Yes, the warm weather hiking with kids is here at last. Everything is fragrant. Pops of color are slowly taking over the drab, muted colors of fall and winter. Signs of life emerging everywhere. Now is the time not only for the great pack switch over but also for new things to look out for along your hike with kids.
What’s in your child’s pack?
My daughter is 4.5. She carries a small pack with a waist belt and chest strap. According to Outdoors.org, They state that:
Medical experts say a child’s backpack should weigh no more than 10 to 20 percent of their body weight to avoid lower back pain and associated problems. The range in the recommendations reflects different degrees of caution. On the more conservative end are groups like the American Occupational Therapy Association, which recommends sticking to 10 percent of body weight or less. For a 60-pound child, that means the pack and its contents should weigh 6 pounds at most.
Outdoors.org
However, the article also goes on to state that there is some variation of this because like any athlete several factors can alter the amount of weight carried. How conditioned is your child? How used to properly wearing a pack are they? What’s their stamina and endurance? So on and so forth.
Abby has hiked a lot. In fact, in a little over two months, around 125 miles over everything from flat, straight paths to challenging rock scrambles. On a harder hike, she lasts around six miles.
What’s in Abby Girl’s Pack?
In her pack, she usually carries a raincoat or sweatshirt, water, a snack, notepad, and a pen, a stuffed animal or two. One hike, she brought her Amazon Fire Tablet so she could play on top of the mountain. We had no clue.
TIP: Check your child’s pack before they go
What’s in the grownups pack?
Let’s just use the example of a day section hike. Overnights is a whole other ballgame. I carry a fanny pack and a pack on my back.
On grownup’s back-
-First aid kit. Cannot stress this enough.
-Extra set of clothes. Remember no matter the age, kids can pee themselves. Kids also fall in the mud, splash in the water and get into pretty much anything they can.
-Rain Gear
-a sweatshirt
-Bandana. Many uses for this!
-flashlight or headlamp
-bug spray
-sunscreen
-toilet paper. Don’t be a bad trail person. Bury or carry out. TP really ruins the ambiance in the forest.
-map (remember cellphones can fail)
-snacks
-water (should be on the outside pouch for accessibility). Read recommendations on how much water to carry from REI!
-trash bag (can double as poncho) and a bag for garbage
Side Note: I also carry a helmet for my child in pack if I know there will be rock scrambles
In Fanny Pack-
-Knife
-important medication such as an inhaler
-spray (if legal in your state)
-Hang whistle from pack is most ideal or secure where you can grab it from fanny pack
-A card with information of all people hiking with you. Kids and adults.
Be Aware of-
There are several things to be aware of the trail in the warm weather.
Bees-
Stay on the trail. We wandered off the trail so my child could pee. It was like a horror film. She is sitting there going to the bathroom over a log, her legs swinging, humming to herself when I saw just a black swarm. I kept asking her if she was done and the reply of “nope.” I literally grabbed her and ran for the water. I waded through the water with her on top of me to get away from the stinging bugs of death. She did not get stung. I got stung once. However, I am allergic. So I could have died. Watch for bees. Stay on trail
Snakes-
In the northeast, the two venomous snakes we have are timber-back rattlesnakes and copperheads. There is currently a warning out for rattlesnakes in the Hudson Valley region. It’s their breeding time. Yes, I have actually seen snakes mating on a trail. All they needed was some Barry White and mood music.
Remember you are in their territory. Don’t try to move them or kill them. Watch your handholds on rock scrambles. Stay on the trail. Read some more tips about snake encounters! Remember, that it is more likely that you will run across a non-venomous snake. However, I have camped in a rattlesnake sanctuary and am still here. I did not get attacked. This isn’t Snakes on a Plane. Just be smart.
Holes in trees-
Don’t let your children stick their hands in holes in trees. There could be something living in there. Little fingers that look like bite-size Vienna Sausage Trail Treats as well as any other size fingers, hands, arms, bodies need to stay out of holes. A couple of years ago, there was a giant hole in the bottom of the tree that you could basically walk into. My child sent her best friend first. When she knew it was safe, she followed. Way to go Abby Girl.
Water-
Be aware when children play near water the depth. Also, water crossings can be slippery. Make sure they are capable and there is a safe passage across. Sometimes Abby reaches her arm out, and I pull her across as she leaps. Rushing water can also be treacherous and slippery rocks. Don’t rock scramble in the rain or just after a rain.
Weather-
Especially in the spring, the weather can change rapidly. Watch the weather report. We hike in light rain. However, pounding rain and lightning are a giant nope. Here are some tips if you are caught. The one point, obviously ignore if you have small children. You don’t have to make the child distance from you. Remember, check the weather before you go on your adventure!
Personal Story: Years ago, I got stuck on the side of a mountain in a freak storm section-hiking. I pulled a tarp over myself and made a little tent. However, I still ended up hypothermic in the middle of summer. After the storm broke, I got to shelter where I had to spend the night with about seven random male hikers and one of which had a screw loose who kept reliving his war experiences. I ended up hiking out in the dark.
Fallen Trees-
Hanging from falling trees is not safe. They can snap and land on you. Don’t do it. Don’t be like us.
Finally Thoughts-
This is an awesome time of year to hike with children. Like any time of year, there are things that need to be done and guidelines to follow when hiking with or without kiddos! So go find those trails and explore!
Read our latest HV Parent Post on what you should do on trails and an awesome spot to hike in the northern Hudson Valley!