Snowshoeing and Hiking with Baby Bears

Tips and Tricks for Having a Fun Outdoors in the Winter

In some of my previous posts, I’ve dabbled in getting the family out of doors in the winter so that you can all enjoy it. You can check out this post on how to dress your baby for the winter, or this one on how to get amped for snow like when you were a kid. In this post, I’m going to specifically give you my tips and tricks for snowshoeing and hiking with baby bears in the winter.

In this post, I’m getting focused on the specific activities of snowshoeing or hiking to get really granular. Babies and toddlers, when dressed appropriately, can be outside for around 30 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye out for signs that they are getting cold, their cheeks are getting too red, or that they are no longer enjoying the activity.

Note: Babies have a harder time regulating their body temperature and so dressing them warmly for outdoor play is a must. If you have questions seek your pediatrician’s advice.

Tips for Snowshoeing or Hiking with Baby Bears:

Plan Ahead

Getting everyone dressed and ready to go creates excitement and that excitement really primes the fun. But if you don’t plan ahead, if you get lost, gear doesn’t work, etc. that can deflate all of that excitement and make the activity more of a trudge than a hike. This will give you time to get ready, to know what gear you need, and you can prepare your family for the event.

Know Where You Are Going

This is part of planning ahead but seriously, know where you are going. Know how to get there, and what the parking situation is going to be like. This will keep you from spinning your wheels and loosing all of that excitement. If you get somewhere but have to park far away from the trail, or you’re too close to the road, can lead to a rocky start.

If you know the area where you are going, you can have a Plan B if the trail head is too crowded, or the trail is closed. You also know whether there is a bathroom or place to grab food nearby.

This is also important because you want to have some idea of how far you will be going or how long you will be outside. This will help you dress your baby bears appropriately. You don’t want to get too far away from your vehicle to have one of your pack start crying because of cold fingers, toes, or faces.

When possible grab/pack a trail map. Markers can fall or fade over time. Memories can fog. And kids are super visual. On top of not getting lost, or missing the one thing you really amped your kids up about, they’ll get a kick out of seeing what they’re doing. They’ll love checking it out in the car ahead of the hike or on the way back. And they can save it to play with or as a souvenir.

Test Your Gear Out Ahead of Time

Nothing is worse than waiting until you are out in the cold and the wind to put your snowshoes on or try to load a baby in a pack for the first time. No one wants to stand still and get cold while you fumble around and try to figure out how something works.

Trying your gear out ahead of time helps you get all of the sizing figured out. It gives you time to look over the different features of your gear and do some searching or ask a question if you need to. If you’re using a trailer for your little one and you found out you’re missing a part at the trailhead, things might not go as planned.

Timing Is Everything with Baby Bears

You want to make sure that you pick a time that fits with your baby bear’s routine. Don’t encroach on nap time. A cranky bear can ruin even the most fun activity. Similarly, make sure you’re not cutting it too close to meals.

If you plan to be out and know that you might be getting close to nap time, plan accordingly. Maybe you know you’ll take a longer drive home so your kiddos can sleep in the car. Or if you will be out and potentially miss lunch time, pack a picnic lunch. Even if you’re not near nap time, do yourself and pack the snacks.

We keep squeeze pouches of baby food and now mixed apple sauces in the car. Since we have a dog that comes basically everywhere with us, we also make sure to have an emergency meal or two packed for him. This also helps get him back to us if he slips a collar, a leash breaks, etc.

If you’re a breastfeeding Mama Bear, top baby bear off in the vehicle where its nice and warm. Dress in layers so that you can stay covered and still feed baby on the trail. If you’re bottle feeding, they have insulated bottles now but you can also place your bottle in warm water inside a coffee tumbler. Or if you’re like our friends, and your truck has an outlet – pack the bottle warmer!

Pack Extra:

Piggy Backing on the last tip with snacks, bottles, etc. always pack extra: extra snacks, food, a change of clothes, an extra layer, diapers, etc.

Clothes will get wet and/or dirty. Babies will pee through their diaper or have a blowout. You might be doing a tailgate diaper change before and/or after your hike. It’s just a good idea to be prepared for a lot of different situations, because with kids…let’s face it, the more you try to predict what will happen, the more we’ll get it wrong.

For hats in photos: Knitting in the Park
For the Review on the Patagonia Snowsuit
Camo Snowsuit – Old Navy
Soft Baby Mittens – Head

Take ALL of the Pictures

I can’t tell you how often I look back at a hike, a sled ride, or something that we’e done as a family and wish I had more photos. Take loads of photos. Let your kids take photos. Ask your partner to take photos of you. Don’t let a memory pass you by. You can always delete the bad or extra photos when you get home. But please, if you remember one piece of this advice, take the photos.

You can always go back and hike something again, but you can’t get the memories back from the first time you did it.