Must-Have Gear for Hiking With Kids

Venture out into the wild with your littlest ones. We're walking you through the basics you need for a successful trip on the trail.

Hiking is one of my favorite ways to spend a day even though I completely understand comedian Jim Gaffigan's stance that "there's nothing at the end of this trail — not even a vending machine." It's true. But, there's just something about being surrounded by nature with only your footsteps to worry about.

Enter children. I want my kids to love hiking as much as I do, or, at least, to appreciate the world around them. However, hiking with kids is not quite as relaxing, mindful and quiet. (Is anything with kids?) Yet, it hasn't stopped me from encouraging (or dragging) them up many a trail. Over the years, my husband and I have fine-tuned our necessities for hiking with kids that make the trail as adventurous and stress-free as possible. Check out our must-haves, from backpacks to footwear, written by Chelsey Bowen.

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