Top Tips for Winter Hiking with Kids
Walking in a winter wonderland…. (Whernside in the background)
What are our top tips for walking in winter with kids?
Keep them dry and warm.
OH YES. I stated the obvious right there didn’t I?! But it’s true. The key to any successful winter walk is keeping those little darlings absolutely tickety-boo!
I mean let’s face it. As an adult we pretty much all hate being wet and cold right? And with kids being the actual embodiment of an emotional barometer, they are just saying what we all feel! They just express it rather loudly and. well…. more persistently than us grown ups!
But whilst keeping warm and dry is literally the most important thing (other than snacks)… I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.
So read on!
Everybody loves a snow day right? (On Whernside with Ingleborough in the background)
Layer up baby, we’re going OUTSIDE!
Layers, layers, layers. I cannot say that word enough.
LAYERS!
This is 100% the way to go when it comes to walking in the cold. Why?! Ever experienced the 180 degree whip around from the ‘I’m freezing’ complaint, to the ‘I’m boiling’ moan? Well that.
But also, layers help to trap warm air between them, to keep the wearer of the layers warmer and they also provide additional insulation against the cold, the more layers, the more insulation and the more air pockets are created to keep the warm air in.
Equally, the more layers, the more adjustment potential to get the optimum walking temperature. And with kids, we all know how crucial THAT is!
THERE. Some basic science (and that IS the level of my science!)
So easy peel layers (a bit like an onion …. if you didn’t get the Shrek reference, well, I’m sorry….)
Leaping on the top of Pen y Ghent when the snow and sleet came rushing in…
What do we wear on a winter walk?
This is ENTIRELY dependant on just how wintery your winter day is. So, I’m going in stages.
Autumn/ Mild Winter Days
You’re RIGHT that’s NOT winter!
But it sure can feel like it! Autumn is literally the terrible twos of the seasons. It CANNOT make its mind up it can be baking hot one day, blowing a hooley then next, and feeling like the bottom of the Tesco deep freeze section the next.
And that’s all in one walk.
We wear….
A thermal pair of leggings. Muddy Puddles is our staple favourites and we love the designs and the fact that they last really well, but you can pick up a reasonably priced base layer from places like Mountain Warehouse too.
Wet weather? Layer underneath a pair of waterproof and preferably windproof trousers. We like the PU style as they are the best at being waterproof and windproof. PLUS they come with a little stirrup that fits under the boot…. and that my friends, gives you a dry sock too (unless you have leaky boots. No remedy for that I’m afraid, apart from new boots!)
A short sleeved base layer. Ideally sweat wicking.
A fleece or sweater layer (hoodies can get pretty wet and heavy around the hood if it’s raining, so we tend to go for jumpers/ fleeces in wet weather)
A waterproof layer, either thick or thin dependant on the temperature.
A hat and gloves. Gloves are best if they are waterproof on the outside. Yes. They basically live in our Autumn/ Winter coat pockets and bags as they are easy to add if necessary, but you’ll be kicking yourself if you leave them behind!
An early winter sunset behind the Ribblehead Viaduct
What to wear on Icy Winter Days
This is the kind of day when you need to LAYER up. Go hard or go home and all that! Wind chill can bite and that’s just at ground level, so be extra prepared if you’re headed high.
Check out the pictures so far on the blog. Most of them were taken when we tackled Whernside in the snow and ice in January. It was one of the most glorious days, perfect sun, little to no wind, but in the shade the cold was BITEY, particularly as we drew closer to sunset!
This is what we wore…
Thermal base layers. All by Muddy Puddles. But, whilst we love the longevity of a good quality brand, they are pricey, so bear in mind that shops like Mountain Warehouse will sell reasonably priced alternatives or even Boyes! I’ll never forget the time Boyes rescued me from a freezing cold Summer camping trip…….
