Planning to take the family on a 4 mile trail this Saturday and my youngest just turned 3. Looking for any advice from guys who've done this. Should I go with a backpack carrier or try to let him walk some of it? We've done shorter walks before but nothing this long. Also packing snacks and water but curious what everyone brings. Trying to beat the heat so thinking early morning start.
4 miles is doable but bring way more water and snacks than seems reasonable. We always underestimate how many breaks they need. Have fun out there though, those memories stick with them.
We took our daughter on a 2 mile trail last month and honestly the snack breaks turned into the whole trip. For a 3 year old I'd say build in more stops than you think you need and maybe do a shorter route first to see how they handle it.
Tons of snacks and water. Seriously bring way more than you think you need. Also make it fun, let them lead for stretches even if it's slower. We do treasure hunt style hikes with our toddler.
That's a long one for a 3 year old. We've had good luck with the Kelty backpack carrier for when they get tired. Takes the pressure off expecting them to walk the whole thing.
Take it slow and don't stress if you don't finish. Some of our best family memories are from hikes we had to turn around halfway through because the kids were done. The point is being outside together.
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Four miles with a 3 year old is ambitious. Have you thought about carriers or should the kid hike the whole way? We usually do 2 miles max with ours and even that's pushing it with snack breaks every 10 minutes.