When I got pregnant I went through a phase where I was anxious my hiking life would be so different than it was. Well, that’s been proven. It’s the truth. The hiking life I had before baby and after baby look different. The thing is, if you are dedicated enough you will make the adjustments and make it work. That goes for anything. I had many conversations with families on the podcast who shared how their hiking/outdoor experiences changed when kids came along. One example is Jodi. You can listen to my conversation with Jodi in episode #16 here. She shares the challenges and rewards of hiking with a baby.
I knew we were dedicated enough to keep this lifestyle but the idea of it changing was hard to adjust to. We’ve only done a handful of snowshoe adventures with the baby but I’ve already learned helpful hints.
- Get baby used to a carrier by going on daily walks. I highly recommend doing a carrier on walks versus a stroller simply to get the baby used to the carrier. Plus, it’s an extra workout for you! I love the Infantino Go Forward Evolved Carrier we have because there is a wind (or sun) protection shield feature so it’s perfect for all seasons. It will also adjust as the baby grows.
- Feed baby before the hike. This is an important one because I’ve gone on short walks with baby when he was hungry and it wasn’t too fun. Before we set out to snowshoe at Interstate State Park I was sure to breastfeed Rory in the car. This assured he would be satisfied for about 3 hours which was roughly the duration of our hike. I am always sure to wear a breastfeeding bra when going out with baby for easy access. I found this brand to work well. They are comfortable and a good price for a 3 pack. This bra has been supportive on hikes and even during low intensity workouts (no jumping.)
- Layer yourself and baby. For myself I always try to talk myself into more layers than needed, especially for those first few winter adventures when the cold is so shocking. Luckily my husband always reminds me to dress with ONE layer less than what you think you’ll need. You can bring spare layers in a backpack. You’ll get hot within minutes of trekking through the snow and carrying baby. Read about winter layering here.
For Baby’s layers: Layering with baby is easy because it mostly involves onesie layers which keep baby really warm and are easy in cause you need a diaper change. The hands, feet, and face are the parts of baby that I worry most about because those are the parts that can be most exposed when he’s in the pack.
- Wool base layers. Wool layering is important as it will wick the moisture away. You can read my blog about Ella’s Wool. Use code to save 10%! The wool cap is tight fitting to baby’s head allowing the hear to stay in. If you are going to invest in anything wool for a baby, I’d recommend it be the wool cap.
- Zip up fleece onesie. This is perfect to put over the wool base layer because it is warm and covers the whole body. Make sure to use a onesie with feet but avoid the animal feet with antlers/added cotton. It will make it hard to put boots on if you chose to add boots.
- Socks on feet underneath the zip onesie. A thin pair of socks for an extra layer. Nothing too thick here again in cause you add boots.
- Socks on hands. Socks work perfect as second layer of “mitten.” They are tight to the skin allowing more heat to stay in. Plus socks are something you already have, so use what you have!
- Boots over the socks/onesies but underneath the snowsuit onesie. I know, boots seem impractical for a baby. Rory was gifted a pair of boots and I’m actually very happy he was. At first I thought why would you get boots for a baby? But there’s been a difference in the warmth of his feet since we’ve tried the boots. If you don’t have boots just add more socks.
- The wind/cold cloth layering protection from the pack. Since layering baby’s face with scarves/balaclava is dangerous this is a safe alternative and will add another layer of warmth. Pictured below on the left is the protection layer in use, and on the right is without the protection up. It’s easily adjustable by buttoning.
4. Start out simple. We did a 3 mile hike hike for our first route and that was just enough. You can always go longer if baby is doing well but good to go in with a mindset of less, especially if you are one who is “aggressive” in your hikes pre-baby.
5. Once you are out there it’s really no different than doing it without a baby other than having the extra weight. Once I was moving on the trail, it felt just like my snowshoe experiences before baby. It was so refreshing to be moving in the fresh snow. It was refreshing to have that part back of me from before baby.
6. Be extra cautious on hills. Especially when using the front carrier the hills can be challenging since there’s an extra load in the front. Move with ease and go slow.
7. Use poles. Poles help balance on the hills. Highly recommend using poles even without a baby.
8. Your view may be obstructed by baby. When baby doesn’t have all the snow layers on it’s no problem. But with all the layers baby sits up more in the carrier. I had to look to the side more for a view especially when going downhill.
9. Get snowshoes on before packing baby in the pack. It will be a lot easier to maneuver and adjust the snowshoes to your size without the baby in the pack. I made this mistake! Do yourself a favor and leave baby warm in the car until you have yourself set.
If you want to try snowshoeing but don’t have snowshoes, check out my ideas of Free Activities To Do This Winter and mark your calendar for the free winter events!
