Enjoy hiking with kids is possible?

Before kids, hiking was one of our favourite activities when we traveled.
We’d have adventures climbing mountains as high as 4,000 metres and we’d spend days hiking many forest trails. It was bliss.

Despite the physical challenges, it was always one of the most relaxing and memorable things we’d do.

We now have a two page list of places we’ll return to when our kids are older and we can hike again at a proper pace, instead of the pace of a three year old. I just hope by then the knees aren’t made of metal.
Of course we haven’t given up hiking because we travel with kids. We still do it as much as possible and love taking Kalyra and Savannah along, we just do it in a different manner than when it was just us.
The girls often surprise us with just how far they can actually walk.
Their strength and stamina for hiking trails has definitely improved since we first set out on our Australian road trip last October, and most of the time our kids really enjoy it.

I know you may really want to hike with your kids but are unsure how to make it work. Our tips for hiking with kids will help you! Please share them with parents you know who will get a lot of benefit from them.

More info : https://www.hikingbay.com

Amazing memories hiking with kids

Enjoying Budjamulla National Park in Queensland

I often think back to when I was a young child scrambling over rocks and walking through the bush with my parents.They are some of my fondest and strongest memories.
I think in doing it, my parents taught me a lot about walking as a fabulous tool for connecting, being present, and unwinding from the stresses and complications of life.
I hope I am setting my children up with the same gift for when they are older.
One of the most memorable days on our trip so far was when we set out for short 30 minute hike in Victoria’s Grampians National Park.
The Grand Canyon walk involved a couple of rock scrambles and seemed to be easy and interesting enough for the girls. It was part of the much longer and more strenuous hike to the Pinnacles, a 4.2 km return trip.

We reached the end of the Grand Canyon section when the girls decided they wanted to keep going.

Foreseeing the impending meltdowns about a kilometre up the track, I tried to convince them that a return back home was the better option.
But they insisted on moving forward.

ultralight backpacking mess kit
https://www.hikingbay.com/ultralight-backpacking-cooking-gear

So we went.

Savannah without shoes on, and Kalyra taking the lead.

2.1 kilometres later we arrived at the top of the Pinnacles for outstanding views of the valley below. I barely saw it, so in awe I was of my two daughters. They walked the entire way, laughing and talking and having an amazing time.

View from the Pinnacles

I learnt that day that kids usually know their own boundaries and you should never impose limits on them because they’ll always surprise you.
Have an awareness of what you think their limitations are and have a back-up plan in place, but sometimes you just have to open a space for them to show you what they can do.

Hiking with kids is well worth it.

lattcure outfitters sleeping bag
https://www.hikingbay.com/finding-the-best-lightweight-sleeping-bag-for-hiking

16 Tips for Hiking with Kids

1. Choose your hiking trails carefully
Choose hiking trails that are best suited to the level of your children’s age and fitness.

We only go on easy-medium grade trails these days such as our favorite, the Byron Bay Lighthouse Walk and the sensational White Sands walk in Jervis Bay, NSW.

We do our research first to assess if the walk will be manageable for our girls.

We also ensure that it’s a hike that is interesting for them – rivers, waterfalls, rocks, caves, wildlife, stairs, and rock art usually keep them occupied.

On the flat, we can do 4-6km walks or roughly two-to-three hours with a decent break at the half-way point for rest, food and drink, with 60-second drink breaks spaced periodically.

Here’s an interesting recent hike we did to the top of Mount Mansfield, in Vermont.

For a more adventurous hike, check out The Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah.

Byron Bay Lighthouse walk

2. Allow your children to stretch themselves a little
Choose a trail and a time frame, but see if you can stretch the children a little further, even if it’s only 10 minutes more.
This is an invaluable lesson for them to discover their inner strength and to grow. It will also help you slowly stretch out the time limit for your hikes so you can enjoy slightly longer walks in the future.
We try and hold Savannah off from wanting to be carried on our shoulders as long as we can with master diversionary tactics (some mentioned below). She often ends up on our shoulders, but we try to do it in short spurts. After she’s had a rest we coax her back down to the ground.

What To Wear On A Hike And Still Look Cute?
https://www.hikingbay.com/what-to-wear-on-a-hike-and-still-look-cute

3. Pack plenty of food and water

You’ll always need more water than you think when hiking. Pack lots of light snacks – nuts, protein bars, fruit and sandwiches.
You want low sugar, high energy. We love to take a batch of our chocolate nut protein balls.

4. Start your hike with kids early

Everybody’s energy is better in the morning. And if you’re in a HOT location you’ll want to beat the heat of the day, or a place that tends to get afternoon thunderstorms you’ll want to avoid those too!
Plus, there will be less whining and demands to be carried in the morning, the later in the day the crankier our kids get.
And the other bonus is the earlier you start, the less people you’ll have to deal with, as we found out on our “couples walk” to famous Wineglass Bay in Tasmania.