Hiking Safely with Kids

If you’re looking to take your kids on their first hike or searching for ways to up your hiking experience, we’ve got something for you. My family has been hiking since our oldest was born. At the beginning, we mostly stuck to shorter, closer to home hikes. Yet, with time, we have branched out to longer hikes. Are you looking to try a longer hike, but not sure if your kids can handle it? Well, let me tell you, with the right supplies, instructions, and experience you can go hiking with family too. My three year old happily hiked over 3 miles in one day and my 6 year old completed 10 miles in a single day!

You might be asking yourself how this is possible. Well, we have been a hiking family since they were born. But that doesn’t mean you can’t hike with your kids too! When we first started allowing our kids to walk their own hikes, we started with hikes around the 1 – 3 mile mark, never venturing over 3 miles in the beginning. As they, and us, grew more comfortable, we began to attempt longer hikes. And you know what? They were successful and begged for more! Take a peek at that hiking cutie below!

There is nothing quite like an exceptional hike in a remote location. The views! The animals! The plants and flowers! The sounds, smells, and peace! These are definitely must experience trips for your whole family. And being prepared makes them even more spectacular. The hiking necessities below have made our trips so much more enjoyable and safe.

Hiking Kid’s Gear – Hiking Must Haves

Let’s start with the gear you need for hiking and how to safely manage all the hiking essentials. And no, the correct answer is not to have the parents carry everything. Instead, each of our children carry their own gear as soon as they are confident walkers. Yes, our 2 year old carried some of her own gear. She even fought us on letting her carry her hiking day pack. She wanted the privilege of carrying it herself, even though it slowed us all down.

Hiking Hat for Kids

First, your kids need a hat to protect from the sun. We tried a few different kinds of hats, but were never really happy with them until we bought all matching neon hats for our kids. Another pro tip is that hats need a tie or other method to keep them secure, especially on windy days. We love these high visibility hiking hats every time we go anywhere. We can spot our children no matter where they go and everyone else knows they belong to us too (which can be a bad things sometimes, depending on the day). You won’t lose my kids with those hats!

Our kids love to personalize their hiking hat with their junior ranger badges from the different national parks and state parks that we visit. The hats are large enough to handle all the badges so far, but they are getting to the point where they need to pick and choose what they display on their hats so as not to weigh down the hat too much.

Hiking Hydration Backpack

We love these Miracol hiking hydration backpacks for our day hikes with kids. Each member of the family has one, both adults and all the kids. The kids love them because they come in so many different colors and everyone can have their own special color. You wouldn’t think this is so important, but with 4 kids, this is a lifesaver. No more fights over which item belongs to which child and each is responsible for packing their own.

These are the best kids hiking backpack we have found and they work great for adults too! We love that these packs are so light weight and comfortable to carry. The water bag carries enough water for our longer hikes and is so easy to fill up. There is a large opening for adding water or even ice for those super hot days. Our kids can operate them solo. They fill up their own water (well, not the 3 year old yet) and drink more water when carrying it this way instead of in a waterbottle.

Hiking Backpack Accessories

These youth hiking backpacks comes with a few extras too that give us some peace of mind. First, the backpack has a built in whistle for emergencies. Secondly, the straps of the backpack go over both shoulders, with snaps at the chest and waist which helps balance the weight of the backpack. These make the hiking day pack comfortable for our kids to carry. Third, the thermal insulated compartment keeps our water cool and our snacks from melting. This is a must for those hot day hikes.

The amount of storage in these hiking backpacks is sufficient too. The large zipper pack holds much more than just water. We are able to fit all the hiking essentials inside this pouch too. Plus there is an easy access front pouch for things you need in a hurry, like our carry first aid kit. They also have two side pockets and two zipper pockets. The side pockets are great for holding a small snack or pocketknife and the zipper pockets were made to hold sunglasses or a phone. These are so convenient and worth it.

Kids Hiking Headlamp

The hiking headlamps from Defiant have been amazing for our camping and hiking. We started off hiking by trying out flashlights and small battery operated lanterns. We do not recommend either. First, the flashlights were left behind or lost way to easily with so many little hands. Second, they allowed way too much movability. Therefore, our kids were able to shine the light in each other’s eyes or at fellow hikers. These headlamps keep that to a minimum because they really need to try to shine the light in other places.

