I’ve been browsing Pinterest and coming across all sorts of hiking tips…what to eat on the trail, what to carry in your pack, and safety precautions to take. None of these tips take tykes into consideration: what they will need to eat, what gear they will need, and safety precautions specific to them. I totally get that it still isn’t very common for kids to be busting out 5-6 miles on the trail, but it happens, and if the information is out there to help educate parents then there just might be more Adventure Tykes on the trail.
I thought I would share with you what is in our typical backpack for a day hike, since being prepared and having the necessary gear is a key component to enjoying a successful hike.
What we always pack:
Food, whether it’s snacks or meals. (depends on the length and time of day of the hike.)
Water (plenty of it.)
Headlamp (one for each of us.)
One warm layer for each of us, whether it is a long sleeve shirt or jacket. (You never know when the weather will turn for the worse, especially in the mountains.)
Toilet paper
Trowel
Doggie bags. They make great trash bags.
Hand wipes
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Camera
Extras we will pack depending on weather, length of hike, familiarity to the area:
Rain jackets/Pants
Map/Guide book
Additional layers of clothing (for each person)
Beanie (for each person)
Insect repellent
What we should add to our pack:
Compass
Fire starter kit (because you just never know.)
Whistle (J-Man carries one in his pack.)
This seems like a lot of gear, but it really isn’t. A good portion of the items are small and weigh very little, so your pack won’t end up being full. Most of your weight and storage space will be taken up with food.
What are we missing? Is there an item we should always carry that I’ve left out?
I love looking at tips on pinterest, too, but do notice that items for kiddos can be left out. I don’t have kids yet, but do take youth on trips and often wonder if I’m taking too much or not enough. Thanks for the tips!
ntkidsoutside.org
Pinterest can certainly be great and there are some useful ideas out there. Unfortun
atley, kids do get missed often. Thanks for reading and sharing!
Thanks for info.
Water purification tablets and those little metallic emergency blankets (and teach them how to use them).
hello, what pack are you wearing in the photo? thank you! great article xoxo
Thanks for the helpful article.
– Sometimes I carry a multi-tool like a swiss knife.
– My backup light is a keychain led. It’s gotten me out of a few frustrating moments.
– I carry one of the whistle compass combos. Most have a waterproof compartment for matches or other small things.
Inside that, I usually tuck in:
– a needle with clear thread (rips only happen at inconvenient times)
– a little duct tape curled around a matchstick or toothpick (while I should probably carry more, I always carry a piece as big of a couple of bandaids. That’s enough to cover a hot spot before it turns into a blister.)
– a tiny superglue or a safety pin