Newborns
Hiking with newborns is the easiest it is going to get in terms of hiking with children until they are significantly older, hopefully with their own drive to get out into nature! Using a soft wrap like the boba wrap (there are many companies that make these) offers a nice snuggly ride for some leisure strolls and are slim enough to fit under an oversized coat if you have a winter baby. Some people will choose to use these style wraps right through the toddler years.
Infants
I quickly switchover to the ergo baby with infant insert
because I felt more comfortable being hands free wearing this carrier. These normally have a little pocket you can stash a burp cloth/pacifier/hat in. Make sure you pack water for yourself, especially if breast feeding. If bottle feeding it is easy to pack a bottle for the trail.
8 months - 2 years
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From 8 months up to 2 years this backpack made it extra fun for them because they sat up higher so they could see over my shoulders. Their hands can reach out to feel the different textures of trees and help spot the trail markers. Kids are so tactile and want to be helpful so stopping to touch trees/lichen/moss, and having them help navigate made for happier riders.
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Once they can hold their heads and sit up on their own, I loved switching over to the Osprey pack. I could put up the shade top, attach teethers/toys to the top loop. During rainy or snowy days, or right after a snow when the snow is dropping off the branches, I added a hiking pack rain cover over the sun shade to keep them dry and warm. They do sell a rain attachment for the Osprey but I found this hack to work great.
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One of the best things about the pack is that if they fall asleep and you wanted to sit and relax, you can pop out the kick stand,
unbuckle and slowly lower the pack the ground. Make sure it can’t tip over and then you can access the bottom pocket to get water and refuel yourself while giving your muscles a break. Enjoy watching your little one snooze in nature.
2 years and up
Once my kids wanted to walk on their own, I switched to my favorite carrier, the boba air. It is a super lightweight, rip stop material that stows in its own pocket. It keeps them tight to your back like a piggy back ride but they don’t need to hold on and neither do you! There is a little pocket to stuff with snacks and when the kids are walking, I place the water bottles in the pack where they sit to free up my hands.
Piggyback Better
Even now with a 4- and 6-year-old they will get tired occasionally so I still carry a boba air on longer hikes. It is much easier and more comfortable than piggy back rides.
Wet and Dirty
If there is a way to get wet or dirty on a hike, the probability of that happening is high, don’t get angry. Tell them it’s okay that they can change up when you get home or back to the car (if you happen to be a good planner and pack extra clothes). If you are okay with it, they tend to be okay (maybe after the initial shock wears off) and the adventure won’t be ruined by mud or water. They will slosh their way back and have a good story to tell at the dinner table.
Winter Fun
If you happen to live in a place that snows, then pulling kids behind you in a sled is a great option (tubes work okay). I extend the rope pull and loop it around my waste and just start pulling! The kids love it and normally I sled down any hills I can in the sled with them for added fun. It takes a little bit
of a learning curve to keep the sled from running away from you on declines and they will occasionally dump off the sled.
Kids love to see tracks in the snow, gather snow into the sled, drag sticks alongside and try and stand up to surf while being pulled. I have also been on many a winter hikes to find my kids laying down in the sled fast asleep. You just need to be cautious about their temperature. You will be working up a sweat pulling them through the snow but they are not exerting much energy and will get cold so keep checking in on them.