These lights are wonderfully bright to light up your path in the dark. They have saved us a few times when we needed to set up camp at night. Plus they keep your hands free for drinking water, holding trekking poles, or finding your way. The adjustable headlamp makes these fit just about anyone. We have successfully had our littlest two year old wear one as well as my husband, using the adjustable head strap. Additionally, they are so easy to adjust that it only takes a moment.

Kid’s Pocketknife for Hiking

Bear Cub Scouts is when your child first needs a pocketknife. This correlates to third grade for most cub scouts and when we bought our children their first pocketknife. Our preferred Bear Cub Scout pocketknife is the Leatherman Skeletool . We love this one because it is easy to use for little hands but is actually a multitool. This allows our children to help with so much more than just being useful on the hike.

This particular hiking pocketknife has a lock to keep it closed unless your child is intentionally opening it. It also locks when fully opened so they don’t close it on themselves when trying to use it. The lock has been manageable for all of our children when they received their scouting pocketknife. The pocketknife acts as 7 different tools and we have found so many different uses both when hiking and around the house.

Hiking Whistle

Our adore these lifeguard, self-defense and emergency whistles. They give off a loud, crisp pitched whistle which is easy to hear but not overly annoying. You all know that your child will want to blow this whistle a thousand times (if you’re lucky) when you first give it to him. We love that it is attached to a lanyard so it can be tied to their hiking day packs. The color makes them easy to spot and we haven’t lost one yet (fingers crossed!).

Every hiker, no matter their age, needs a functional whistle. We love that our children are always carrying two whistles. They carrying one of these in their hiking backpack and the one that came with their backpack too. We teach them how to use their whistle in the case of an emergency, which we will cover in this article in a bit.

Emergency Hiking Rain Poncho

We each carrying a hiking rain poncho in our hiking backpacks. These are super lightweight and take up very little space. They have a hood to protect you from the rain and are large enough to cover most of your body. One size really does fit most! We bought ours at Walmart and saved a little money over Amazon, either way they are truly affordable and great to have on hand. We have used ours once while hiking, but have needed them other times too. Think Disney World and softball tournaments.

Kids Compass for Hiking

Everyone should have a compass when hiking. Yes, we all have phones but signal is never guaranteed depending on where you hike. Maps are wonderful, but a compass is another essential tool to carry. We love these compasses for a variety of reasons. First, they are easy to spot (are you seeing a pattern here?). The attached lanyard is a nice touch too for when your child is using it (we do wish the lanyard was a break-away but that’s easy enough to change).

Second, these compasses really do it all. Not only the 360 degree rotating bezel with a magnetic needle, but they also function as a ruler for both inches and centimeters. It’s small enough to hold in your hand, even for our smaller children while also being kid-proof too. They also can sit nicely on a flat surface or map for ease when navigating.

Trekking Poles for Hiking

Trekking poles is our newest addition to our kids hiking gear. So far they love them. We actually bought them New Balance Hiking Poles, but these seem to be sold out on Amazon. The Cascade Mountain Tech are very similar hiking poles though. These hiking poles are adjustable for your smaller child up to an adult. No, they do not fit everyone, but our 6 year old has no problem using them and neither does my 6-ft tall husband. Adjusting them is fairly simple and quick as well.

We love that they come with snow and mud baskets as well as boot tips. Our kids loves playing with the hiking accessories and seeing what they do. We keep all the accessories in a small bag with their poles. The grips on their handle are a must for any trekking poles you are looking to purchase as they not only help with stability but provide an extra push or pull when you need it most. They are super light weight and easy to store as they clip together.

Kid’s Hiking Shoes

I’m not going to tell you which hiking shoes you should absolutely buy as everyone likes shoes a little differently. However, we have found that our kids do best when they can hike in their own gym shoes. This is perfect for a pair of old but not retired shoes. We keep the new school shoes at home and wear our older sneakers that we haven’t outgrown yet for hiking.

