then it’s a good idea to start practicing at home before you hit the trails. Sunscreen goes without saying, especially when hats come off so often!
Trekking Poles: Bring along trekking poles. Even if you choose an easy path, a wriggling baby can make for difficult balancing. Trekking poles will help you keep your balance and stable footing along the trails. The last thing you want is to trip and fall with a baby on your back.
First Aid Kit: Pack a small emergency first aid kit with all the baby medicines necessary when hiking with a baby. While this is on a typical camping/hiking packing list, you need to make sure you have added medication that is suitable for babies or small children.
Extra Clothes: Bring spare clothing, extra socks and windbreakers. Bring light clothing for warmer weather, and warm clothing no matter what. Weather can be unpredictable, accidents can happen, clothing can get dirty and wet (yes, even more so than at home!). You do not want to be stuck without a change of clothes if you need it.
Baby Care Items: Items you simply cannot go without include: diapers, wipes and plenty of disposable bags to collect and store those dirty diapers. Pack as many as you can fit and carry.
Toys: Pack your child’s favorite toys, especially if you are camping overnight. Pack what is suitable and lightweight. This is a great idea for keeping your baby occupied while pitching tents or taking short breaks on the trail. While you might be having an amazing time taking in the peaceful surroundings, babies get bored easily.
Camera: Capture those memories. Take your camera or just use your phone, but take photos, and then take some more! Hiking together creates special memories between you and your child. To have those photos to show your child when they are older is such a blessing. As we all know, babies grow up faster than we would like! So, take in every single precious moment when hiking with a baby.
3. Choose your trail wisely.
Planning your hiking route beforehand will prevent you from finding yourself on a trail that is simply too demanding for someone carrying a baby. Stay away from trails with steep drops or rough terrain, heavy climbs or unpredictable streams. The last thing you want is to find yourself ready for the trail, only to come across sections that are simply too dangerous to navigate.
Picking a trail that has good shade coverage helps prevent overexposure to the sun. It’s a good idea to read reviews to determine if a trail is right for you and your baby. These will give you the best first-hand experience from fellow hikers and help you make an informed decision.
4. Choose your time wisely.
Believe it or not, the time of day you choose to embark on your hike may have drastically different outcomes or reactions from your baby. If you know your baby sleeps well in their carrier, then plan your hike perfectly timed so they can rest happily while riding. However, if your experience has told you that your baby only naps at home in their crib, then it would be best to plan your hike after they have had their nap. This way you will have a happy well rested baby on your back vs. an overtired unhappy baby.
5. Stroller hikes count too!
If carrying your baby long distance is not a good option for you, there are some fantastic stroller friendly hikes out there. For these kinds of hikes, it would be best to use a stroller with all terrain tires. This offers a little more clearance from the ground, as well as better handling on some unpaved surfaces.
The All Trails app does a great job of allowing users to filter through their search for different kinds of hikes. You can easily find a stroller friendly hike, dog friendly hike, wheelchair accessible, etc. with this app. It also offers maps, reviews, and the ability to upload photos.
Related articles:
- 4 National Parks Perfect for Little Kids
- 5 Best Places to Travel with an Infant
- Haleakalā National Park with Kids
6. Practice makes perfect when hiking with a baby.
Test out all of your gear including your trekking poles, shoes/boots and your baby carrier before your first hike. This will also help you to figure out how much you can potentially pack and carry on your back (or front).
Hiking with baby on a few shorter trails or going on a couple of long walks before attempting longer hiking trails is a very good idea. This helps to prepare you for going on a real hiking adventure together. Especially if you are considering camping overnight.
7. Don’t hike on your own.
Even without a baby, hiking on your own is not typically recommended. Take your partner or a friend that knows your baby well and loves to hike! They can help carry some of the items you need to take and share the load of carrying the baby. Also, if something does go wrong on the trails, you have someone to help.
