Quick precautions before hiking with kids

Once you select a trail for you and your child to day hike, there are a few simple safety precautions to take before ever making that first step on the trail. The chances of something going wrong are slim, but an ounce of preparedness will do much to reduce the burden when you're facing a pound of trouble.

First, map out your route. Using a light, transparent highlighter that won’t obscure details, trace the trail on your map. This will make navigating the path easier once in the field and prevent you from getting lost. Make sure you pack extra maps with your gear.

Next, tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. In case you are injured or lost, this can prove to be valuable information so search and rescue teams can find you sooner.

You also should learn where the nearest hospital or walk-in clinic is located. If an injury occurs, you may need to bring your children there for medical help.

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

How to avoid a disaster when day hiking with kids

Upon the first sign of danger - such as bad weather
or a distant forest fire - immediately return to your
vehicle and leave the area. Photo courtesy of NPS.

The worst case scenario for a day hiker is getting stuck in the wilds for a night with no way out. This usually happens because the hiker is lost, injured or cut off by some natural calamity like a flashflood or forest fire.

Given this, the best way to avoid such a crisis is to ensure you navigate the trail correctly, that everyone plays it safe, and that you stay out of or leave the wilds on days when the weather turns bad. All of that is easier said than done, of course.

The good news is the chances of you ever having to stay a night or two in the wilds while awaiting rescue are extremely low.

As Marc S., of Lakeport, Calif., notes, “Despite years of going day hiking, including getting lost once and peakbagging a mountain on the day a devastating fire began in the same forest, I’ve never had to go into survival mode and spend a night wondering if it would be the last either my children or I were alive. By being safe and immediately returning to our vehicle when weather looked bad, we’ve always made it back home well in time for dinner.”

Marc S. is right: By playing it safe, you’ll almost always avoid an even more threatening situation. At the same time, strange events can conspire against you, leaving you stuck in the wilds despite your best efforts. In such instances, you’ll need to know how to survive until rescuers reach you.

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

Know your berry before eating it when day hiking with kids

Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Certainly the pleasure of some hikes are tasting the ripe, natural berries found along the trail. Before eating any berries, though, children should ask you if it’s okay to do so. That means you’ll need to familiarize yourself with differing berries to give the right answer. If you don’t know the answer, it’s best to never eat any found on the trail.

That won’t stop a few overly inquisitive kids from sampling a few when you’re not looking, of course.

The symptoms of poisoning from berries differ with each type, but generally nausea, vomiting and diarrhea will result. Blurred vision, drowsiness, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, and an accelerated heart rate also can occur. Shock is a distinct possibility.

If your child eats potentially poisonous berries, treat for shock if necessary and seek medical attention immediately. Do not induce vomiting, as sometimes this may be more harmful than beneficial. Also, try to identify which berries were eaten to help doctors with a diagnosis.

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

Get to the trailhead sanely when day hiking with children

Don't go crazy driving to the trailhead with a carload of children.
Photo courtesy of David Niblack, Imagebase.net

Before leaving on a day hike, always tell someone responsible where you’re going and when you expect to return. This will ensure that should you be lost or if a terrible accident occurs that someone soon will come looking for you.

While driving to the trailhead, treat it like any other trip you take with children. Make sure they have their toys, books, movies, music, snack, or whatever else you use to keep them happy during a drive. If you don’t, and they have a meltdown or throw a tantrum, don’t be surprised if the hike then doesn’t go well.

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

'Hiking with kids? You’ve got to be kidding!' No, we're serious!

There are plenty of reasons to hike with children.

Listing excuses of why not to hike with children is easy enough: Kids wouldn’t enjoy it, I don’t know where there’s a trail, it takes too much time, I’m out of shape, it’s too expensive.

Unfortunately, the suggestion of taking children hiking tends to elicit from long-time hikers one of two reactions: They either say it’s impossible or they overestimate the abilities of their kids. The first group sadly misses out on a wonderful family experience and gives up a great pastime. The second group creates a hellish experience for themselves and their children and often come to think the first group is right. It is true that with children you’ll probably not hike as you did before, but you still can have an enjoyable time on the trails.

The novice hiker who takes along children always hits the trails with good intent: It’s a great way to spend time with the kids, it’ll be good exercise, it’s something their own parents did with them so a tradition they want to carry on. Unfortunately, novice hikers usually misjudge their abilities and fail to prepare. Especially when kids are involved, that can lead to bad experiences, injury and even death.

All of those arguments are fallacies. Kids generally love to be outdoors. There’s probably a hiking trial within a few miles of your house, even if you live in the middle of a major metro area. Hiking these trails often only takes a couple of hours or at most an afternoon. Walking a day hiking trail is a good way to get back into shape. Hiking also is very inexpensive, requiring very little gear or clothing that isn’t already in the closet and not requiring any hotels or restaurants. You generally don’t need to pay entry fees (and when you do they’re typically low), and usually there’s no place where a child can demand you buy toys.

More than likely, the real reasons you’re not hiking is because planning for a trip can be intimidating, and as a parent you have real fears for your children’s safety. This book will guide you through the planning process and giving you the knowledge to ensure you and your children remain safe. After all, both you and your children will benefit in a number of ways from hiking.

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

Putting on gear during a day hike with kids

Once you arrive at the hiking area, you’ll want to strap on your own gear – and that’s not so easy to do when you’re also trying to watch little ones and making sure they don’t discard clothing or gear you just make sure they had.

Double check so you haven’t left something valuable in the vehicle that needs to be taken on the trail, such as maps you used to reach the site, your mobile phone, your wallet, and trail mix your kids talked you into munching on early. Once you’ve done that, get your gear on.

When putting on the backpack, tighten the waist belt snug, then shift the pack as high on your shoulders as you can and tighten the belt again. This will provide better stability when walking and keep most of the weight on your hips rather than your shoulders, which would be tiring.

If you have a baby carrier, put on your fanny pack first, then situate and buckle up the child in the carrier. Next, put on the carrier, grab the trekking pole, and gather the kids around to go over safety rules (more about that in an upcoming blog entry!).

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