Useful kid food rules for day hikes

Whenever going on a day hike with children, be sure to bring along snacks. Kids who exert energy will get hungry, and they’ll probably need to take in some nourishment to keep going.

Great snacks to bring include trail mix, granola bars, dried or peeled fruit, beef jerky and crackers. A picnic lunch also can be fun, though it’ll require carrying more food in your backpack.

Some basic food guidelines to follow when day hiking with kids include:
g Bring lots of different kinds of food that your children like – You never know what your children might be in the mood to eat, and that they eat is better than not at all.
g Don’t try new foods – Kids can be finicky, so bring something you know they’ll eat. Try out new trail mix recipes before leaving for the trail.
g Keep eating times consistent with those at home – If you have a regular morning snack time or will be hiking during lunch, offer food during at about the same time when on the trial. Kids’ stomachs are accustomed to eating at those times. At the same time, however, when kids get hungry, feed them regardless of the time.
g Remember adult food – You don’t want to end up eating goldfish crackers and kid-sized nutrition bars because it won’t fill you. Consider bringing whole fruit and hardboiled eggs for yourself.

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

How long will day hike with kids take?

Just how long will your entire day hiking adventure with kids take?

To determine that, add three elements: drive time, walking time, and rest stops. Drive time usually is easy to figure out, though be aware that if heading into mountains, curvy and steep roads will force you to go slower. That means a longer drive time. For walking time, you’ll go much slower than you would if hiking on your own or with other adults. Kids on your back probably will increase your walk time by 25%; kids on foot will increase it by 50% until their late teens, when they’ll probably outpace you. Finally, set aside 10-15 minutes for each rest stop on the hike, stopping every half hour for toddlers, preschoolers and early elementary school aged-children and every hour for older children and teens. Of course, you may need to make more frequent stops, but don’t do any less.

This hike now must be positioned during certain hours of the day depending on your children’s habits. Most importantly, consider when your kids eat meals and take naps. You’re trying to squeeze hikes between these major daily events in a child’s life.

For infants, this is not such a big deal as the child can be fed during rest stops, and the rhythm of your walk likely will lull him to sleep. For toddlers eating solid meals and needing the comfort of a mattress, however, it’s a bit more complicated. You don’t want to arrive at the trailhead a half-hour before lunch time. This all becomes less of an issue as the children enter school; if the hike crosses meal time, simply plan a picnic lunch. Regardless of age, make sure kids have eaten a complete meal before heading out on the road.

You also want to get back to you vehicle before darkness falls. Children hiking at night is inadvisable, as the difficulty in seeing increases the chance of falling, of missing a turnoff in the trail and getting lost, and of keeping track of children. Many animals also hunt at night, so there is a greater chance of being bitten.

That being said, group night hikes, led by rangers and park docents, are a lot of fun and very educational – but the trails on such hikes usually are wide and well maintained, and you’re probably with a highly experienced hiker who knows the area extremely well.

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

Treat kids to picnic lunch on your next hike

If bringing a picnic lunch, you’ll want to make sure the food is kept in insulated containers so it stays cool enough not to spoil. Also, keep food in solid, tightly sealed containers so they don’t leak, get squashed, or attract animals when you take off your backpack at a rest stop. There’s no need to give up your lunch to a clever squirrel.

When selecting a place to picnic, first consider the weather. If hot, get shade, and if breezy, find trees or boulders that serve as a wind break. Next, make sure there are no bugs nearby, particularly ants. This makes sandy ground and trees with sap bad places to picnic. Look for an area free of branches and sharp rocks, which will make sitting uncomfortable. Finally, pick a spot with a good, memorable view. You might be lucky enough to hike a trail with picnic tables, but the farther you go into the backcountry, the chances of finding one are nil.

There are a number of easy picnic lunches you can bring:
g Tuna fish sandwich – Carry a self-opening can of tuna and mayo packets like those found at fast food restaurants. Do some creative mixing in a plastic bag then place the tuna fish atop crackers or a whole wheat mini bagel. You can carry bread, too, but it is likely to get squished.
g Other sandwiches – Spread peanut butter, jams, jellies or cheese over hard crackers. Ship biscuits work quite well.
g Salami sandwich – Salami tends to last a long time, even in hot weather. It tastes great on hard rolls or crackers. Bologna usually doesn’t last in warm weather.
g Jerky with cheese and crackers – Various jerky make a great, high protein meat to serve with crackers and cheese.

Add dried fruit and cookies or a candy bar for desert to any of these meals. Be aware that chocolate can melt in the heat, so it needs to be placed in an insulated container and kept cool.

Don’t forget to bring napkins and a blanket or table cloth with you.

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