The three most important things to take when hiking with a toddler

Carmen Fourie
May 29
7 min read

Family with a child stand on grassy field by a turquoise lake and forested mountains under a sunny blue sky, creating a joyful mood. — Photo taken at Barrier Lake

Photo: Barrier Lake Trail. See my activity here on All Trails.

We're recently became a trail walking hiking family! Living in Calgary means we are close to so many beautiful areas to explore, but doing trails with a toddler means taking the necessary precautions to ensure safety while we soak in all the benefits of being outside in beautiful nature.

P.S. One should probably take the necessary precautions even when hiking without a toddler, but I think the stakes are higher when we take littles on our adventures with us.

With that being said - here are the 3 important things I think one needs when hiking with a toddler.

The first one is not a physical thing per say

As beginner trail walkers it has greatly benefited us to use the All-Trails App to choose trails that we feel comfortable doing, but also to read the reviews and risks associated with the different trails. Reviews are particularly important to get updated information on the conditions of the trail. I highly recommend using this or some other app to have this information. We also download all our trails to be accessed offline (the paid version is required for this) to check the map to ensure we are on course.

In addition to the above, as a safety precaution, we have friends we send our chosen trail to with some details of when we'll be leaving and when we should be expected to be back so that on any given trail there is always someone who knows where we ventured to. We send them the All Trails link to the trail.

Now closely link to that is the next thing on the list.

A satellite phone/communicator

This is something I probably would not have gotten if I was hiking without a toddler (maybe if I was backcountry camping, but not general trails).

Garmin Satellite communicator on black-clad lap, displaying 2:50. Surrounded by colorful clothing in a casual setting, creating a relaxed mood. — Don't mind our messy car right after we got back to it from doing a rainy trail.

But given that we are hiking with our 2-year-old and mostly in areas that do not have any cell phone signal or have limited cell phone signal - I felt it necessary to get a satellite phone.

Our very first trail (pictured below) as a family would have been with friends, but they pulled out last minute due to the weather. We chose to still go and do an easy trail in that area (Bragg Creek). It both rained and snowed, and we did not see a single other person on the trail. There also was no cell signal on that trail (it was an easy one with very little risk). This made me think about what we would do if for example either myself or Ian were injured and the other needed to go get help. We would want some way to communicate.

A family in snow jackets poses in a snowy field. A mother carries a child with a pink hat in a baby carrier. Trees are visible in the background.

Snowy Owl Snowshoe Loop at Bragg Creek - 4.92km.

After this trail I started looking into satellite phones and asked for input on mom hiking groups. The most recommended one and the one we ended up getting was:

Garmin inReach Mini 2

I tried to buy it 2nd hand, but I couldn't find a sale that worked out before our next planned cellphone signal free trail. So, I bought it on Amazon.

P.S. When I looked this was by far the cheapest (even cheaper than buying it from Garmin).

The set up was easy. Ours arrived the morning of our planned hike. It took me about 20 minutes to set it up. It does require a paid subscription to work.

I also specifically set up our SOS function to alert that we have a 2-year-old who hikes with us.

Since getting this phone I take it all "nature walks" (that's what our toddler calls them) even if there is cell signal just in case. It allows me to be able to send out an SOS with a simple press of a button.

Note: We hike in bear country so for most nature walks we carry bear spray, but I don't necessarily carry it for all of them. For example, the urban nature walks I do I don't carry bear spray (because when I am in a low bear risk area the bear spray poses a small risk to my toddler in our bag, so I only take it when I think it is necessary to take). I do, however, always carry our satellite phone and it is always clipped to the outside of the bag for easy reach. I will still get a case or holder for it.

I must add - this is not a cheap purchase. The satellite communicator plus the activation fee plus the monthly subscription is definitely a cost worth considering. But even with the cost being steep - I think it is necessary and even more important than for example a fancier hiking bag (our hiking bag is awesome, and it was $14 from Goodwill). It is an item you hope not to need, but you want it in case.

Our experience: We have only used the messaging function on it so for now I can't share much more on our experience of using it. It is nice and small (which what we wanted), but still seems durable.

And now for the last item on my list -

A "baby carrier"

Adult with child on shoulders sits by a serene lake, surrounded by trees. Snowy mountains are visible in the misty background.

