Selecting right camera for hike with kids

Hiking can foster an appreciation of photography.

Take plenty of pictures on your hike with children. You later can look at them with your children and talk about what you saw. They can be used to make a scrapbook or posted on social networks like Facebook. Teenagers might even want to create a blog about their hikes.

Go for durability and lightness in a camera. That probably means taking a digital camera, which has the ad-vantage of no film or extra lenses to carry. It doesn’t have to be a simple point-and-shoot. Find one that also can take videos, and you’re set.

Make sure you get a waterproof camera case that can strap to your belt, and wear it on the side of your hip. Don’t forget spare batteries.

Having said all of this, if photography is a hobby of yours and you don’t mind lugging around equipment that can come with a single lens reflex camera, a hike certainly is a great place to find fantastic vistas and scenery for pictures. Bring along the equipment with young kids, children, however, and you might truly find your hands full.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.