Some of the best memories I made in Alaska were when Oakley was strapped to my chest and we are hiking near waterfalls, a lake, through a forest, etc. It was truly some of the most amazing moments in my life and I hope these tips and tricks can help you if you plan to travel and hike with a baby or if you are an outdoor family and like to spend time outside at home! Having a baby doesn’t have to mean you stop doing the things you love- it just means you have to accommodate a few extra things for your fun trips!

Carriers

I bought a backpack carrier that I tested prior to leaving for Alaska and absolutely loved it. I felt my center of gravity was much better when she was on back compared to when she was on my chest. The only negative to the carrier is that it is quite bulky so I did not take it with us on our trip to Alaska. You definitely could bring this carrier on a plane but I would recommend using it as your way to get baby around in the airport and then gate checking it for each flight. It has a stand as well so I can get in and out of it without assistance. The backpack also comes with a canopy shade to keep baby out of the sun

For our Alaska trip, I ended up bring my front facing chest carrier for Oakley. I was able to pack it in my checked bag and it was perfect for all of our hikes- some were up to 3 miles roundtrip!

Other Items

Depending on how long you are hiking for, your packing list will vary drastically. I packed 1 diaper for every hour we were gone, a backup outfit, wipes, sunscreen, her sunhat (that she refused to keep on), water, and snacks for her. If you are planning on a long hike, it is always recommended to have a first aid kit as well in case something were to ever happen. I also recommend to never hike alone and if you do, please carry a back up satellite phone with an SOS option on it in case of extreme emergencies!

If you would like to read about the baby friendly hikes we did on our last Alaskan trip, please visit this blog