Why do we prefer gym shoes? First, they are already broken in so you don’t have sore feet while breaking in the shoes. Second, they are comfortable for our kids, something they wear all the time. No whining about the shoes rubbing on their ankles or squeezing their feet funny. We have tried a few different hiking boots and nothing worked quite as well as their old gym shoes. Funny, but so true!

Hiking Baby Carrier (And Toddlers Too!)

Are you thinking of tackling a hike with your little one? We have hiked with our youngest since she was 2 months old. Ever since we found it, we have loved the Lillebaby All Seasons Baby Carrier. We have tried a few others and nothing stuck quite like this one. When hiking with an infant it was a must have. Not only can you wear your baby on your front, but it has an infant head protector and a sleeping hood for when your baby needs extra head support. It also has zip up breathable mess to keep your child at a comfortable temperature. Moreover, your little one can ride forward or backward facing for some different views.

Plus, it grows with your child. Our youngest is now three and we still use the same baby carrier. Yep! You heard that right. She now rides on the back and fits comfortably into the carrier. While she prefers to hike (or walk) with the rest of us, she has taken quite a few naps in the carrier. The lumbar support is much needed for the longer hikes and the padded straps offer extra comfort. We love the flexibility it provides our family but really are looking forward to the day when we no longer need it!

Hiking First Aid Kit

We keep two different first aid kits. One first aid kit remains at the car or campsite. This first aid kits has extras of everything we carry, but also has medications and specialty first aid needs. I’m working on putting together a list of everything we carry, just haven’t gotten there yet. But I promise it’s coming.

Each person carries a small first aid kit with them. We also have someone carry sunscreen and another person carry bug spray. And yes, this all fits into their hydration hiking day packs. It really is incredible what your child can carry when given the opportunity. Our smaller, carrying first aid kits fit into a plastic ziploc bag. band-aids, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, gauze, medical tape, tissues, tweezers. We refill them before each hike and our kids mostly do this independently using a small checklist taped into the bag.

Tips for Safe Hiking with Kids

Coming prepared is a must when hiking with kids. But having all the hiking essentials is only one step for hiking safety when you bring your kids. One last thing to make sure you bring is hiking food. We love to bring homemade trail mix for our hike. Our trail mix includes some chocolate for immediate energy, dried fruit for a little longer lasting energy, and nuts or other protein for extended energy. There are so many little things that we need to consider when we take our kids into the great outdoors and these safety hiking tips will help you ensure a fun hike for the whole family. Read on to learn how to hike safely with kids.

Dress for the Weather

This is a must with kids. Be sure they are dress appropriately for any weather you may encounter on your trip. We once hiked in the desert and actually walked through snow flurries inside a very windy canyon. Start by checking the weather forecast, then discuss with your child how to properly dress for the hike. We prefer to wear breathable pants so their legs are protected from scratches of nearby brush, but have worn shorts as well.

Depending on the weather, what we carry changes. On colder hikes we bring along winter hats and gloves, especially for our little ones. Sometimes we have our children carry a sweatshirt or tie one around their waist. Sorry, this doesn’t fit well into their hiking pack with everything else they carry. When the weather is windy, we love to bring a mask to protect our faces, thank you 2020 for this little tip. On a hotter day, we love breathable lightweight clothes and are especially thankful for our hats.

Junior Ranger Program

Our first stop when we hike in any National or State park is to find out where we can pick up Junior Ranger books. Not only do our kids love them, and yours will too, but they come with so much helpful advice. These books are jam-packed with activities for the kids but a few pages usually discuss how to hike safely in the specific park. The books highlight the different animals and plants you will encounter, and they usually offer information about the trails and trail markers too. This information goes a long way to keeping your kids safe on the hike.

The books help us all learn more about the park we are hiking in. These books are usually choose your activity books where the children pick the pages they want to work on. Many times a few pages match the hikes in the park which add some excitement for a special hike. And at the end, they earn a special junior ranger badge to go with their experience.

Trailhead Signs on a Hike

I know everyone is so excited to get started on your hike, but it’s so important to take a moment and read the trailhead signs when available. Not every hiking trail has one, but when they do, we always pause and read it. They usually reaffirm everything we’ve told our children about safe hiking and it’s always more effective when it doesn’t come from mom and dad. We have learned about staying safe from animals, poisonous plants, how much water we should bring, and even places to rest along the hike.

