There was a period of time in my outdoor life that I took pride in traveling fast and light. But now that I鈥檓 a father, neither of those adjectives describes my adventures. Outings with toddlers are never fast or light, but they are no less magical. My听two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Jojo, and I have been hiking close to our house frequently of late, and this is the gear that I bring to help keep things听fun and successful鈥攆or us both.
A Kids鈥櫶鼴ackpack
If I ask Jojo out of the blue whether听she wants to go on a hike, her response is often mixed. But if I begin the conversation by asking, 鈥淒o you want to pack your backpack for an adventure?鈥 the response is almost always a resounding yes. Not only does the act of packing it amp her up for our hike, but it seems like bringing her own food, water, and toys gives her a sense of ownership that makes her enjoy the hike more. The ($40) has a nice, squat eight-liter design for little bodies, a breathable back, and padded shoulder straps to keep your kiddo comfortable. Jojo absolutely loves it. Ultimately, any correctly sized pack will work. We vacillate between this fancy听one and a rainbow-sequin number we got as a gift from Target. What鈥檚听important is that she gets to carry and choose some of her own gear.
A Kids鈥 Water Bottle
Remaining hydrated is a key听part of hiking at any age, and I鈥檝e found that my daughter will drink twice as much water from her own water bottle as she will when sharing mine. I think this is not only the sense of responsibility she gets from carrying her own, but also that child-specific water bottles are significantly easier for her to hold and drink out of. We鈥檝e tested close to a dozen kinds, and 听are the best at mitigating spills while resting听on its side or upside down in a pack. The straw鈥攚hich Jojo听bites down on to drink鈥攊s the easiest for her to sip.
A Comfortable Hat
My daughter has to wear a hat during long periods of time in the sun, but if I pack one she doesn鈥檛 like, I might as well have听not packed听one at all. Having her repeatedly throw a hat off her noggin is not only super frustrating but also鈥攁t least from my experience鈥攁 nearly impossible battle to win. She has worn a ($29) dozens of times for hours upon hours without complaint. Its flexible brim, supple headband, and simple external fit system all add up to听a comfy hat that she doesn鈥檛 whip off the second I put it on her head.
Heaps of Snacks
I don鈥檛 leave the house for a hike with my daughter without at least three different types of snacks. They keep her satiated and听act as a diversion if her mood starts to go sideways. I usually bring those goodies听in a ,听because it makes it easy to divide and carry an array of foods.
An 国产吃瓜黑料 Blanket
A blanket is a bulky item to bring on a day hike, but it offers a special type of magic: any clearing can be transformed into a picnic spot or a comfortable place to lie on our backs and discern animal shapes out of cumulus clouds. We鈥檝e had a 听for years, and although it takes up even听more space than a regular blanket, the durable waterproof bottom means that I don鈥檛 have to stress about dew on the grass soaking through and ruining our cloud-gazing session.
Shoes That Fit
I was going to start this suggestion by making a case for fancy kids鈥 hiking shoes, but then I looked at the muddy twice-handed-down Skechers and off-brand Frozen shoes Jojo has worn for the dozens of hikes we鈥檝e taken over听the past three months. What do those shoes have in common? They fit her feet well. At her age, this makes a bigger difference in her ability to navigate rocky trails than a special tread or stable upper.
A Change of Clothes
It is important to me that puddles, creek edges, and deep mud aren鈥檛 off limits for Jojo to explore when we鈥檙e hiking. I keep a full change of clothes in a Ziploc听to guarantee that the walk home will be comfortable, even if she decides to take a fully clothed mud bath.