Winter Hiking with a Newborn

If you read the title of this and thought to yourself that hiking in the winter with a newborn sounds nuts, then this post might not be for you! Plus, you might be right… But if you read it and got a little excited, then read on my friend.

When I got pregnant and we found out our daughter was due in November, I thought to myself, “that’s perfect!” I really thought that we would feel like we were in the trenches with her. I anticipated that I’d have to completely let go of my old life for a long time. Being cautiously optimistic, I thought that MAYBE we would be lucky enough to have figured her out by the summer, and we could start venturing out then.

She has totally surprised us though. We are incredibly lucky to have a healthy and fairly easy going baby (when she’s not screaming her head off). This was probably part of the reason that my old urge to get outside returned not long after she showed up. Unfortunately, it was still winter in Ottawa. Since I couldn’t stay away from the outdoors for too much longer, we had to figure out how to get it together.

And we have! Kind of. I took my daughter out for her first big “hike,” a whopping 3 kilometres, when she was five weeks old. Since then, we’ve been out together a bunch of different times, on a few different trails.

But…

I’m no expert, and we don’t always nail it. I’ve lost more pacifiers on the trails then I care to admit… Plus, every baby is different. What works for my little one’s body and personality could be way off base for yours.

Also (insert standard clause about discussing any and all child rearing decisions with your pediatrician). But seriously. If you have any doubts at all about your ability to hike safely with your child, please don’t do it.

With that being said, if you want to get outside with your newborn in the winter, here are a few things that worked for us!

Start Small

If your baby is small, it makes sense that your goals can be small too! As you’re getting to know one another, basically every new accomplishment is a win.

When my daughter was a week old, we went for a walk around the block to celebrate. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was a great opportunity to check out how my body was feeling, and start seeing how she would respond to the big, cold world.

Since then, I took every opportunity I could to get her (and myself!) outside for short periods of time. Sometimes that meant a walk in the stroller, sometimes it meant shovelling the driveway, and sometimes it just meant standing around chatting with the neighbours while she was in her carrier. We’ve still never hiked more than 4.5 kilometres together.

Practice Makes Perfect

Starting small was important for us, because what we were really doing was practicing for the big hike! Unlike before, when I just had to practice, you know, HIKING, now there are a million things we have to practice in order for it to all come together.

Going on short walks and spending short amounts of time outside together was great practice. It gave me lots of opportunities to experiment with what clothing would work best for her. It’s obviously super important to be able to keep baby warm when you’re out on any trail, so giving myself these opportunities to practice helping her regulate her temperature was really valuable to me.

When we go winter hiking, my daughter is snuggled up in her carrier. I spend a lot of time wearing her around the house too. I think this was good practice as well. She loves it, and it’s one less thing that was “new” when we started to go out hiking. Plus, I wasn’t stuck fiddling around with a carrier that I didn’t know how to work well (there’s a million straps to these things!).

Feeding and Changing

I also had to practice feeding and changing my daughter in the car. When she was little, she wanted to eat so often that our “window” for hiking would have been too small if I tried to feed her at home, drive to a trail, hike, and try to get back home to feed her again.

In her first few months of life, we had to do a lot of travelling. So instead of always looking for a change station, we would just get off the highway at the next exit when she fussed. Then, we’d feed her and change her, and hit the road again! This helped me feel more confident that we could venture out into spaces without baby accommodations (i.e. every trailhead ever). I put her changing mat across my knees for diaper changes. She never objected to being fed and changed in the car right before (and right after!) a hike, and it made the whole thing much more feasible for us.

Dress for Success

I’ve been out walking and hiking with my daughter a lot, but we’ve never gone out in weather that was colder than -7°C.

For some of our first hikes, it was warm enough out that I didn’t need to wear a jacket. Later on, my winter jacket came into play. For such different temperatures and set ups, my baby needed different clothing systems.

When we went for our first hike I wore a fleece sweater and was totally comfortable, because it was above 0°C. But that meant my daughter was exposed to the elements. So on that day she wore a sleeper, her winter jacket (which covered hands and feet), and a little wool hat. During that hike, she was getting a bit warm, so we ditched the hat but kept her hood on.

Below Zero

For temperatures below 0°C, I wear my daughter underneath my winter jacket. I purchased a Universal Jacket Extender so that we can both fit comfortably, and I love it! One of the best things is how high it zips up. That helps cut the wind, and lets me open it up to let a little more heat out or tuck it under my chin to keep more in. I like that it can be adjusted, depending on what she needs.

Because she’s getting so much more of my body heat when she’s under my jacket, my daughter needs to wear a lot less on colder hikes. It can be kind of nerve-wracking to dress her in less, but I know it’s important that she doesn’t overheat.

The standard advice is to dress your baby in one more layer than you’re wearing. My baby seems to run hot though.

So, for sub-zero hikes, I put little socks on her, then dress her in a fleece sleeper. We bring a wool hat along, but she never wears it. I also wrap a nursing blanket around the sides of her carrier and tuck it up under her feet for the beginning of the hike. Often by the end of the hike I’ve taken this layer off, because she’s totally toasty in there- to the point I sometimes worry she might be TOO warm.