Pausing at each trail sign to read the useful information also helps keep your group together. Your kids will need to stop and wait for you if they get a little ahead and if they fall behind, you’ll wait for them here. No matter where you hike, this is good practice to keep your group together.

This is our desert hike where we had a little snow. As you can see we needed our hats and sweatshirts just to stay warm. And even though our little one is walking, she is carrying her own hiking day pack. But the baby carrier is with us too for when she needs to rest.

Hike Trail Map

Bring a trail map with you. We have used paper trail maps we have been given for free or purchased at the park store. We have also pulled up a trail map on our phone and downloaded it so we didn’t need wifi to access it. No matter how you do it, always have a trail map handy just in case. This is also why we bring along our compass too. The compass together with the trail map is a real life saver.

Be Sure to Teach Your Kids What to Do if They Get Separated

We always stress to our children how important it is to stay together. But we all know that in their excitement they will get ahead of us on occasion. And sometimes they fall behind because they see something cool. So it’s important to teach them what to do should they get separated.

First, if they can’t see their hiking group, they should find a safe place to wait. The last thing you want is your child roaming the area so you constantly miss them and they end up somewhere you have already checked. We teach our children to find a tree or other shelter to remain by until we find them.

Second, this is why they need their own whistle and first aid kit. A whistle noise travels farther than your voice in the woods and takes much less effort to use. Thus they will be able to keep whistling much long than they could keep yelling for help. A whistle also alerts nearby hikers that someone is in distress. While any repeated whistle call will bring help, we teach our children to use three short blasts and then pause before whistling again. This helps to differentiate the whistle sound from other nearby noises.

Our Hiking Safety Rules

We teach our children a few rules to ensure they stay safe on the trail. These rules have kept our children safe on the hikes, well, minus a few scraped knees. Plus they allow us a more stress-free hike because we know our children are safe. And you can even see my husband hiking with our brand new, 2-month old baby. Yes, even babies can hike (well nap on a hike, and what a glorious nap it was).

Always Stay in Sight of the Adults

If you can’t see us, we can’t see you. Depending on where we are hiking, we might hike in the back so we can see everyone and call them back when they get too far ahead. If there are more dangerous animals nearby, we like to have a parent near the front and another at the rear.

Teach Kids to Be Alert on the Trail

Our kids know that they need to be alert on a hike. They should keep an eye on the path to ensure they stay on the path and that they aren’t stepping on a poisonous snake. Our kids did walk over a snake and not even notice, thankfully it wasn’t poisonous. This also helps them navigate tricky or rocky paths so they don’t trip over any obstacles.

We also have our kids wait for us by any split in the trail or trail sign that we come to. This way we can all regroup, talk about anything that we have noticed, and read the trail signs together. This is also a great time to turn around and check your surroundings from every angle so you know what it looks like if you return this way.

We also encourage them to notice their surroundings. It is important that they notice if there is water nearby and how to act differently when we are close to water. Not only does water bring it’s own dangerous, such as slippery rocks, dangers of drowning, and wet/muddy shoes, but water usually brings animals too. We teach our children to keep a good distance between themselves and the water and to stay closer to us when water is present.

They also need to look around for any animals. We teach them to hike quietly so we can hear any animals moving near us. If they spot something dangerous, we all move together and walk as one. By staying alert, they will know what to do earlier and be able to stay safe.

Encounter a Bear on a Hike

The National Park Service recommends that you identify yourself, talk calmly to let the bear know you aren’t prey. Stand your ground calmly and slowly wave your arms so you look bigger and human. Most bears just want to be left alone. Move away slowly sideways so you can keep an eye on the bear. If the bear follows you, stop and hold your ground. Clap loudly and shout at the bear, but do not make sudden screams or loud noise, instead be repetitive until the bear moves away.

Encounter a Mountain Lion on a Hike

It is recommended by the National Park Service to stop and hold your ground if you encounter a mountain lion while hiking. Keep your kids close to you and pick them up if you can. Try to appear larger than you are. This may involve moving to higher ground slowly (but not climbing a tree), holding your jacket open or arms wide. Back away slowly if the mountain lion isn’t approaching you. However, if the mountain lion starts to approach, shout, wave your hands, and throw rocks (or anything you can find) at the mountain lion.

