One of our favorite things to do as a family is go for hikes. We recently moved to a new house which is located near hundreds of acres of hiking trails and we have been exploring it almost every day. Over the years my husband and I have learned what gear we absolutely need and what we don’t for long hikes, things have changed now that we have two kids that come along with us. My favorite carrier for hiking is the Ergo. I’ve been using it since our first son was born and I love it. The back carry is my favorite and I find it to be the easiest for hiking. My husband on the other hand is not a fan of it and has been searching for a metal frame carrier but has yet to find the perfect one. Any suggestions?

When we’re hiking in the warm, sunny weather we also bring UV protective sun hats for the kids like these from Swim Zip. Our favorite bug spray is this one from On Hand Lotion. We love it because it’s all natural and works great!

Our newest addition to our hiking gear are Hydro Flask water bottles. Can I just stop and tell you how amazing they are?! I had been hearing great things about them for a while, specifically how they can keep cold for 24 hours while outside and let me tell you, they really do! We have used them many times now and can attest to how cold our water stayed after many hours out hiking. They are made of vacuum insulated stainless steel and are super durable. They are available in a wide variety of colors and sizes, and are also sold in coffee friendly sizes and work just as well at keeping hot liquids hot.

And what hike is complete without some cute hiking shirts?! We’ve been adding to our collection and a few of our favorite shops to purchase from are: Jollygood Apparel, Honey Bee True Co and Camp Brand Goods.

So, those are a few of our essentials for family hikes. What are yours? Let us know if you have a hiking baby carrier that you absolutely love!