Hiking with a toddler is no small feat (aside from the actual small feet). Here are a few things I do before every hike to make sure we are safe and successful.
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- Research the hike.
Before every hike, I do a LOT of googling about the hike. I’ve joined a local group on Facebook for moms that hike and if I am unsure about a certain hike, I post on there asking if other moms have done it. Typically, I would say only take your toddler on hikes you’ve done before and know, BUT there are a ton of hikes that I had never done before having my baby and I would be so sad to miss out on them. So I do my research and go with my gut. I tend to avoid hikes that include a lot of areas that require three points of contact or have you relying on ropes for any part of the journey.
Crouching Lion, the hike I was on in that picture, was a hike I was unsure about and posted in the fb group. SO MANY moms told me they had done it, and I am glad I got to take my girl! There was a LOT of scooting on my butt on the way down- but so worth it. This was my first “scramble” with her on my back.
- Have a quality carrier & know how to take your baby in and out.
My daughter loooooooooooves to get down and walk so I try to make that as convenient as possible for her. We have the ergobaby omni360 and I love it for easy ups and downs. As you can see in the photo she is often barefoot but I promise I do try and have shoes on hand for her to wear (when I remember).
- Have a travel potty in your car!!!!!!!!!
I cannot emphasize this enough, if you are potty training the car potty is so convenient. This one is specifically for hiking and camping & perfect if you have a partner carrying a backpack. Otherwise, the car potty does the job. I have her pee before we go and as soon as we get back. I have offered her to pee on the hikes but she has so far refused.
- Pack snacks.
I usually am not one for snacking on a hike but I recently had strawberries with the best view in the world and it changed my outlook. Plus, it is really cute when their little hand reaches over your shoulder waiting for you to tuck another blueberry in their palm. The carrier that I linked has a pouch that perfectly fits our snack box. I can fit a bunch of blueberries, strawberries, and apple slices in it.
- Plan for it to take way long than you expect it to.
Hiking with a toddler is not like hiking with a baby that’ll just sleep the whole time. They (at least mine does) want to explore, occasionally walk, drink water, touch leaves, and have fun. I like to think of it like this: if I am having fun then I want it to also be fun for her, so she will keep doing it with me when she gets older.
- Start small.
If this is your first hike with your toddler, you may not know what they will tolerate. Start with a short easy trail that can give you a sense of things and go from there. Take note of how long they tend to walk and how long you will have to carry them. Take note of how often they need to pee and try to keep hikes shorter than that (or have the hiking potty on hand).
I personally don’t like to hike with a backpack because I am baby wearing but the pouch on the baby carrier in addition to a spacious fanny pack does wonders.
- Have a first aid kit.
Self explanatory.
Hiking with my toddler is one of our favorite things to do on Oahu. It gets us out of the house, we get insane views, and usually we go with friends so it really is a good time all around. I love getting her out to appreciate nature. I kind of reference this in another post — hiking is a very easy hobby to get into and it is perfect for mothers who want some movement and bonding time with their little. Walking is the first step. You can start with just going around the block or finding a nice park in your neighborhood. Once you feel comfortable doing that without a stroller, go ahead and check out trails near you!
That’s all I’ve got for now! If you’ve got any tips let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading and I hope you stay wild!
