Hiking with a child - tips on preparation, equipment and for the road - from KOKADIne to KOKADIne
#3 Hiking and longer distances with baby
Welcome to the third part of my guest blog post series KOKADI!
This time it's about “Hiking and longer distances with baby”. In April 2018 I traveled around 300km on the Way of St. James in Spain with my then 4-5 month old son. This wasn't my first long-distance hiking trail and of course I didn't set off completely unprepared with a baby in tow. But after all, you grow with the challenges and with your experience!
The decision
If you're considering venturing out, the first consideration is: what are you planning to do? How is the infrastructure on site? And how is your condition? Do you want to go on a multi-day hike or are you planning day trips from the same accommodation base? Or are you just doing city sightseeing and, like me, get around 30km according to the pedometer? And…of course…what is your baby used to and what will it “go through”? The bigger they get, the more they want to run themselves ;)!
First and foremost, based on our Way of St. James, I'll take you on the journey with me! So most of this relates to general things and the “very small ones”. A few experiences from recent hikes (with my now 19-month-old son) are also included! So here are a few personal tips that are just waiting to be tested and expanded by you:
I have always enjoyed walking and hiking a lot in the summer and ski touring in the winter. Also a lot with the Alpine Club (which, by the way, also comes with great discounts and insurance coverage when you become a member!). The addition of new blood shouldn't change anything. A 1-week trekking tour with a 20kg backpack through the wilderness in Central Asian Kyrgyzstan, or summiting South American 6000m peaks may no longer be my first choice, but that doesn't mean that you can't do anything exciting anymore ;)!
The Baby Carrier
When hiking with a baby, the first and most important decision is the carrying system. As with the choice of shoes, the... Baby Carrier simply be comfortable for you! I am infinitely happy for the carrying advice and patience of my babywearing consultant to go through several carrying systems and brands with me. As a backpack freak, I'm just there KOKADI Flip stuck. The full buckleBaby Carrier with sling material simply convinced me personally! And while I already own around 10 backpacks in different sizes and for different purposes (traveling, hiking, ski touring, etc.), I now have this too Flip in all available sizes at home J! Treat yourself to babywearing advice and find the right one Baby Carrier for you and your sparrow!! This is a great investment!! And at KOKADI there is something for everyone...from Baby Wrap, Flip, Wrapstar etc.! Of course we did the Way of St. James in baby size (5 months when we return home). Especially the change to the toddler size with the additional buckles Flip, which shift the weight from the shoulder to the hip, has been a night and day difference for me! I find it so much more comfortable to wear!!
Carrying or hiking is simply perfect! It is gentle on the circulation, it is a kind of training and supports the recovery after pregnancy, but above all it is the closeness to the child. And this closeness offers safety and security. Walking naturally wobbles and this swaying is calming. In the Baby Carrier My little one liked to sleep a lot right from the start because he simply enjoys the physical contact and can therefore easily cover his “daily need for cuddles”. We were also out in the fresh air and in nature, regardless of the weather! At the Flip I think the headrest, which you can attach with the buttons, is just great. Once my little one falls asleep, I can easily close the headrest without waking him up, as I did with cords on another one Baby Carrier for example, once happened. Depending on the blend of the fabric, the Baby Carrier also additional warmth - like another layer of clothing, whereby as a mother you can regulate the temperature of your sweetheart to a certain extent through your own body. With spring-like temperatures, I had done well not to dress too warmly so that I wouldn't sweat. The little one was in the room with a fleece suit over his clothes Baby Carrier and his neck always felt pleasantly warm. Depending on your preferences and the respective circumstances, it can be a wool walk, a softshell suit or just plain Gauntlets but also! And basically I like the sling material from KOKADI simply super adaptable and supple!
