Prepare Hiking with Kids
Enjoying a hike requires preparation. It also means bringing a few extra items with you than you want (including bringing the kids if needed!). However, there’s a balance to be struck between being prepared and carrying the entire house, so if you’re wondering what to pack for a backpacking trip with kids, here’s a look at what’s in my backpack before I hit the road with the kids What.
I’ve listed my suggestions for what you really need to pack
What to Pack for a Hiking – Let’s start packing!
We are constantly packing our backpacks to be ready for our next adventure. As I scramble to get the kids dressed and get out of the house so we can avoid the crowds on the road, the last thing I want to do is grab last-minute items to stuff in my backpack. Therefore, I recommend either preparing a second “backpacking set” with most of your items included, or packing diligently the night before.
Backpack
Before you start packing, the backpack itself is an important consideration for your hiking trip. We carry it either in the backpack or in the storage compartment of the frame backpack baby carrier. We all try to fit everything we need in one bag so that the other back can rest or have a free back to carry the kids.
What to Bring for Hiking – Hiking Checklist
1) Snacks
Granted, this is often the heaviest part of our packs (besides water) when hiking with kids, but I wouldn’t recommend skimping on this very important element. Luckily, my husband and I don’t like snacking when we’re on the road, so we focus mostly on kiddie snacks. Our go-to snacks for hiking trails include:
Dried fruit strips or peels
fruit snacks
bag
Oranges are easy to peel
Almond Butter Buns
bagel sandwich
Turkey jerky or beef strips, such as CHOMPS
Granola bars or protein bars (Zbars are currently a favorite with the kids, I prefer Larabars or RxBars)
cheese sticks
Bribery of special treats such as gummy bears, Skittles or lollipops
Dried fruits mixed with nuts and chocolate (this one is for mom!)
2) water
Water is life! When hiking with kids, be sure to bring plenty of water as dehydration can be serious and water helps maintain everyone’s energy levels. I know a lot of hikers swear by their hydration bladders, but I prefer a water bottle because it’s easy to clean and reliable. It does add some weight, but I’m one of those picky “I only drink soda, or water through a straw, preferably ice cold” type of water drinkers, so the extra water bottle weight is worth it to me. For the kids, they each have a smaller kids thermos that fits into the side pockets of our backpacks.
3) Warm hat and gloves
Unless you are hiking in the desert or a very warm area during the summer, I recommend wearing a warm hat and gloves year-round. Sometimes it can be very windy at the top or on parts of our hikes, which can spell disaster if a child catches a cold. There were a few times we gave up on the hike mainly because of the wind and not being prepared for the cold weather, so it was worth it to me to wear extra warm clothes.
4) Extra socks
Wet feet are prone to blisters and other dangerous side effects, so keeping everyone dry should be a priority. If you’re pretty confident that this won’t be a cold hike and you decide to ditch the gloves on your back, then I recommend bringing an extra pair of socks that double as gloves.
5) Jacket
Depending on the weather and location, you’ll need to bring a light coat, raincoat, windbreaker or puffy jacket. If we start hiking early, I usually put warm jackets on the kids first and then take them off as the kids warm up. But if they don’t wear a jacket to begin with, I always bring one—even if there’s no cold weather in the forecast. Then again, cold kids can ruin a trip, so I err on the side of over-preparing when it comes to warm clothing.
6) Extra clothes
We packed an extra set of gender-neutral clothes, assuming neither kid would need them on the same hike. It’s a risk, of course, but so far so good.
7) Sun hat and sunglasses
When my kids were little, these were my favorite sunglasses because they were actually worn all the time! Now I let them wear “real sunglasses” and honestly they rarely wear them but I don’t force them to unless we are hiking in the snow and it’s really bright. For sun hats, I recommend something with UV protection and full coverage.
8) Mobile phone charging and IDS
There isn’t much to buy on the road, so I recommend leaving your wallet at home and just bringing your ID card in case you need it. A fully charged phone is important and keep an eye on your battery while hiking as maps and extreme weather can drain your phone’s battery. If you use your phone a lot while traveling (for photos, mapping devices, etc.), I recommend adding a solar battery charger to your packing list.
9) Hiking maps and driving directions
Many of the trails we visited had poor or limited cell service, so don’t expect to have a map loaded at the trailhead or directions given to you as you approach. We’re old school and prefer paper maps for most hikes (except local hikes), but there are plenty of apps like AllTrails for downloading maps ahead of time.
10) Headlamp
A headlamp is an extra precaution we always carry on long hikes in case we need to go down a mountain longer than planned and get stuck in the dark. Or on those days, we get more ambitious and hit the road before sunrise!
11) Hand sanitizer
We always carry one of these on the outside of our backpacks. This was a staple product before COVID-19, and now it’s even more of a necessity.
12) Wet wipes
These are great for roadside potty breaks and when cleaning up peanut butter and jelly hands and faces.
13) Dog poop bags
Of course, you will need these if you go hiking with your dog. But even if you don’t, I recommend rolling along when you go to the toilet on the side of the road. Remember not to leave any traces, it’s always easier if you have extra luggage and are prepared.
14) Tissues
A small pack of tissues is lightweight and doesn’t take up much space, so it’s worth carrying on the side of the road if you have a sniffle or nosebleed.
15) Sunscreen
We offer mineral sunscreen and sunscreen sticks for easy application and touch-up.
16) SPF lipstick
This is one of the smallest items in our hiking backpacks, yet one of the most used. Sun Bum SPF30 or Banana Boat SPF45 are both my favorites!
17) Insect repellent spray
It took me years to finally find a bug spray that I loved! For our backpacks, we keep Ranger Ready’s Small Travel Size Bug Repellent Replacement Spray. We use and love the entire Ranger Ready Repellent line, including DEET-free picaridin spray for skin and permethrin for treating our clothes and hiking gear. You can learn more about why I love them in this post.
18) Frame backpack
My favorite frame backpack baby carrier is for kids who need to be carried on most hikes. It saved our preschool and kindergarten kids! A significant benefit is that it doubles as your backpack and can store everything you need for your hike. This is great for hiking where your kids will be hiking most of the time, but you “might” need to carry them. Or just for emergencies!
19) First aid kit
You can buy a kit that may be more than you need but you know you have the essentials, or you can make a kit at home and put the contents into a reusable bag.
20) Emergency kit
These are some of the “be prepared” items that we keep in a separate bag for emergencies or you can put in your first aid kit.
knife
poncho
water treatment tablets
matches
post
emergency heating blanket
21) Garbage plastic bags
Be sure to bring bags to pack your trash and leave no trace. In fact, take some and give a copy to everyone in your family so everyone can pick up the trash they find!
Some extra things to note when taking your kids on a hike
Some items not on my list above that you may want to consider depending on where you are and who you are hiking with:
If hiking to swimmable water, bring a bathing suit and water shoes/sandals – I recommend bringing sandals in the car anyway so everyone’s feet can breathe after the hike!
Medications, glasses, or spare contact lenses
If traveling with a baby, bring diapers, bottles and pacifiers. Maybe even a spare pacifier.