Encounter a Rattle Snake on a Hike

The National Park Service recommends keeping your distance. Rattlesnakes can only strike a distance equal to half their length. This is one reason it is always important to watch where you step and put your hands. Stay still if you hear a snake but aren’t sure where it is. Do your best to locate the snake and then move out of it’s path. The last thing you want to do is unknowingly walk into its path.

Take a Moment to Look Back Along the Trail – Especially an Out and Back

Keep an eye not only where you are going but also where you have been. If you get lost on a path, the most likely action is to turn around and go back the way you came. So it is always recommended to know what the path looks like from the opposite direction. Walking back always looks different.

Anyone Can Request a Break at Any Time for Any Reason

This rule keeps everyone from getting mad if we need to stop for any reason. The stop may be a leg rest or a snack break or even for water. By mentally preparing for a stop we keep everyone happy and in high spirits.

Leave No Trace

We teach our children this scouting tip. Whatever we find in nature, stays in nature. This encourages them to leave nature where they find it. Thus we are not playing with sticks and rocks or picking flowers or leaves from trees. There is one exception to this rule: litter. Our kids love to pick up litter to throw away and help keep the parks beautiful.

Stay on the Path

This is so important we are repeating it! Sometimes we see something interesting and want to go check it out. Sometimes the path is difficult to find or blends in with the environment. And sometimes the path is the only safe place to walk on a hike. So teach your kids how to identify the path and stay on it even when they want to explore. If the path changes, pause and talk about the new path and the markers you are using to identify the path.

Drink Water

We love our hydration packs because they encourage our kids to drink much more water than a waterbottle. Not only is the water move accessible in the hydration pack but they also usually don’t need to stop to take a drink. We encourage them to drink as they hike but also to take a drink every time we stop. This helps to ensure your little ones stay hydrated.

No Jumping Off Cliffs

You may laugh, we sure did! But our eldest son desperately needed this rule. He loves to jump off anything he finds and climb up whatever is available. See a big rock, he’s probably at the top. It seems so silly but it brings a little laughter at the end of a long list of hiking safety rules. Before we embarked into Mammoth Cave we explicitly explained to our son this rule. During the park ranger safety talk, he happily shared it with our entire tour group, bring many chuckles and even better, more eyes on our son during the tour.

Have an Emergency Plan

Always have an emergency plan with your children. This plan goes into effect any time an emergency occurs. The first emergency we discuss with our children is what to do if they get lost. We covered this above with our hiking rules, but I didn’t want to leave it out of an emergency plan either since it’s so important.

Other emergencies to include in your plan are dangerous animal sightings, weather emergencies and dehydration or other medical emergencies. We discussed dangerous animal sightings above as well. For weather emergencies, we teach our children to seek shelter or a low point on the ground if no shelter is available. Instead of laying down on the ground, we teach them to crouch down and protect their heads. During a storm a tree is not considered safe shelter. Always know how far away the nearest shelter is so that you can get there is you need in a hurry. This may be a nearby building, home, outpost, or even a campsite bathroom.

We teach our children simple first aid so they know what to do in a medical emergency too. Most of this is taught through the scouting program and my husband who is a paramedic. They know how to clean and bandage a small cut, wrap up a larger wound, and even make a simple splint. Plus they carry their own first aid kit just in case. It’s always better to be over prepared in case of an emergency. And of course, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, but we also have medication in our larger first aid kit when needed. And of course, our take a break rule helps with this as well.

Hiking Safety Tips Final Thoughts

With our full list of essentials and safety tips for hiking, you are more than prepared to get out there and have some fun. Take a moment, make your purchases, talk with your children about safety while hiking, and then get out there and enjoy the scenery. We’d love to hear about your trip and the beautiful places you hiked with your family.

Love our tips? Leave us a comment below to let us know. Have another camping tip to include, drop us a comment, we’d love to learn from you too. Check out our Guadaloupe National Park – Camping and Hiking, White Sands National Park, and Big Bend National Park if you are planning a trip out West and our Camping Meals with Kids if you need some easy to make meals for your trip.