At the time of the Camino de Santiago it was very clear that I would be at the front. It has always been important to me to have eye contact with my darling to see how he is doing and when he is sleeping etc. The disadvantage is that you cannot see exactly where you are climbing when you are carrying the child in the front. I therefore avoided altitude if possible or walked with poles as an additional safety measure. When he was able to hold his head on his own after the Way of St. James, we carried him on his back a few times, which drastically minimized the risk of stumbling. Nevertheless, my favorite for a long time remained to be worn in the front. Carrying your child in the front has the advantage that there is still room for a small backpack on the back. On the Way of St. James I only had the most important things for the day in my daypack, and otherwise had our “travel backpack” sent from accommodation to accommodation via luggage transport!
My son is now 19 months old. When we go for a walk or a hike now, Baby Carrier I prefer him in the back. Even compared to a crèche, it is much more comfortable for me to have my son in one Baby Carrier to be worn at the back. My son's weight (around 12kg now) is less noticeable at the back than at the front. And the Kraxe's own weight is of course much higher than one Baby Carrier. When my husband and I travel together now, Baby Carrier I our son in our KOKADI Flip in the back, and my husband carries our daypack with the most important items on his back. If I travel alone again, as I did on the Way of St. James, then only shorter things and in stable weather. I then strap a belt bag with something to drink for both of us as well as wet wipes and a spare diaper around my stomach. When it comes to a belt bag, you have to be minimalist and, if necessary, be able to rely on the good infrastructure of the walking and hiking destinations!
But: tastes are different, just listen to it! And from my own experience I can now say that preferences change over time J! Stay open and try something out! Take it slowly and you will gradually grow with the challenges and experiences!
The route planning
After carrying at the front and still not wanting to take any unnecessary risks, I looked at the elevation profiles of the Way of St. James. I chose routes that were as flat as possible and avoided more difficult sections by bus or train. Relevant literature offers good route descriptions and, in addition to elevation profiles, you can also find out about key places in advance and then think about what you can do yourself when planning the tour. In any case with a baby, the answer should be “confident” and not pose a real challenge. I also had hiking poles with me in case of emergency, which I was especially grateful for as it was a bit slippery from the rain.
When hiking in the beautiful Austrian Alps, when I wanted to consciously carry myself in the front, I chose (easy) (forest) paths so that I wouldn't trip over roots or the like. I took paths that I knew and believed I could carry forward. I still find it practical to carry my child in the front and have my daypack on the back. If you are traveling as a couple with children, you can of course, as already mentioned, split up the child and the daypack and everyone carries them in the back. Once little ones can hold their heads up, wearing them in the back is a great option! Try it out! Ultimately, it always depends on your gut feeling!
At what altitude will your planned tour actually take you? Adults begin to acclimatize at around 2,500 meters altitude. The little ones feel the thinner air earlier and are usually more sensitive to the altitude. Take it slowly and, if necessary, consult a doctor!!
The weather report is also part of the tour planning. If the weather forecast predicts bad weather, then it's better to leave it alone and look for an alternative program or take other means of transport. But be prepared for the fact that the weather report doesn't necessarily have to be right! One day on the Way of St. James, for example, there was a forecast of drizzle and it ended up pouring cats and dogs. And that at a point where I couldn't avoid taking a bus once I was already on the way. I was happy about my professional poncho, which accommodated the child and backpack. The advantage of a poncho is that it also works well in windy conditions, whereas an umbrella quickly gives up the ghost. If it's not windy, it can also make sense to carry an outdoor umbrella at the front. It can be attached to the fasteners of the backpack and you have both hands free!
When it is colder, the “onion principle” is the best strategy. Several layers of clothes on top of each other provide the best warmth and can be adjusted gradually. Gloves and a hat sometimes sound ridiculous, but even without the Filius I have often been surprisingly happy to have a pair of emergency gloves.
When planning my tour for the Way of St. James, I created an Excel spreadsheet based on the guide literature. I listed all the places and what distance they were from each other and how many meters in altitude I would face. I also noted where there are bus connections, supermarkets and drinking water sources. After I was fully breastfed, I didn't need any milk powder or solid food, but I did need diapers. I was able to rely on the larger cities and larger supermarkets there when planning the supply situation. So plan your food carefully and take things with you that are difficult to get! While you're likely to get hot water in cafes and shelters, you'll most likely have a hard time with powdered milk! And be sure to take enough drinks and provisions with you on the way to the refuges!
