Consider taking handkerchiefs on day hike

Handkerchiefs are just as useful as bandanas, so long as you don’t use them for their intended purpose of blowing one’s nose. Wet wipes or some extra tissue paper can be brought along if you or the kids are feeling a little sneezy. The wet wipes and tissues certainly won’t be quite as messy as a handkerchief and can be put in a re-sealable plastic bag as garbage.

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

Prepare for kids needing to go potty on hike

Rest assured, if a long drive is required to the trailhead or if heading deep into the backcountry, your children will have to go potty.

Pack unused diapers and toilet paper in re-sealable plastic bags so they stay dry. Bring extra bags for the soiled diapers and toilet paper. Wet wipes also may serve you well here. In fact, some hikers don’t bring toilet paper but rely on wipes to serve that function.

When your diaperless children have to go potty, you’ll need something to dig and fill in a cathole. A plastic trowel will work just fine in most soils, but if the surface is rocky or hard, opt for a small metal spade.

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

Carry wet wipes during hike with children

Wet wipes can be used in a number of situations when
hiking. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Pre-moistened towelettes are excellent for cleaning hands and the face, to complement toilet paper, and to help clean cuts, blisters and wounds. To maximize their benefits, get the antibacterial or antiseptic kind.

You’ll want to carry them in a re-sealable plastic bag. Don’t mix the used with the unused ones, though.

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

When kids need to go potty while hiking

Use a trowel to dig a cathole.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Kids usually have to go potty at the most inconvenient times. Having the older, potty-trained children go before leaving on the hike can help the cause, but you still should be prepared for them to need to do No. 1 and No. 2 in the wilds.

Bring extra diapers for infants and toddlers. When they go, you’ll want to change them right away or they’ll get uncomfortable in the baby carrier, leading to a lot of shifting of weight on your back. In addition, during cold weather, a wet diaper can contribute to hypothermia.

Following the dictum of “minimize damage to your surroundings,” scrape pooh off the diaper and bury it in a cathole. Pack out the diaper, though. You’ll find a re-sealable plastic bag useful here.

For older kids, children, dig catholes. They should be about six inches deep. Cover the hole with dirt when done. Make sure the hole is about a football field’s distance from any water source to avoid contaminating it. Pack out toilet paper and wet wipes, otherwise animals will dig them up, leaving trails and woods strewn with feces-covered paper and wipes.

Some children will harbor a fear of such open air toilets. Don’t put down the child as a “baby.” Talk about their fear and show how no one can see them. Reassure them that you will make sure nothing happens to them and that no one watches. Remind them of those times when they overcame their fears.

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