Your family has taken a few short hikes and you know this is a great family activity. You want to continue hiking, but really have no idea what to wear, bring or buy. Yes, all you really need are sneakers, water and snacks, but hiking with a family can be a lot more enjoyable if you have the right gear. Let’s dive in. 

Can’t-live-without hiking essentials

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1. Backpack -- preferably with side pockets for water bottles. I am currently using an old backpack we have lying around, but I’m on the hunt for a unicorn of a bag… I’ll keep you posted if I ever find it!

2. Water bottle – packing plenty of water is essential! Even though water is heavy, don’t skimp on this one. We don’t have fancy hiking bottles- we just use the ones we have around the house (and we use water bladders- see below).

3. Go-to snacks – if you’re a parent you know how important snacks are. Pack what you think they’ll eat (preferably high protein/nutritious) and then pack some extras.

4. First aid is a must, because children are always getting scrapes, and you want to be prepared for bees, poison ivy, or whatever else you might encounter.

5. Seasonal comforts such as bug spray, sunblock, hats, sunglasses, and handwarmers, extra mittens, etc. make hiking more comfortable.

6. Appropriate footwear that can get ruined/ripped/muddy. The goal is to have fun, not baby your shoes.

7. Packable tripod – Alright. This isn’t really essential, but you’re going to experience some amazing locations. I’ve found my iphone takes beautiful pictures without the weight of my DSLR, and having a packable little tripod and the ability to take a photo from my watch is a huge bonus. I’m no longer the mom behind the camera… and I want you in your photos, too!

You might like my post How To Start Hiking With Kids over at the Road Knott Taken!

Nice to have

1. Hiking pants – totally not necessary, but oh, so nice! I have women’s guide pro pants from Eddie Bower and am happy with them. Dirt and debris fall right off, they are somewhat water and wind repellant, and they breath and move easily. My husband has the same pair in men’s style. Interestingly, his have back pockets and mine don’t. Hmm.

I would also recommend hiking pants for kids that go from shorts to pants. The flexibility can’t be beat, and they’re perfect for spring and fall hikes where the temperature can change quickly and dramatically.

2. Hiking shoes – my husband and I have hiking shoes, and we find they offer more traction and support. If you start to hike often you may want to upgrade your sneakers.

3. Hydration pack & water bladder -- this is a bag with a special pocket and hole for a water bladder & straw, to allow for sipping water easily while hiking. Choose one that will fit nicely on you and/or your child. Choose a bladder with a cap large enough for your hand to fit inside, which makes cleaning and drying it a lot easier. Our children drink a lot more water with the bladder, and they love drinking out of the straw. It’s the little things!

We bought a very small one for our 6 year old, and it’s just ok. It has just enough room for his water and his snacks, but it would be nice if it had room for a layer.  However, it’s very light and small, and that’s good for him.

Our daughter has a roomier one, and I like hers better because she has room for another layer, sun hat, extra mittens, the dog’s food and bags, and more.  Her water pocket is insulated, and her bag doesn’t get wet from condensation.

Cold weather hiking gear

There’s no reason the cold should keep you inside. As long as you are bundled up and prepared, hiking in the cold and snow can be fun (and beautiful!).

1. Base layers – I LOVE my base layers. I have Columbia omni-heat base layer tights and I can wear them under any kind of pants (including jeans) and can wear them as pants. For example, I can peel off my snow pants and just wear these and they look like normal leggings. I also have a fleece base layer shirt (a no-name brand from TJMaxx) and I love that it’s lightweight, packs down to nothing, and keeps me warm.  Our children have omni-heat tights base layers from Columbia and fleece lined thermal underwear from Amazon.

2. Enough layers and extras – when it’s cold we often have the children wear their snow pants, even if there’s no snow. The extra insulation keeps them warmer. We like gaiters instead of scarves, and we keep extra hats and mittens in our packs.

3. Fleece-lined pants – they are water and wind proof and lined with fleece. Paired with a base layer they’re just as warm as traditional snow pants. These Eddie Bauer polar fleece lined pants are the pair I have.

4. Crampons/ice shoes – crampons are spikes you attach to your snow boots. They are a game changer for icy trails. All of us have them, and we are able to safely navigate very slippery terrain while wearing them. The kids tend to walk a little funny -kind of like stomping- when they first put them on, but quickly adjust.

5. Wool socks – I personally prefer all merino wool socks, but there are a lot of performance and hiking sock options on the market, and I would encourage you to try some out and see what you like. Once you do, you’ll never want to wear 100% cotton socks again! (I actually wear wool socks for summer hiking, too!)

6. Hand warmers – not necessary, but oh, so nice! We tuck one in each pocket and some of us have the snow mittens/gloves that have a pocket on the top of the hand designed for a hand warmer. Either way is nice and toasty!

Summer weather

Summer means water destinations: waterfalls, rivers and lakes. And that means the kids are going to get wet!

1. Change of clothes – we often pack each child a change of clothes in their backpacks. It’s a lot nicer to walk back to the car in dry clothes!

2. Microfiber towel – I love throwing these in our bags. They take up almost no room and can dry a whole body. They also dry really fast. This is the brand we have; we’ve had them for about 2 years and they still look and feel brand new. I also like that each body-sized towel comes with a travel towel. Sometimes I’ll pack each child just the travel size and that’s adequate to dry off after a swim and change into dry clothes.

3. Wet bag – ok, so you don’t NEED this, but it’s pretty handy! It keeps all the wet clothes separate from the dry ones so everything in your backpack stays dry.

4. Water shoes – if we’re going specifically to hike a waterfall, we will pack water shoes, or even just wear them as our shoes. They aren’t great for traction or long hikes, but they are wonderful for climbing up waterfalls and rivers.

5. Sunblock, hats, sunglasses, bug spray, and other seasonal comforts. Protect your body from UV rays and bugs, and everyone is sure to be happier.

And now the fun hiking gear

Everything on this next list is purely non-essential. We don’t pack this stuff on a regular basis, but once I choose a trail, I may bring one or two of these things just for some extra fun & learning.

1. Tools to help us see nature better – We also occasionally bring regular magnifying glasses, binoculars, a net for scooping tadpoles, a bug jar, and other things to help us get closer to nature. Our kids’ favorite is this microscope. It’s small and portable and takes awesome pictures straight to your phone. We don’t hesitate to look closer at nature as long as we can follow Leave No Trace.

2. Field guide or notebook – if your child is into identifying things on the trail he would enjoy a local field guide or a notebook to record his observations! Encourage writing and drawing whenever possible!

3. Scavenger hunt - young children enjoy noticing the small details of nature. Encourage this by bringing along a scavenger hunt. I made one for you to print out… it’s free and it’s at the bottom of this page :)

4. Picnic blanket – we don’t often bring a picnic blanket, but there have been times I wish I had one. We use a parachute blanket, which is perfect for hiking as well as the beach- it’s big, but folds up very small and packable, and it’s lightweight. I bought mine years ago and it’s no longer available, but it’s very similar to this one.

So… there you have it! Everything and the kitchen sink 😊

Really, all you need is sneakers, water and snacks, but some other gear can be the difference between truly enjoying a hike and just tolerating it.

I hope this list inspires you to up your gear game and take your family hiking to a new level.  What do you think? Which gear are you most eager to try out?

Don’t forget to grab your free Nature Scavenger Hunt! Just go to the printable page and you’ll be able to download it instantly!

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