Hiking with babies for the first time can feel daunting, but it can be a rewarding experience for both you and your little one. Fresh air and quality family time await as you hit the trails together. With the right preparation and gear, you can create unforgettable memories while ensuring your baby’s comfort and safety. In this guide, we’ll explore essential packing tips, the best baby carriers, feeding and diaper change strategies, how to dress your baby for the outdoors, and what to include in your first aid kit. Get ready to embrace the great outdoors with your tiny explorer by your side!
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Why Hiking Is Good For Babies
Babies learn by using their senses, and I can’t think of a better way to learn about the world than through warm sunshine, gentle breezes, and the scent of moist earth and pine. New, rich experiences and sensations help build synapsis in the brain, aiding in cognitive development. Being in nature can also aid in sleep development. Sunshine helps our bodies secrete serotonin, which helps babies develop their circadian rhythm.
When Can You Start Hiking With Babies?
You can start hiking with your baby as soon as you’re cleared by your doctor and feel ready. Don’t push yourself to start adventuring too soon. Make sure you’ve given your body enough time to heal after childbirth.
Baby’s First Hike
Start slow. You and your little one likely won’t be hiking 14’ers or blazing the Appalachian Trail on your first outing. Start with a shorter hike to see how things go. Are there things you found yourself needing or wanting that you forgot to bring? Do you need to readjust your pack before your next trip to make it more comfortable? Your first hike is going to be a learning experience for both you and your little one. Take it slow and work your way up to longer and more challenging hikes over time.
Carriers For Hiking With Babies
Before your baby can hold his or her head up on their own, I recommend hiking with your baby in a Boba Wrap. The bigger hiking carriers are not designed for babies that cannot hold up their own heads. After trying several different brands of carriers the Boba Wrap was my favorite for hiking because it did not have bulky straps. This allowed me to baby wear my little one in the front while still being able to carry a small backpack for our gear.
Once baby is old enough to hold up his or her head I cannot recommend the Osprey Poco Hiking Carrier enough! It comes with a kick stand which makes getting it off and on so much easier, a UV protective sun shade, adjustable foot stirrups, and a removable/washable drool pad. It has plenty of compartments for all the gear you’ll need for hiking with baby. This was the most comfortable pack we tried for both parents and our little one. The pack adjusts up to 6 inches to accommodate height differences and get the perfect fit for the parent. With the torso adjustment feature both myself, at 5’3″ and my 6′ tall husband can both get the right fit. It also has excellent ventilation.
Dressing Baby For A Hike
If it’s going to be hot outside I recommend a sun hat with UV protection and a baby safe sunscreen. Opt for lightweight clothes that cover enough skin to protect from the sun.
For colder weather you’ll want to dress your little one in layers. A fleece base layer will work well for keeping your little one warm, paired with a warm coat, mittens, a hat, and warm booties.
Remember the general rule for your littlest hikers: dress baby in one more layer of clothing than what you’re wearing. And don’t forget the hat, since babies usually lose heat through their heads.
In addition to their hiking outfit, make sure to bring an additional change of clothes in case of blowouts or diaper leaks.
Diapering
I try to keep all hikes with my infant under 2 hours. This means I’ll usually only have to do 1 diaper change on the trail. Make sure to change your baby in the car just before departing on the trailhead. I usually leave my diaper bag with all the bells and whistles and abundance of extra diapers in the car while we’re hiking. In the back of our Osprey Poco I keep only the essentials: 2 clean diapers (just in case), wipes, and a wet bag to pack out dirty diapers. Cloth diaper wet bags, even if you use disposables, are great for containing smells, waste, and liquids. The snap clip makes them easy to attach to the loops on the outside of your pack and they can be thrown in the washing machine with your baby laundry.
Feeding On Hikes
The gear you’ll need for feeding baby during hikes will depend on your baby’s age and how you feed.
Breastfeeding
If you are breastfeeding, I do not recommend bringing a cover during summer hikes due to the risk of overheating.
Formula Feeding
If you formula feed, I recommend premixing the formula. Since premade baby formula can spoil if left at room temperature, we used our Dr. Browns Formula Mixing Pitcher at home and placed it in the fridge the night before leaving on our hike. Just before leaving the house we poured the premixed formula into a Yeti Rambler. The Yeti Rambler worked perfectly for keeping the formula cold for the duration of our hike, it has a lid that seals well to prevent spills, and the spout is perfect for pouring into baby bottles.
If you have a baby who refuses to drink cold formula, like we did, this travel bottle warmer is a life saver. It comes with several attachments to accommodate different brands of baby bottles, is battery operated and compact for the hiking trail, and can be charged in the car with a USB-C phone charger.
And of course, don’t forget to bring however many bottles you’ll need for the duration of your hike.
Snacks and Water
Don’t forget to bring plenty of snacks for you and your little one (if he or she is eating solids) to keep up your energy on the trail. You’ll also want to make sure to bring enough water to keep both you and baby hydrated. I recommend taking a sippy cup with handles that will be easier for your little one to hold on to while in the hiking pack as well as a water bottle that will hold enough water for both you and sippy cup refills.
First Aid Kit and Safety
Its always important to think ahead while hiking, but especially when you have a tiny adventurer accompanying you. Make sure to keep baby sunscreen, Neosporin, bug spray, and band aids in your backpack or Osprey Poco zipper pouch.
Be sure to bring a map of the area where you’ll be hiking to prevent getting lost. You can obtain maps at National Park Visitor Centers and Forest Service District Offices. While I love the AllTrails app, try not to rely solely on a map on your phone in case your phone is broken or dies. Always carry an emergency whistle that attaches to the front of the pack to help rescue teams find you if you’re lost or injured.
Always look at a weather forecast before hiking with baby. In the event of unexpected inclement weather, pack a rain suit or rain jacket for your little one.
And most importantly, before you leave, always tell someone exactly where you’re going and when to expect you back.
Essential Gear For Camping With Babies
Do your upcoming hiking adventures correspond with baby’s first camping trip? Check out our favorite essentials for camping with baby.
- Morrison Outdoors Sleeping Bag Sleep Sacks come in different sizes and temperature ratings. You can also trade in your old sleeping bag sleep sacks when baby outgrows them for cash back and a discount on your next sleeping bag.
- The Dream On Me Travel Light Playard is super lightweight, packs up well, is easy to put together and take down, and fits nicely in a 4 person tent.
- This portable high chair with sunshade is perfect for meals around the campsite.
- This clip on high chair is an excellent space saver for campsites with picnic tables.
Feedback
Do you go hiking with your baby? Tell us all about the adventures you had with your little one in the comment section below!
Gear For Hiking With Babies
Boba Wrap for babies without head control
Osprey Poco Hiking Carrier for babies with head control
Lightweight clothes with full sun coverage for summer
Diapers
Wipes
Yeti Rambler for keeping formula premixed with your Dr Browns Pitcher cold
Travel bottle warmer with USB-C charger
Baby bottles
Large water bottle for yourself and sippy cup refills
Neosporin
Bug spray
Bandaids
Map of trail system
Pin It For Later
More Activities For You and Baby
Check out my other feral parenting guides such as:
Cooking with Babies and Toddlers
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