Hiking Considerations

Hiking Considerations

Hiking Pace

Infants can’t walk, and letting them crawl to your destination is neither timely nor hygenic. So that means that Mom’s going to carry the baby in a backpack and Dad’s going to shoulder the rest of the gear. Dad may be shocked at the realization that he’s not going to get to carry the same sub-twenty pound pack that he gets to carry on a summer trip with his buddies, but rules are rules! The bottom line: you’re both going to be shouldering some weight, so slow down, take it easy, and lower your mileage expectations.

Toddlers, on the other hand, can walk. There are two major problems when hiking with toddlers. First, they hike more slowly than adults, and can tire quickly. Second, they have ideas of their own about the route you carefully planned at the kitchen table–distractions like bugs, moss, and maybe even decaying animal carcasses can all cause deviations from your path.
Our experience is that as a result of these issues, you can only count on hiking about two to four miles per day, a little more for older school-age children or if you are carrying your infant on your back, and perhaps, a little less for preschoolers.

More important than the number of miles you hike is the amount of time you spend on the trail.
If your family can walk five or eight miles a day, great! Realistically, however, you probably should try to limit your time on the trail. You don’t want to rush to flee camp in the mornings, and you don’t want to be setting up camp and cooking dinner in the dark. Give your kids the time to enjoy camping and playing in the wilderness, not just hiking in it. A good rule of thumb for summer: spend about four to five hours on the trail, with plenty of trail time built in for breaks and play.