Planning to Go on a Family Hiking Trip? Here Are Some Useful Tips
Taking a hiking trip with your family can be a fun and exciting adventure. It is a wonderful bonding experience that you can have with your kids while walking around in nature.
Hiking is a great exercise and everyone will enjoy beautiful sceneries, which makes it an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. You need to be prepared with a few essential items if you are planning to hike a trail with your family.
Here are a few useful tips to bear in mind when planning to go on a family hiking trip.
Proper Hiking Gear
You have to make sure that everyone is appropriately geared up for a hiking trip. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes so that you can last the entire day. Check the forecast before you leave to find out if you’ll need to wear waterproof jackets. Carefully observe the sky throughout the day for any sign of potential rainfall, so you could cut the trip short in time and try on another day.
It’s always a good idea to pack an extra pair of socks for each member. Don’t pack too many things because the extra load will make you get tired easily.
Picking the Trail
When you are planning for the hike, make sure to pick a trail appropriate for your kids’ ages. Avoid hikes that are too long or tiring for them. You must remember that your kids want a fun experience and adventure, not a workout.
Choose a location with lots of greeneries, a lake, a waterfall, or something that would get them excited. Nothing can ruin the mood and the trip more than your kids getting grumpy, bored, or tired, which will force you to walk back home. This is why it is important to carefully pick a kid-friendly hiking trail.
Pack the Essentials
Everyone should have their own bottle of water in their backpacks, and make sure to pack sunscreen, UV sunglasses, and hats for sun protection. Make sure to apply sunscreen every couple of hours to protect yourself from harmful UV rays.
Proper hydration and sun protection are crucial in a hiking trip to avoid any exhaustion or dizziness. You need to pack a few healthy snacks like protein bars, fruits like apples and bananas, and maybe even a sandwich for lunch.
Make sure to have a paper map and a compass in case your phones run out of battery. You need to learn a few basics of navigation and how to read a map and follow a compass so that you can get back in case of an emergency.
If you are a photography enthusiast, make sure to get a camera backpack to store all your camera gear. Encourage your kids to practice a no-technology rule while hiking, limiting your phones only for navigation and emergency calls.
Have a headlamp and flashlights with you in case it gets dark, and it’s always a good idea to pack a couple of matchboxes and lighters. A small first-aid kit will come in handy if anybody falls and gets injured, which is bound to happen on hiking trips.
Always pack a multi-use knife on these trips because you never know when you might use them to cut some branches to start a fire or for any other use in the wilderness. It’s also a good idea to pack a plastic tent or at least have a large plastic trash bag with you in case it rains, or you have to camp for the night.
You may not use all these things, but they are the minimum essentials you need to have on a family trip in the wild.
Engage Your Kids
Not all kids like to hike or have equal energy levels. Try to engage your kids with activities during the hike, or promise them incentives like their favorite treat or an activity they can enjoy after the hike.
In all cases, you have to be patient with them and try to encourage them to try new things and get in touch with nature. It helps give them regular breaks during the hike, so they can sit back and enjoy the view and rest their tired feet.
Play games in the wild like searching for animals or exploring different flower species. If the weather permits it, you can all take a dive in a lake if you came across one on your hike.
Remember to try to have fun and make the trip entertaining for your kids. When you are planning a family hike, you have to keep their safety in mind and engage them in fun activities, so you can get them excited for future family hiking trips.