8. Hike with other baby friends
We mentioned above not to hike alone. Add a little more fun for the baby by hiking with other baby friends! Friends make things more fun anyways. But you will also find that children will have a higher endurance for being outdoors when there are friends accompanying them. Join a hiking group with other parents like Hike it Baby. Hike it Baby creates opportunities and removes barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside.
Hike it Baby’s mission is to bring families outside together to create authentic, supportive connections. They actively commit to diversity and inclusion within their community, and to continued learning and action on equity to ensure all families are welcomed and none are left behind.
9. Don’t forget to pack for yourself
It is way too common for mom’s to spend all their time prepping and making sure that baby has absolutely everything they could possibly need, only to realize on the trail that mom herself is not well prepared. Be sure that you have sunscreen for yourself. Pack plenty of water so you don’t get dehydrated. Pack food and snacks so you have plenty of the energy you need to carry around that baby. You can do all the planning necessary to prepare for hiking with a baby, but if mom or dad are not taken care of, it’s not going to be a very successful hike.
10. Take in every moment.
Possibly the most important tip on this list is to take in the special moments with your baby. Memories made with your children from a young age can drastically shape their future. Plus, spending time in nature as a family is a beautiful bonding experience. You will have to account for a lot more time on the trails due to diaper changes, letting baby stretch their legs and feedings. Let them explore their natural surroundings to their heart’s content. This is all new to them and stimulation is great for a baby’s development!
We hope you feel inspired to get outdoors and take your baby on a hike. With some of our tips and encouragement, you are sure to have a successful trip! Did we forget any other useful tips for hiking with a baby? Share your wisdom with us in the comments section below. Happy trails!
Mila has a passion for the outdoors and is a mountain enthusiast! Together with her husband, Mark, they founded Mountain IQ with a goal to provide the best information on the most popular mountain destinations in the world. When she’s not writing about the outdoors, that’s where you’ll find her.
This has been an incredibly wonderful post.
Many thanks for providing this info.
We bought our baby cute sunglasses and a sun hat just to have them both pulled off instantly. The tip to practice wearing the hat at home is smart.
Thanks, I have recently been looking for info about this subject for ages and yours is the best I have located so far.
Love hiking with my baby girl. thanks for the tips here.
We love getting to the trails – and it’s a 2020 goal of ours to get out there more often.
Our most important thing to pack is snacks! My kids want to eat on the go and never stop going – so I pack a lunchbox each, couple waters, and a handful of snacks.
We love going on hikes on Kauai. We use a Deuter hiking carrier for our 2 year old at that time. Now he wants to walk on his own without being in the carrier hehe. Can’t forget the binoculars to look for our wild goats. This blog is so useful and has a lot of information about hiking essentials. I can’t wait to take another family hiking trip up Waimea Canyon, Kauai. Mahalo!!!
Our children have always loved sitting in a hiking backpack because they get such a great view! (And they often fall asleep in them). We also bring along a mosquito net to put over them instead of having to spray them with repellent.
I think this is a great goal to add more outdoor adventures to our 2020. Sometimes with super little ones it seems like so much work to make sure you pack everything. But, I think we make a point to do several small local day outings.
Great tips! I’m looking forward to taking my grandson on his first hike in the spring.
Great tips for getting babe outside! I always like to make sure I have a bug net as well just in case! I use a stroller mesh over the hooded part of my baby pack.
Living in Phoenix, I can attest to the fact that these are great tips. Thank you!
Love exploring the outdoors with my little one! Rain or shine we are outside everyday. When you first starting hiking with your baby…just start small…don’t be afraid to head back earlier than you thought you might.
I’ve never tried hiking with a baby, but this makes me feel like it’s something I should put on my to do list.
We don’t have much hiking in this area but my husband does love our hiking backpack for mowing the lawn with the baby! And my brother has always used his when they take their 4 kids on vacation. So much easier keeping track of the smallest one.
Also — lots of trash bags! I can’t get over how many wipes I end up using on the trail. Her hands end up getting filthy from falling, eating, exploring, etc!