On the Way of St. James the signage was reliably very good. This is not always the case when hiking. Getting lost is no fun, especially with young children. That's why it's advisable to have maps with you. At best, you have already downloaded offline maps of your route on your cell phone. The “alpenvereinaktiv” app, for example, is a hot candidate. However, you can also find GPS tracks for many hikes on the Internet so that you don't get lost.
The daily stages should be adapted to your fitness level. And it's better to plan conservatively. Your child will be carried, so they won't be tired from the hike in the evening and will have energy. Plan your daily stages and energy reserves so that you can still pay enough attention to your child in the evening and start again the next day like a newborn. You will need strength and energy for 2! So try as much as possible at home in advance!
The preparation
If you know what you want to do and allow adequate preparation time, you can develop new routines.
When my son was 2 weeks old, I started taking him for walks and keeping him in the KOKADI Flip to wear. After 10 weeks of bed rest during my pregnancy, my condition was effectively non-existent. I still remember that at the beginning, a 2km walk in the vicinity of our apartment felt like a marathon. I increased our daily quota of walks a little bit every day.
It is then important to just stay on the ball and “train” every day. When my little one was about 6 weeks old, we went on a snowshoe hike and shortly after that I decided to take him on the Camino de Santiago 3 months later. At birth my son weighed 3.2kg. When we were on the Camino de Santiago, his weight was around 7kg. Because I took him for walks every day right from the start, my back gradually got used to his growing weight. My back and my fitness have slowly “grown” with the challenge. I used a pedometer to track how much I walked every day and after a short time I was averaging 13km per day. I viewed my walks through the city as “test tours”. I tried to adapt the processes and routines to the later Camino de Santiago. We got up early in the morning and my son's sleep rhythm settled accordingly. Then we set off while my husband went to work. I sometimes met up with friends and we both got used to breastfeeding and changing diapers outside the home. I learned to recognize when he wanted to sleep, play or be breastfed and knew our routine very well when we set out on the Camino de Santiago. This routine was then just in a different place. While he was asleep, I hiked. When he was awake, I went to the nearest café and gave us both a break or improvised along the way. My son's rhythm always came first and the choice of break places was based on that. If possible, I looked for a place in the shade and a changing facility (later a high chair became another criterion), but in the end it was a luxury to actually find something like that!
After I achieved around 13km per day in preparation, I planned my tour for the first week on site at around 10km per day. The training should always be more demanding than you plan it to be in an “emergency”!
I planned and booked the first 5 daily stages and overnight stays from home. I usually planned the remaining daily stages 1-2 days in advance. I then called the accommodations and “warned” them that I would be coming with a baby. It's a good thing Spain is child-friendly J! Single rooms are in short supply along the Way of St. James. That's why I made a reservation as a precaution. At this point we would always have found a place to sleep in the dormitory! Apart from that, I had to tell my luggage transport where they should take my luggage backpack.
The equipment
Is the choice of Baby Carrier met and your little one enjoys wearing it as much as you do, then you can think about other topics. For longer distances, the choice of shoes is also essential. In any case, they should be broken in (minimize the risk of blisters), have a thick sole and ideally go over the ankles (so that you don't twist your ankle so easily). The beautiful ones KOKADI Wrap kicks So they are perhaps more suitable for shorter city walks. I walked the Way of St. James with my hiking boots and with this choice I literally “walked well”. Reinforced hiking socks did the rest. Just in case, I would still have blister plasters and fixation tape with me in the first aid kit, among other things!
If you're going on a day trip, you really only need the things you need for the day...sun protection, plenty of drinks, snacks, diapers, mats, wet wipes, a change of clothes, rain poncho, carrying jacket or windstopper jacket with jacket extension, first aid kit, burp cloth, toys, etc. All of this fits in a daypack. I had the rest transported in a large luggage backpack. With the baby and daypack, I've already weighed around 15 kg.
