10 Summer Hiking Tips for Family Day Trips

Last Updated on September 23, 2020 by Ellen Christian

Check out these summer hiking tips and head outside with the kids. Now that school is over, I plan on spending some time with the kids. It’s hard to believe they’re 17 and 22. They’ll be moving out soon which doesn’t seem possible since just yesterday they were in kindergarten. At least it seems that way to me.

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Summer Hiking Tips

10 Summer Hiking Tips

My son and I decided to do a day hiking trip. I’m far from an experienced hiker so we decided to find an easy trail to hike on.  We have a local hiking trail called the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail (or D&H Rail Trail) that traces an old Delaware and Hudson railroad line from Rutland, Vermont to Albany, New York. It played a big part in the slate industry in the 1800s in this area and it’s an absolutely gorgeous place to hike.

Before we set out, I reviewed the summer hiking tips with him. While he’s in better shape than I am, I have a bit more experience and wanted him to be prepared.

  • Let someone know your route. While we only planned an afternoon hike, if you’re going a longer distance leave a detailed map with your route on it with a friend or relative.
  • Take plenty of water with you. This is especially important in the hotter summer months. Stay hydrated.

Summer Hiking Tips

  • Stay on the trail. I know, you’re just going to go a little bit “over there” to get a better picture or check out that flower. People get lost that way. Stay on the trails.
  • Be prepared for the weather. Carry a rain poncho and a light weight sweater in case the weather changes. You never know.
  • Carry a whistle. 3 short blasts on a powerful whistle is the way to signal that you’re lost or in distress.
  • Carry a GPS and a map. No one plans on getting lost. Don’t rely only on your GPS. There are areas they don’t work in.

Summer hiking tips

  • Remember the snacks. Hiking makes you hungry.  No matter how short or long your hike is, always bring snacks for extra energy.
  • Start hiking in the morning. Avoid the heat of the mid day and start hiking in the morning.  Heat exhaustion is a possibility.
  • Remember the sunscreen. I choose an SPF45 because I have fair skin. You should always have at least an SPF30.
  • Use a hiking stick for balance. If you’ll be heading up or down inclines, a hiking stick can help you keep your balance.
  • Don’t forget to take a break. There’s nothing wrong with sitting down and taking a break. Don’t over exert yourself. Hiking should be fun.

Summer Hiking Tips

A snack containing carbohydrates is the best choice for an instant energy burst. You want to ensure that your snack has some amount of salt in it to add back any salt your body loses due to sweating. Nuts can provide a healthy fat which will help to slow down the release of energy from the carbohydrates and sugar you’re consuming.

Summer Hiking Tips

My choice for our summer hike was Fisher Nut Exactly Snack Bites. These snack bites come in a variety of different flavors – each containing nuts, whole grain popcorn and a source of sugar for quick energy (milk chocolate, dark chocolate, salted caramel or peanut butter). This uniquely sweet & savory snack is both delicious, smart and gluten free. At 15 to 16 calories per snack bite, Fisher Nut Exactly makes smart snacking easy and fun.

Summer hiking tips

Best of all, they contain no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors, no high fructose corn syrup and have 0g trans fat per serving! They made a delicious snack for our afternoon hike.

Check out my day hiking gear list for a few ideas of what you should bring on your hike.

 

Summer Hiking Tips

175 thoughts on “10 Summer Hiking Tips for Family Day Trips”

  1. I'd love to try the almond and chocolate flavor.  That sounds so good, though they all do! Thanks for the giveaway! =)
    Reply
  2. I'd like Almond Blueberry Dark Chocolate in the morning, and Pecans Popcorn and salted caramel in the afternoon!
    Reply
  3. I'm most excited to try the Pecan Popcorn Dipped in Salted Caramel variety. Thanks. partymix25(at)Hotmail(dot)com
    Reply
  4. I would love to try the Pecan salted caramel flavor!  Entered the Rafflecopter as “Wild Orchid” Thanks for the chance to win! wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
    Reply
  5. Oh I would love to try the Peanut Popcorn Dipped In Peanut Butter!  I am a huge peanut butter fan....these sound so good!
    Reply
  6. Raising my hand! I can tell you because I have had these (they sell them at CostCo) I like the Almond Popcorn. ****That's the good news. The bad news is that your link goes to a coupon site/page that has no mention whatsoever of this product (at least not on the first 16 pages that i searched): http://www.coupons.com/?&cid=18814384
    Reply
  7. I'd like to try the Almond Blueberry Dark Chocolate flavor.  I love dark chocolate with fruits so this should be a good combination :)
    Reply
  8. I'm most excited to try the Almond Popcorn dipped in Milk Chocolate. It looks delicious. I love that its only 15 calories for each snack bite.
    Reply
  9. I'd most like to try the Almond Popcorn ones first - popcorn, almonds and chocolate would be a delicious bite!
    Reply
  10. Oh my... yum! Pecan salted caramel? Wait. No. Almond milk chocolate. Or maybe peanut peanut butter. Oh, never mind. One of each! LOL
    Reply

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