Learning how to love hiking can be helped along with a few simple steps. It is often hard for me to imagine how people can not enjoy hiking when it is something that I find so much joy in. However, I know as a parent there have been certain steps I have taken to nurture a love of hiking in our children. I know these steps will be of great benefit to anyone who is wanting to learn how to love hiking.
Snacks
If you really want to know how to love hiking then the answer is you need to have the good snacks. Food as it has always done, makes everything immensely better.
When you think about anything mundane or unpleasant you need to do, if good food is on offer doesn’t it suddenly sound more appealing? I remember as a teenager I had to attend early meetings on a Saturday morning. The turn out was always abysmal until they offered breakfast. Suddenly the lure of bacon and eggs was too much and attendance shot up.
Hiking snack are no different. The best hikes always include some yummy treats to eat a long the way and a scrumptious lunch to enjoy at the end. We often hike in the morning and eat our lunch at the half way point before returning back along the trail. Yesterday on the trail, we actually saw a group of teenagers having a birthday party complete with balloons and cake. I was incredibly impressed with their determination to get all that up from the trail head!
Some of our favourite hiking snacks include:
Trail Mix
Trail mixes are a combination of nuts, dried fruits, seeds and any other sort of dried food you want to include. We usually have a combinations of any of the following:
- Nuts: cashews, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia, peanuts
- Dried Fruit: Apricots, banana, mango, pineapple, cranberries, sultanas, coconut
- Pretzels
- Popcorn
- M & M’s
- Sunflower seeds
- Pepitas
- Freeze dried berries
- Chocolate Chips
- Cereal
These are just a few ideas. The combinations are limitless. Add your favourites and get creative.
Fruit and Vegetables
My kids love fruit. They would probably turn into watermelon if I didn’t hold back their consumption rate! I do find cut up watermelon a great snack on the trail as long as it isn’t too long. I pack it in a container with a drain tray at the bottom so it doesn’t end up like watermelon soup.
Berries, grapes and cut up veges are great snacks to bring a long on a hike too.
Sweet Treats
A bit of sugar goes a long way when it comes to learning how to love hiking. It is often all you need for that boost at the end or to wake up tired legs. We choose small fun size chocolate bars and little packets of m & m’s.
Granola bars are also a great way to give you a burst of energy and liven up your pace. Our kids really enjoy chocolate or yoghurt dipped pretzels or pretzel sticks. We don’t eat these things very often they are almost exclusively reserved for hiking so it is definitely a special treat.
Start Simple
One of the best secrets to learning how to love hiking is to just start simple. I think that so often when people want to love hiking they start out on some grand hiking adventure that is just too much for them.
It is best to nurture your love of hiking in small and simple ways. A short hike through a beautiful forest is going to be much more enjoyable than a 3 hour hike to the top of a summit.
When we started hiking with our kids we chose 30 min hikes within an hours drive from home. We really had to build up their stamina and we didn’t want them to become too tired and exhausted and stop enjoying the experience. This would definitely not make them want to go again.
We had a goal to hike Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. At the time we had three kids ages 2, 4 and 6 and I was 5 months pregnant. We spent the 6 months prior to our trip working them up to the trip slowly increasing the length and duration of the hikes we would go on. In the end we all made it to Delicate Arch without a single complaint and our 4 and 6 year olds made it the whole way on their own two feet. You can learn more about hiking with toddlers here
Have the Right Gear
Another aspect in learning how to love hiking is having the right equipment. You don’t need to go to big outdoor store and buy up big but you should have a few essentials to make the experience the best it can be.
Shoes
Hiking shoes or boots are amazing at making hiking a lot more comfortable. I noticed a huge difference with my kids as soon as they had proper hiking boots. We have these Merrell ones for the boys and our daughter has these Keen ones. Both excellent and no complaints.
However, with that said in most circumstances and if you are just starting our figuring out how to love hiking a pair of regular running shoes will do the job. Don’t head out in a new pair of shoes though because blisters are sure way to ruin a hiking trip.
Backpack
A comfortable backpack is essential for hiking. You will want one that is nice and padded on the back and shoulders to offer you the support needed. Our kids have ones that are perfect kid sized. The right size bag really makes a difference
When looking for a hiking backpack I like to look for a backpack with different compartments so it is easy to locate items on the trail. It can be frustrating rummaging around the bottom of the bag looking for that chocolate when you need that energy boost
Drink Bottle
An insulated drink bottle is the way to go here. I can not even explain how life changing an insulated bottle has be in my life. The feeling of freezing cold water in your bottle after an epic hike is absolute heaven. There is nothing worse than finishing an exhausting, yet exhilarating hike and having to drink warm water that has sat in the sun all day. It just ruins the experience, trust me.
We have always used Contigo bottles but any good insulate bottle will do. My 10 year old lost his expensive bottle and has been using a $3 bottle ever since and it’s been fine. No need to spend big money.
The Essentials
Okay these little bits and pieces are just going to make things a little bit more enjoyable for new hikers. They are also things that avid hikers always carry.
- Band aids
- Bug repellant
- Sting Cream
- Small first aid kit
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- A good attitude (the most essential!)
Hike Places with Payoffs
You will have 10000% more success with figuring out how to love hiking if you hike to places with big payoffs. I know for myself I hate hiking with no purpose. It is far better to go hiking in places that offer some joy and excitement rather than just a trail to walk on.
Boredom is often one of the biggest letdowns of hiking that most people report. It doesn’t have to be that way! There are so many incredible hikes that have jaw dropping scenery and spectacular payoffs.
When I am selecting a hike I always look for hikes that have certain payoffs. These are things such as:
- Waterfalls
- Swimming holes
- Suspension Bridges
- Lookouts
- Interesting scenery
- Caves
- Exciting wildlife opportunities
It is so much fun to hike when you know there is a secret waterhole coming up that you can swim in. Our family love wildlife so being able to be up close with different animals is always a drawcard.
We recently went on a hike that had a terrifying metal ladder in a cage up to a tiny lookout on a platform high in the rainforest. Our kids are still talking about that experience months later. I think they would have walked 10 times as far just to have that experience.
Bring Company
The more the merrier when it comes discovering how to love hiking. One of the best ways to experience a great hike is to invite great friends. Kids in particular love it when their friends are able to join them on an adventure into the mountains or to the middle of a forest.
One of the benefits of hiking is that it is both a great individual activity but it is also a lot of fun with company.
I think you will find your enjoyment level will increase greatly if you invite a friend to come along.