For colder hikes, I like to wear a T-shirt, and leave my neck exposed under my jacket. That way I can be confident I’m feeling what she’s feeling (and make sure she’s not at risk of frostbite).

Cotton= Awful

All seasoned hikers know that cotton is the worst fabric for hiking. It stays damp for a really long time, which can be a big worry in the cold. If you’re hiking and sweating, that sweat will stay next to your skin in cotton clothes, and make you really cold when you stop moving.

The same is true for babies. Plus, you’re going to remove them from your body heat and put in the car seat for the trip home. Unfortunately, most baby clothing is cotton! I do my best to avoid cotton, and go for materials that wick away moisture (or at least let it dry faster), like fleece sleepers.

Be Prepared, and be Prepared to Try Again Tomorrow Instead

I find it SO MUCH EASIER to get out for a hike (or any activity really) if I’ve made up my mind the day before about what we’re doing, and prepped appropriately. That means I always have her diaper bag organized the night before. And I have absolutely everything I need ready to go too. In the morning, we both get dressed for the activity of that day first thing, even if we’re not leaving the house until midday.

Having a plan and being prepared definitely helps us to get out. But being prepared to abandon the plan is also important! My daughter has slept through every single hike we’ve ever been on. She’s been happy and comfortable every single time. But there have also been times where we got to the trailhead, or even out on the trail, and I decided to bail. If I ever feel like it’s too cold, or too icey, we turn around. One day, I just couldn’t get my jacket extender zipped up for some reason! Argh! Even though it can be frustrating to have to turn around after all that planning, I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Speaking of Safety…

For our first few walks, I brought my husband along. That way, I had someone else who could help me troubleshoot any problems that came up. Having someone else with you can help tons when it comes to building your confidence.

When I hike alone with my daughter, I make sure to tell someone exactly where we’re going, when we’re going, and when I expect to return! If ever something were to happen, it’s important that someone you trust will be able to send help if you need it.

Beyond the clothing that I wear, I always make sure I have appropriate footwear for the trail. At the very least, I wear hiking boots with good tread on them, to reduce the risk of slipping. If there’s more than six inches of snow on the ground, I wear snowshoes. I wear them even if the trail is packed down at the trailhead! The trail is often less travelled further in, so might not be packed down as much later on. And, walking through deeper snow can take a lot of extra time and energy. I would never want to be out on a trail for longer than my daughter was comfortable with because I was taking too long due to a poor footwear choice.

On colder hikes, I have a small backpack that I bring along. That way, I can bring an extra fluffy blanket for my daughter, just in case (she’s never needed it).

Happy Hiking!

Hiking in the winter isn’t for everyone. And heading out in the winter with a newborn in tow can definitely be intimidating. But I love taking my daughter out with me and being able to spend time together in the outdoors. And I’d like to think she enjoys it too!

Here are some of the hikes near Ottawa that I think would be fun with a little one:

• The Beaver and Chipmunk Trails at Stony Swamp (1.8k)
• The Jack Pine Trail at Stony Swamp (2.25k)
• The Chapman Mills Conservation Area (3k)
• The Tip to Tip Trail in Burritts Rapids (4.5k)
•  The Lauriault Trail in Gatineau Park (5k)
• The Sugarbush Trail in Gatineau Park (1.9k)
•  The Mer Bleue Trails in Ottawa (1.5k)
• The Forest Hike Trail at the Mill of Kintail Conservation Area (4k)
•  The Baxter Conservation Area south of Ottawa (3.6k)
•  The Turtle Trail in Kemptville (3k)

It can be so hard these days to find the time to slow down, appreciate the beauty around us, and soak it all in like it’s new again. But I think babies and hikers are both lucky to understand the importance of doing just that. So I’ll be outside with my baby. See you there.

Advice from Other Parents!

“Dress them in layers and layers because babes can not regulate their body temperatures yet! Have dry socks and pants in the car.” – @kathrynanywhere

“Start them as young as you can! Developing an appreciation of nature is such an important thing for children.” – @runseanrun79

“Use adult wool socks over pants and under snowsuits for cheap but effective extra warmth… Ensuring good footwear for Mama is key. Invest in footwear and add crampons as needed. You don’t want to slip ever, but especially when you’re wearing a little one.” – @squishtine

“Invest in a @mec child carrier backpack! Our son is four and we still use it for longer hikes! It’s lightweight so we just carry it until he gets tired and then we put him in it… It has lots of pockets, keeps kids comfortable, and it’s so easy on parents’ backs!! Worth the investment!” – @anonymous

“Keep your expectations low! That way whatever they are able to do is a victory and it helps create a positive experience for your kids.” – @anonymous

“A good soft structured carrier is a must!”- @styleofahomeschoolmom

Do you have any tips on hiking with newborns, or older babies? Let us know in the comments!