Fleecey lined/ thermal leggings under walking trousers (with waterproof trousers in case) This is my eldest’s go - to. She hates having cold legs so wears fleecy lined leggings, with walking trousers over the top. Then she has a pair of waterproof trousers if it rains.
A thin sock and a thicker outer sock under a waterproof walking boot. Always walking boots and never wellies. Wellies are great for summer puddle splashes but are too cold for Winter and they give zero grip for anything other than a level road.
A second short sleeved base layer. Just to add to the core warmth.
A thin fleece mid layer. This is your peel-able layer when somebody is too hot on the climb.
A thin gilet layer, which is perfect for a ‘hot when you’re climbing, cold when you aren’t’, day as you can take off the outer coat and still keep the core warm.
A thick winter ski style coat, with waterproof outer and fleece inner. OR a thinner shell waterproof with another thicker windproof layer underneath.
A neck warmer that you can pull up over the nose and mouth.
A thick bobble hat. Love a bobble hat. But they keep ears warm, and protect them from the wind.
Waterproof thick gloves. TIMES TWO! Somebody will fall, somebody will get wet gloves. And even if they’re waterproof, take a spare set as cold hands are the WORST!
I also had a hot water bottle and hot water on hand to fill them. This is a thing I always have to hand from cold water swimming, but zipping them into a coat is a toasty treat!
HANDY EXTRA! We have a pair of kids spikes that slip over walking boots. If you are walking in ice at all, these are great to add extra grip to a walking boot.
Muddy walking boots!
Wellies or Walking Boots?
THAT is the question.
For me, it’s always walking boots, so getting a good waterproof pair is ESSENTIAL.
The only situation where we wear wellies is when we do a short flat Summer muddy wander. Why?
Wellies are cold. They really are! They are great for splashing in puddles and wading through mud, but unless you get some really good lined ones, you will get cold feet in no time. Yes. You can add layers of socks, but in my opinion, walking boots are just warmer.
Wellies don’t have the best grip. They are not great for gripping onto much at all. So if you are headed out on a proper walk, walking boots all the way.
If there’s ice on the ground and you have an older walker, consider getting some stud slip ons which fix over the top of a walking boot to grip onto any slippery surface.
A little sneaky warming extra….
Take the central heating…
No, not the house…
Take a Winter Picnic filled with belly warming treats! Being warm from the inside is key on a cold day, so grab your thermos and off you go!
Take a hot chocolate or tasty hot drink. Again, absolutely essential to keep your winter explorers on the go!
Consider a walking pole
My two are obsessed with the walking poles they bought from Decathlon last year and are pretty handy on icy/ snowy/ muddy winter hikes.
They can provide a bit of extra support when you’re crossing anything slippery, or trying to traverse the mud!
Animal tracks are easy to spot in the snow!
Winter Walking Games
Oh yes. No matter how warm, cosy, dry, well fed and comfortable your explorers are, you are highly likely to have a visit from that perpetual companion.
The walking whinge!
So here are a few of my favourite walking games to help beat the moan factor!
Frozen Bubbles
This is a game you can ONLY play in the Winter and when the conditions are right! An air temperature of around -2 will mean you can blow bubbles and they’ll instantly freeze… COOL huh?! (Pun intended!)
Animal Tracking
Whether it be in mud or snow, this activity is a classic winter distraction! You can hunt down the tracks and speculate wildly as to what it may have been (or you might know…. if you do, GO YOU!) Check out Catkin and Co. for a top animal tracking kit!
Get the Map Out
This is a game that works for all age groups. For the very young, you can get them to draw a map of what they see on the walk using either a timeline, or a simple circle. For older ones, get them involved in the map reading and you can even practice your compass skills. Ordnance survey have a great instructional video for basic compass skills.
For more walking games head to our Family Walking Games Page
So there you go!
Go forth into the snow and…
ENJOY!
If you have enjoyed this blog why not check out….
Looking for some hot picnic ideas? Head to our Hot Picnic Blog.
Want to keep as mud free as possible? Try a Reservoir Walks
