Our SWELL family has explored a lot over the years. We’ve always traveled with our kids and classify vacations as adventures instead of relaxing. Many of our adventures have been with kids ranging from 7 weeks to 2 years old to 10+ years old. When planning how far or challenging the hike will be, we are thinking of how the kids will do. When hiking with kids, we’ve determined that for anything over a mile with newborns through 3 years old, we will take a carrier or stroller. Sometimes, the carriers and stroller go unused, but when they are in use, we are glad to have found ones our SWELL family loves.
One of the main factors that come to mind when hiking with kids is how far everyone can make it. Being parents of little to bigs, we have gone through our fair share of child carriers and strollers. We have gratefully been given many hand-me-downs from family and friends over the years. We have used many things, from jogging strollers and foldable strollers to baby wraps and carriers. Our SWELL family has compiled a list of our well-used favorites and the only items we recommend to parents planning to hike with kids.
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Hiking with 0-12 months
We have enjoyed our Tula Discover Free-to-Grow baby carrier for a handful of years. As a mom (E) and dad (big L), we have both carried our little one in this carrier on various hikes and adventures. Comfortable to wear and easy to pack. Washable material and very light. This carrier is great for kids who weigh 7-45 lbs. Our only note is that you and your child’s touching midsections get hot on warm summer days. We place an unfrozen gel ice pack between our midsections to avoid sweaty ones. Also, they almost always fall asleep anytime we put a 0-12 month in the carrier. Pros and cons to having a napping baby every time they are in the Tula carrier.
Just before S (our youngest) was born, we needed a new car seat and stroller. We ended up researching the Doona Car Seat Stroller combo. After many YouTube reviews and discussions, we bit the bullet and bought the very expensive Doona. It made our early vacations and road trips a breeze. The best part is that you always have a stroller and never have to take up room packing one. Our only complaint is that it’s not the best off-roading or in many inches of snow, but we have accomplished many adventures with our Doona.
Hiking with kids 9 to 36 months
We recently added a Tushbaby hip carrier to our toddler carrier collections. It is a fanny pack seat for a child to sit on and has many storage zippers. There is so much storage that we can comfortably fit five diapers, wipes, granola bars, gum, a phone, a wallet, keys, and a water bottle. We have often used Tushbaby’s hip carrier around the house with S. Cooking dinner or accomplishing chores with a toddler in toe is tricky, but Tushbaby has changed the game. The only note is that you do have to keep an arm around your child at all times. This carrier takes the strain and weight off your holding arm, but nothing secures your child to you or the carrier.
Hiking with kids 2 to 4 years old
We have had the Piggyback Rider for many years. We saw another family using this on a state park adventure and bought one as soon as we got home. The Piggyback Rider is great for a longer hike with kids who can hike for a while but need a break for parts of the trail. Easy to pack and lightweight. Our only note is that you must have a child who can stand up straight for some time.
The Summer Infant 3D mini Stoller is our primary stroller when adventuring with kids. We decided to buy this stroller for its compact size, price, and undercarriage storage. The Summer Infant 3D mini Stoller has been with us to Yellowstone National Park, Waco, Texas, Mount Magazine State Park, and Itasca State Park, to name a few. Many naps have been taken by our kids in this stroller, as the easy of laying them down flat is easy. The extendable sun visor is the perfect length to cover most of your kids’ faces while allowing them to see the sights around them. We’ve owned this stroller for many years and adventures, and it still holds up well.
Hiking with kids 5+ years old
We have been using Waterfly fanny packs for 5+ years. Four of us have a Waterfly fanny pack and have enjoyed packing them full of hiking essentials. We supply W and L (little L) with SFP lip balm, mini sunscreen, snacks, gum, and water. These packs have wipeable material and come in many colors, so we can each have unique colors.
We have had our Camelbak Hydrobak hydration backpack for several years. L (little L) received it as a birthday gift and has used it since then. Very light and easy to use. We only note that you must wash it out after every use and let it completely dry. Unfortunately, we have often forgotten to do this while on vacation. An unfortunate smell forms and is hard to get rid of.
Last year, we invested in a few Stanley water bottles. We recommend the Stanley 64oz jug for hiking with kids. This water bottle is large enough for our whole family to use on a hike. Sturdy and comfortable to carry for many miles. The only note is you can’t have a problem sharing with others.
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Camelbak Hydrobak hydration backpack
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May all your adventures be SWELL!