This is a story about Miranda. Miranda is a nice girl with long flowing auburn hair.  She started backpacking when she was a girl with her guide troupe.  She loved it so much she joined a Trek club
 
Miranda spent years enjoying backpacking and trekking on trails known and unknown.  She met most of her friends on the trails and she even met her husband, Mike.  Miranda and Mike's first date was a hike and they got married outside amongst nature.  But now Miranda and Mike have a child....Elizabeth!

Now, Miranda's child used to be a baby....a baby that she was able to put in a backpack of her own.  Mike, Miranda and Lizzy would happily set out almost every Saturday and Sunday for a hike in the woods.  But now Lizzy isn't a baby anymore.  She's too heavy for the backpack and she sometimes has "temper tantrums"....

What is Miranda going to do?  Are her backpacking days over?  Well, obviously if I am askingthat question and this article is for a hiking website...... the answer is NO!

All you have to do when taking a child on a hiking trip is to learn to adapt to them.  So, in addition to the list of things you need to bring on a hike, you will now have to include things like sippy cups, books and wipies. 

The first thing that you should do is to buy backpacking gear for your toddler/child and to teach them early on how to carry their own stuff.  If you don't do this,  you will be carrying your child's stuff for a very long time. 

One thing you should take into consideration is that because a toddler is closer to the ground you should expect your hikes to be a lot slower.  The toddler is going to notice a lot more things on the ground than you ever did.  It is a good time to communicate with yourkids and "show them the world".  Have fun with your kids and see the world new again through their eyes.

One of the most important aspects of taking kids on hikes is to make sure that not only theyhave everything they need but that they are dressed appropriately.  The last thing you want is cranky kids on a hike.  There's no TV or entertainment to calm them down.  It's just you and them so make sure they are comfortable!!

Prepare for the reality that you will not get too much one-on-one time with your husband....and when it comes time for sleeping, you can not expect a child to sleep alone in a tent at night and of course it's not advisable.  That's part of the fun for the child is to sleep with his/her parents.  Alone time with hubby will have to wait till you get back to civilization.

Hiking clothes and shoes for your child can be a dilemma....choose carefully.  You can use hand-me-downs but only if they haven't been used so much there is nothing to hand down! 

Shoes are another issue.  Basically if you have money to burn....then go ahead and buy hiking boots/shoes for your toddler (they are cute like nothing else!) ...but if you don't have money to burn....remember the hiking footwear you will buy today, may not fit them next month due to the rapid foot growth of a child.  So keep that in mind when buying shoes.  You might find that sneakers are just fine!

A good idea is to have an activity other than just hiking when you go on your trek. 
Fishing, climbing, swimming or even bug collecting. Just remember to make lists so as not to forget anything that you will need and the rest is easy....just bring yourself and your child (and whoever else is going on the trek), enthusiasm, a good attitude and a smile!!