Family Hiking Checklist!
Food: Sandwiches, granola bars or ziploc bags of cheese, cold cuts, cut fruit (berries are great and light, mandarins), nuts and/or chocolate bars. Try to avoid containers, heavy items.
Water: At least one liter per person. Check REI recommendations.
Sunscreen, sun hat, rash guard
Clothes: Layer, best are wool items, like shirts and socks. Puffy jacket and hats. Bring 1-2 extra outfits because they’ll likely get wet and cold. If you have a muddy buddy (essentially a rain suit) for your child, I recommend it for walks with water features.
Shoes: Hiking boots or shoes. Make sure you have good tread. Depending on how much it’s raining, the trails can be muddy.
Hiking poles: Helpful. I’ll let you know when they are essential
For babies
Diapers: Make a ziploc kit of the actual number you will need (plus one), a small ziploc bag of wet wipes, samples of aquaphor or buttpaste, and a trash bag (compostable, hopefully) to carry out any garbage
Snack cup: Fill it up with your little’s favorite treats
Distraction toys: Baby car keys, rattles or pill bottles filled with rocks/sand, baby boombox, small lovey/stuffey, fidget toy
Blankets
If wet, quick dry towel or rain jacket: This is to sit on or wipe off wet benches. If you carry a backpack that has a rain cover, you can also use that to sit on.
If dry, a blanket that folds or zips up into a small bag to carry. You don’t want to lug around a heavy blanket.
Straps to attach bottles, distraction toys to your backpack carriers
Portable battery for charging phones