Hiking With Kids – A Checklist Before You Go

October 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Hiking with your children can be great experience for all of you, but it can also be miserable if you don't prepare well. Stave off grouchy kids with this checklist:   Choose the trail carefully. Not all trails are appropriate for all ages, or all kids. A flat three-mile hike may be challenging but fun for your best friend's six-year-old and too much for yours. Guidebooks will often provide some idea of a trail's difficulty level, and park rangers are also a great source of information. Bring extra water. Dehydrated children are grouchy children, and dehydration can be dangerous. Kids have a tendency to spill their water bottles, so be sure you have backups and remind them to drink water regularly. Bring healthy snacks. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hiking Safety, Hiking Trails, Kid-Friendly Trails Tagged With: , , ,

Things To Remember When Hiking With Kids

October 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As a recreational pursuit, hiking has few peers. It is healthy, great exercise, allows you to commune with nature, and it is free. And to top it all off, it can be a fantastic family outing. You can teach your children at a very young age to appreciate nature and the importance of hiking as a lifetime activity. But before taking a hike with the kids, stop and consider a few factors that will help ensure that the outing is enjoyable for all parties involved. First and foremost, you must always protect your children. One of the dangers which slips past many parents is skin damage from the sun. Always lather your little ones up with an appropriate SPF sun screen to avoid a burn. You might also contemplate buying children's clothing that … [Read more...]

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Some Advantages of Lightweight Backpacks

October 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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As a backpacker, you can travel further and faster by packing lighter with lightweight backpacks. Many who have jumped on the lightweight bandwagon find they can wear light running shoes when carrying a 15 to 30 pound backpack instead of the heavy-duty hiking boots they must wear when carrying the 45 pound plus heavy-duty pack. This means that the backpacker can travel more miles in a shorter period of time and may even equate to a higher safety level. The comfort level is often greater because less weight means you will be less sore at the end of the day. Traditional backpacking has a few disadvantages that are overcome by using lightweight backpacks. First, when you backpack with heavy equipment, there is less freedom of movement. You … [Read more...]

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How to Find Inexpensive Hiking Gear

October 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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I love hiking, I love hiking gear and I start getting pretty excited when spring is only a short while away and we can get into our hiking mode with more gusto. Admittedly I am not a lover of winter hiking for more than a day hike so I really look forward to the warmer weather, especially since we live along the Pacific Westcoast. I don't love hanging out in malls or shopping endlessly for clothes but put me in a camping, hiking and outdoor store and I feel right at home and my adrenaline starts rushing at the sights of new gear and gadgets. The smell of the latest and greatest, what new pot set has MSR got this year? What are the new features on the Osprey backpacks that mine doesn't have? Maybe we need more titanium kitchenware? But … [Read more...]

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How to Hike With the Kids

October 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

With technology of today at our fingertips, it can slip our minds just how little exercise we are getting on a daily basis. Our little ones are so involved with the latest XBox game or the internet wars they can get caught up before you know it. The childhood obesity rate is souring and there is a simple and enjoyable solution to the problem... take them hiking. Kids really get excited when they are walking the trails and come across an animal scurrying across the field or see a stream with frogs singing for their friends. Their imaginations go wild and the look of pure joy is evident on their faces for the whole day. I love watching the children on the trail because they will spot things that we miss just because they are fresh and new … [Read more...]

Filed Under: How to Hike & Backpack, Kid-Friendly Trails Tagged With: , , , ,

Video: How To Stay Warm in a Sleeping Bag

October 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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