How do I select the best hiking backpack for my child?

Most young children want to wear their own daypack so they can be like the adult. Unfortunately, most backpacks for kids are overbuilt and too heavy. Even light ones that safely can hold up to 50 pounds are inane for most children.

When buying a daypack for your child, look for:
g Sternum straps – These help keep the straps on the shoulders. This is vital for prepubescent children as they do not have the broad shoulders that come with adolescence, meaning packs likely will slip off and onto their arms, making them uncomfortable and difficult to carry.
g Lightness – For elementary-age children, a daypack should weigh roughly 18 ounces. This ensures children can’t carry so heavy of a load that they hurt themselves in the process.
g Hydration system – These are “canteens’ located inside the backpack with a straw that children can drink from, sort of like what astronauts use. Such a system will help ensure they drink a lot of water.

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

How to select a daypack hiking kids can use

Kids will want to carry a daypack just
like their parents.

Sometimes called daypacks for day hikes or for kids, backpacks are essential once kids come down from the baby carrier. As the child is older and requires more, you’ll need to find a better way to carry all of the essentials you need – snacks, first-aid kit, extra clothing – than a fanny pack.

For day hike purposes with children, you’ll want to get yourself an internal frame, in which the frame giving the backpack its shape is inside the pack’s fabric so it’s not exposed to nature. Such frames usually are lightweight and comfortable. External frames have the frame outside the pack, so they are exposed to the elements. They are excellent for long hikes into the backcountry when you must carry heavy loads.

It’s a good idea to get kids carrying a small daypack with a couple of light items in it by the time they’re in elementary school. If you don’t get them to realize they have a responsibility to carry their own stuff, they’ll balk at doing so later.

As kids get older, and especially after they’ve been hiking for a couple of years, they’ll soon want a “real” backpack. Unfortunately, most backpacks for kids are overbuilt and too heavy. Even light ones that safely can hold up to 50 pounds are inane for most children.

When buying a daypack for your child, look for sternum straps, which help keep the strap on the shoulders. This is vital for prepubescent children, as they do not have the broad shoulders that come with adolescence, meaning packs likely will slip off and onto their arms, making them uncomfortable and difficult to carry. Don’t buy a back-pack that a child will “grow into.”

Backpacks that don’t fit well simply will lead to sore shoulder and back muscles and could result in poor posture.

Also, consider purchasing a daypack with a hydration system for kids. This will help ensure they drink a lot of water. More on this later when we get to canteens.

Before hitting the trail, always check your children’s backpacks to make sure that they have not overloaded them. Kids think they need more than they really do. They also tend to overestimate their own ability to carry stuff. Sibling rivalries often lead to children packing more than they should in their rucksacks, too. Don’t let them overpack “to teach them a lesson,” though, as it can damage bones and turn the hike into a bad experience.

A good rule of thumb is no more than 25 percent capacity. Most upper elementary school kids can carry only about 10 pounds for any short distance. Subtract the weight of the backpack, and that means only 4-5 pounds in the backpack. Overweight children will need to carry a little less than this or they’ll quickly be out of breath.

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

Avoiding, treating dehydration on a hike

Make sure children drink water when hiking, as they will dehydrate more
quickly than adults. Photo courtesy of Ken Kistler.

When one has overexerted himself in extremely hot or dry weather or after great exposure to the sun, the body can suddenly dehydrate.

Though dangerous in itself, dehydration can lead to additional problems, such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke and hypothermia.

Drink up
Take note: Children will dehydrate more quickly than adults. After all, a glass with a little water in it will evaporate more quickly than a glass with a lot of water. Likewise, children will use up water more quickly than a full-grown person.

Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water. Children need to drink about a quart every two hours of walking and more if the weather is hot, dry or cold and if at a high altitude.

Keep the soft drinks and caffeinated beverages at home. They may temporarily quench thirst, but they won’t adequately replace water the body has lost due to physical exertion. Also, let older kids carry their own canteens or use a hydration system. They’re then more likely to sip water as they need it.

First sign
Parent Rosie M., of Durango, Colo., offers this idea for getting children to drink their water:
“Sometimes kids won’t drink warm water. Fill the canteen half way up with water the night before the hike and place it in the freezer. The next morning, fill the canteen with cold water. Several hours will have to pass before the ice melts, ensuring you have cold water the entire hike.”

Thirst is the first sign of dehydration. The less clear (or more yellow) the urine is, the more dehydrated the body is. Other symptoms include nausea, headache, dizziness, muscle cramps and fatigue.

To treat dehydration, place the victim in the shade. Use sports drinks or packages of electrolyte additives for kids, children, not plain water. Don’t use salt tablets, as they’re difficult to digest.

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

Canteens needed even on day hikes

Canteens or plastic bottles filled with water are vital for any hike, no matter how short the trail. You'll need to have enough of them to carry about 2 pints of water per person for every hour of hiking. If going into arid regions, you'll probably need more.

When looking for a canteen or a water bottle, make sure it seals tight and can be stored upright in a carrying case. The carrying case should hook to your backpack or fanny pack belt. You don't want to place canteens or water bottles loose in your backpack, or they could drip, leaving your gear and extra clothing wet.

Another possibility - and one popular with kids - is a hydration system. The lightweight plastic bag connected to a plastic tube can be filled with water and placed inside the daypack or a fanny pack (some backpacks come with them built in). The child then can drink water as walking simply by sucking on a tube, as if an astronaut in a space capsule. Since it's so effortless to use, kids tend to stay hydrated with it. Some hydration systems will hold up to 35 ounces of water, which is little more than a quart.

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