Took the family on a 5 mile hike Saturday and my 7yo got blisters halfway through. Should have brought better shoes for him instead of those cheap sneakers. Ended up carrying him the last mile while my wife had the younger one and honestly it was rough. Not giving up on hiking but maybe starting with easier trails and actually investing in proper gear. Lesson learned the hard way.
Blisters at halfway on a 5 miler is rough. I usually pack molefoam or blister tape in my pack now after learning the hard way. Is your 7yo willing to try it again or did it sour them on hiking?
Man, I feel this. Between work and trying to keep the house running, I barely have time to think about gear checks before outings. Definitely grab some proper hiking shoes next time, your feet will thank you.
Oof, yeah those cheap sneakers never hold up. We learned that lesson the hard way with puddle jumping in Portland. Invest in some good hiking boots for your 7yo and he'll be way more comfortable on the next adventure.
This is why my kid wears the good hiking socks and I keep a small first aid kit in my pack. Live and learn right? Did she toughen up and finish or did you have to carry her?
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The lesson learned is way more valuable than the smooth hike would have been. You now know to bring better gear and your kid knows dad is gonna help when things get hard. Not a disaster, that's called parenting.
Yeah you should have brought blister stuff but honestly 7 year olds and hiking is tough. Five miles is ambitious at that age. Maybe next time scale it to 2-3 miles and focus on them actually enjoying it?