hiking with jude
when jude was about two months old we found our groove and began taking advantage of all the great nature of the bay area by going on hikes together.
since this is one of the few activities we can do in the summer of 2020, we’ve done it a lot.
today i’m sharing my seven tips for hiking with a baby.
one of our favorites is a 6 mile loop at redwood regional park in oakland.
invest in a carrier that works for you
this is my top tip. a comfortable and secure way to carry your baby is a total game changer, even if you aren’t hiking. the ergo we inherited from maya and neela worked great for us.
wear hiking boots
sure it would have been possible to do any of the hikes in running shoes. but when you have 10-12 pounds of fussy baby it is much easier to go over a trail full of rocks and roots when you have the support of hiking boots. i got mine a few years ago at rei for our honeymoon in yosemite and have found them to be a great investment.
download podcasts and maps ahead of time
while jude is sleeping (which was about 80% of the time) i listen to podcasts and audio books since cell reception is limited in parks i download these ahead of time. i also download maps of the park through the all trails app.
Clip in the pacifier to the baby carrier
trust me. the kid will spit it out at some point and you’ll be glad it’s just dangling there instead of on the forest floor.
put on sunscreen before you go
one less thing to worry about carrying.
pack light (or at least try to)
jude and i found that for our hikes, which are typically between 4 and 7 miles, we don’t need much. everything we need can fit in or on the ergo. we typically bring the following:
3 diapers 1 diaper (update, as a more seasoned parent i now realize that so long as you are prepared for one blow out you are fine.)
an almost empty pack of wipes (when my packs of wipes are about 20% full I set them aside to use for outings as they are the perfect ‘travel size’ then)
a small towel to serve as a burp cloth and changing pad, we use this one from rei
chapstick
hat for jude if it is sunny and we are going on a hike that isn’t shaded, our favorite is this one
pacifier (clipped to ergo)
car keys (clipped to ergo)
cell phone (with wifi turned off to conserve battery life)
airpods & airpod case
water bottle (clipped to ergo)
sunglasses for me (worn)
face mask for me (worn)
talk to your baby…when you want to
of course i have lots of fun explaining things to jude and engaging his senses (see the ferns! smell the eucalyptus! hear the birdies! feel the tree bark!) but sometimes i just let him look around and take it all in while i listen to my podcasts, and that is fine too.
so those are my seven personal tips for hiking with a baby.