Photo: Emeral Lake Trail using an Onbuhimo carrier from Sakura Bloom. Please note this was my first time using the onbuhimo carrier and I only saw afterwards that the fit was not ideal. You want your kiddo to have a deeper seat with the back panel going higher up.

As you can see from several of our photos we have chosen (for now) not to use a hiking carrier for a few reasons. One - I have quite a bit of experience (despite the not perfect fit in the photo) with baby carrying and carrying Elba on my back. I feel good and comfortable doing this. She likes to be close to us and with a hiking carrier your kiddo typically sits away from your body. I also find this more comfortable compared to a hiking carrier (we had one that we tried and gave away). We may revisit a hiking carrier in situations where we need more packing space if for example we go backcountry camping, but for trails lasting a few hours I prefer a "normal" carrier that is made to back carry.

Why is a "baby carrier" on this list?

A 2-year-old is unlikely to want to walk an entire trail, but even if they do - they have little legs, and it will make the walk much slower. I don't think it fun or safe to carry a toddler in our arms for extended periods of times on trails. It is better to be hands free and with them on your back (safer in terms of balancing and watching where you walk).

P.S - most back carriers are only for kiddos that can sit fully unsupported. Before that it is best to front carry or look into specific wraps that require more skill to carry a smaller baby on one's back.

On every one of our walks there came a time where our kiddo didn't want to walk anymore and the carrier is invaluable for those times. There are also times when the weather changes and it best for us to speed things up a bit and then we use the carrier. Our kiddo also naps in the carrier when she is tired.

When I do nature walks on my own

It is easy to say I carry Elba on my back when Ian and I walk together, because he carries the hiking bag and I carry Elba. But when I am on my own, I still do use my preferred carrier, except I take a lightweight bag, and I wear it on my front when Elba doesn't want to walk.

Woman smiling with baby in a carrier on her back, walking in a forest. Green trees and a dirt path in the background. — Wearing the Sakura Bloom Scout Carrier

This works well for me. When she walks, I simply wear the backpack on my back. I can fit everything I need in the lightweight backpack.

Which carrier to use

Three people in raincoats smile on a forest trail; one carries a child in a green-patterned cover. The scene is wet and lush.

Pictured above is the Sakura Bloom Scout (linen with leather).

My preference for trails is to use either one of my Sakura Bloom carriers. I have a Scout and an Onbuhimo. I also have an Ergo 360 Mesh that I have used a few times, but it isn't my preference.

Pictured below is my Ergo 360.

Three people smiling on a forest trail. The woman holds a child in a green hat, while a man wears a blue backpack. Lush greenery surrounds them.

The Ergo is a great carrier with, in my opinion, the best head cover for napping. But I don't like it for trails for two reasons - the first - it is bulky and therefore if I am not using it, I still wear it rather than put it in the backpack (which is mostly annoying when I am by myself). The other reason is - it is a medium height back carry. To explain this, I will share why the Sakura Bloom is my preference.

My first Sakura Bloom carrier was the Scout - it is designed using the idea of an Onbuhimo but it has the additional feature of a waistbelt (this helps to distribute the weight and make it easier to carry heavy kiddos). An Onbuhimo (and by extension the design of the Scout) is a traditional Japanese style baby carrier designed to be worn high up on your back. That means that your kiddo can see over your shoulder. Most other back carriers are mid or low back carriers where your kiddo will not have a nice view of your walk.

Woman carrying a child in a forest, both smiling. She's wearing a blue jacket, child's in pink. Path with roots, tall trees surround them.

The other reason I prefer my Sakura Bloom carriers is because they fold up quite small and fit into the backpack easily because they do not have bulky buckles. The Onbuhimo in particular folds up super small. That being said - I do recommend the Scout over the Onbuhimo for general use. The Onbuhimo places all the weight on your shoulders and it is more tiring and takes more time to become stronger to use it for long distances. I got an Onbuhimo carrier for times I want to be able to carry with a baby bump or to tandem carry two kiddos. So, I am using it now already to build up that strength and get good at using it. The Scout does not require this additional strengthening and is easier to use.

And that concludes my list of the 3 things I think are very important when hiking with a toddler to make the hike better and safer.

I hope this is helpful and please check back in as I share more about our hiking experience and what we learn.

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