We were recently asked by a reader:
Alyssa and Chris, what are your tips for taking a 1-year-old snowshoeing?
We took our first child snowshoeing when she was six months old. My tips?
- A good carrier for mom/dad + super warm layers for baby, cause remember the babies aren’t actually making any extra body heat by walking! Rei/Patagonia down buntings are great. We used fleece (not wind proof) but weren’t out for too long. Looking back, I’d try to have a windproof layer of some sort, like the DucksDay baby snowsuit or rain suit.
- Carriers like the Beco/Ergo actually allow you to share body heat with them, verses a backpack carrier that holds them away from you. Keeping baby warm will probably be logical for you (if not here is a few tips).
- Just remember one of the greatest unforeseen dangers is the bright light off the snow. Baby sunglasses are a must. Goggles are better cause they also work to keep them warm. All our kids have the Smith Challenger OTG goggle. They are inexpensive ($25) and fit from roughly 1-yr to well…age 7, since my daughter is still wearing hers! I like the Julbo Looping 3 sunglasses too.
- A successful trip depends on the snow and cold and everything else that can affect baby. A good friend and I went once when it was probably 10 degrees with wind. Haha! Let us just say we walked about 10 minutes and turned around, for a grand total of .25 miles with crying babies. I think it is the wind that killed that day.
- Sunny days are best, just don’t forget sunscreen.
- And you can gauge your time out or mileage like hiking. But remember very few people travel as fast in snowshoes. So allow more time for that.
Enjoy your adventures and make sure to share some photos on our Facebook Page!
We took our daughter snowshoeing when she was 7 months old because before that time we don’t have enough snow to do so. We used Ergo with rain cover to carry her and she was wearing REI down bunting suit. This year she hates to stay in Ergo for long period of time and we use Osprey Poco Plus Child Carrier for hiking and snowshoeing. We have to dress her really warm. She usually wears her fleece sleeper, fleece bunting suit or down bunting suit (depends on temperature) and a rain suit to block rain, snow and wind. Rain suit is a must since we live in a very windy place and I am not able find any windproof fleece or down bunting suit for her. I like REI down buntings very much for the price and quality (we got it on sale!) but REI don’t seem to carry that any more. Patagonia down buntings do not have larger size that can fit my 19 months old. By the way, I ordered Ducksday mittens for my little one and it took 3 weeks to arrive due to the crazy weather in the past few weeks. They are much smaller than Stonz and they fit my 19 months old perfectly. I like the wide opening and long cuff that makes them easy to go over her snow suit and she like them too. The only down side is that the mittens are not warm enough in colder days (below -10 degree C and windy) when she is carried in the Osprey Poco but I think no mitts will be warm enough at the temperature if she can’t generate extra body heat. Our solution is to put on a pair of mine and throw hand warmers in between her mitts and mine. We also bought the rain cover for the Opsprey Poco and it works well in rainy/snowy/windy days.
Great idea with the hand warmers. I agree, not sure any mitt would be warm enough. But I do wish the Ducksday were a tad more insulated. Thanks for sharing. This is very helpful!
If the kid travels well in a backpack then you should be all set. Make sure they are warm and comfortable. We never took them snowshoeing at that age, but they spent a ton of time in a pulk while we were xc skiing.
Depending on the type of trail you should keep in mind the type of carrier. The external frame pack type baby carriers carry well, but raise your center of gravity. Something like a ergo keeps the weight closer to your center of gravity.
Also remember that there is a baby on your back when pushing branches our of the way.
It is important while you travel in cold places that you keep your child warm and safe. It will prevent your child from different seasonal cough and cold.
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