I filled my drinks into a hydration system in my backpack. So I drank from a hose. This had the advantage that I didn't have to put the backpack down and didn't risk waking up my little one when I wanted something to drink. I was able to drink easily while walking and still regulate my fluid balance well.
If you're traveling for several days, you'll have a bit more luggage with you! The rule of thumb for multi-day hikes is that the backpack should not be heavier than 10% of your own body weight. In my case that was due to my child alone Baby Carrier exceeded. The remaining things should therefore be packed as minimalistically as possible. As on many long-distance hiking trails, luggage transport was also available on the Way of St. James. Luggage is picked up from the current hostel every morning and usually reaches the next booked accommodation by midday. That was my “trick” to have enough with me for a month of traveling, but at the same time only carry the weight of the daypack next to my darling.
I also advise you to pack for a test. I had already taken my daypack with me on my daily walks months before the Way of St. James in its original equipment; the equipment has also changed over time. Through the experience, I saw what I was missing along the way, or what I didn't need at all on several occasions and carried along unnecessarily. I would also test pack the “large luggage” at least a week before departure. Many things to pack apply here as well as in my blog post #1 “Planning & Preparation”.
Depending on the season and climate zone in which you are traveling, you should choose appropriate clothing. Don’t forget sun protection too! Long-sleeved clothing and a sun hat are still the best sun protection for the little ones. However, you should also remember to bring sunscreen and sunglasses. And consider culturally appropriate clothing for yourself; For example, if you are traveling in Italy, you are only allowed into churches if you are wearing clothing with your knees and shoulders covered.
A great all-round jacket is my Windstopper jacket. Such windstopper jackets not only keep out wind and therefore cold, but also have a bit of water column and therefore basic protection against drizzle without getting wet. So I got a jacket extension for this jacket and, if necessary, put my son in it under the jacket Baby Carrier worn. So he always stayed warm and dry.
Depending on where you are traveling, it is not guaranteed that you can pay by card or find an ATM. Having enough cash reserves can help.
If you plan to spend the night in a refuge, you should also think about a thin sleeping bag and your own towel. As a hut sleeping bag I can recommend silk sleeping bags, they have a small pack size and are light... and you can also get them as a double sleeping bag so that there is room for 2 adults or children ;)!
By the way, a good backpack also has hip fins. Use these so that the backpack weight is transferred to the hips and not the shoulders! This also works in parallel with the Baby Carrier good!
On the way
When I arrived in Spain, one of the first questions I asked myself was to what extent breastfeeding would be accepted in public. I hadn't found anything to the contrary on the internet. It didn't take long before I saw a mother breastfeeding in a café. As a precaution, I asked the first café owner where I stopped if breastfeeding was okay and he immediately responded with an overwhelmingly positive response. So, if in doubt, just ask politely what is on your mind!!
By the way, if you have children of walking age, there is another rule of thumb that says that children should walk one kilometer for every year of their age. My little one is now 19 months old and on some days he feels guaranteed to run more than 2km. So… the extent to which this rule of thumb is realistic is something you can best answer for yourself. Every child is certainly different, but maybe this will help as a guide!?
That I was on the Way of St. James KOKADI Baby Carrier I was happy about that in retrospect. On the one hand, I heard about a family who wasn't allowed to transport their stroller on the bus. On the other hand, there were a few passages that would definitely not have been suitable for strollers. For example, I also remember a few single, large stones over which one crossed a stream... or in particular a narrow, step-like place. With one Baby Carrier You're simply much more flexible and you know all the other advantages of wearing them anyway ;)!
All in all…I repeat myself…but it is simply important: listen to your intuition! Follow your gut feeling! And no one knows your child as well as you! Only you have developed routines with your darling! Going for a walk and carrying your child is something completely natural...and it's up to you what you do with it. Gain experience and develop routines so that you can confidently travel with your treasures - whatever your comfort level means. From city walks to alpine pasture hikes, crossing the Alps or the Way of St. James J!
Your Verena aka “Mama Weltenstummel”
P.S.: what other ultimate hiking tips do you have in store?
