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“I’m very cautious about saying, ‘Okay we’re hiking to XYZ,’ and instead have a kid-led hiking agenda.”Įvery kid is different, but older, schoolage kids around eight years old and up can manage higher mileage. “Kids get curious, want to stop and look at things, socially interact and play,” he says. But, he adds, he’d opt for shorter trips over longer, and has always paid close attention to whether his kids were enjoying themselves or not. Schimelpfenig says that kids are capable beings, explaining that he backpacked up to six miles a day with his six-year-old. Just getting out and going any distance with kids three and under should be considered a “win.” Still, here are some guidelines: Ages 0-3Ĭanale recommends that parents carry kids, at least for most of the hike, when they’re toddlers.įor this young age group, we recommend sticking to outings less than two miles. She adds, “Within reason, I don’t think we should be putting limits on them.” “The key is to stay well-hydrated, have snacks, take breaks.” “I think the average, school-age child could easily go 5 miles, as long as you’re going at their pace,” says Dr. Here’s what Schimelpfenig and Canale have to say about much weight kids should and shouldn’t carry, and how far they’re capable of hiking, broken down in three age groups. Stephanie Canale advises kids and parents daily in her family medicine practice in Santa Monica, California, and hikes regularly with her 8-year-old son. Tod Schimelpfenig is the Curriculum Director for NOLS Wilderness Medicine, and raised four kids in rugged Wyoming, taking them each backpacking as early as age 3.ĭr. But knowing how far kids can actually hike, and how much they can actually carry helps parents plan better routes and know the difference between instilling a sense of accomplishment and taking the fun out of hiking. While out on a hike, it’s common for kids to say, “it’s too far” about the trail, or, “it’s too heavy” about their backpack.
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