Hiking Pack List for Kids

Most hiking in Switzerland is near civilization, so you don’t need to pack that much for a day trip, besides drinking water and snacks. If you prefer not to pack food, many trails have a mountain hut cafe along the way. But we still have a few essentials that we like to bring.

Hiking Pack Lists

Print pack lists here >>

Once my kids were old enough to carry their own small pack (about 5 years old), they were also responsible for packing that pack. Of course, they needed a lot of help at first and I had to repeat each item to pack 100 items and walk the child around the house to find each item. Oh, the madness!

I found that we were a lot more successful when I gave them a pack list. It’s a short list but makes the process much easier for kids to manage. My boys loved checking off the list and competing with each other to see who could get done first. Ideally we pack this the night before, so there’s no scrambling in the morning, especially if we have a train to catch. If you are into rewards, you could have a small prize for when they finish packing, like a sweet treat to add to their snacks (lollipop, gummies, gum).

The list is important for me too, because sometimes we arrive at the hike to realize we forgot someone’s jacket or hat and on one occasion, no shoes. Sigh.

I recently laminated the pack list and put it in a pocket of the backpack, so it’s ready for every outing.

Hiking Pack List for Parents

I find a checklist useful too, so here’s what I typically pack in my backpack, plus food.

Most items are self-explanatory but a few notes. The tissue packet is for toilet emergencies on the trail, which always happen with kids. Do not forget this! The plastic bag is for trash, but has also been used for soiled clothing (mud, vomit, pee, etc.). I hope you don’t need it.

See also How to Build a Fire – Swiss Style for fire starting supplies

A few extras depending on the situation:

• swimsuits if hiking near water
• extra clothes for little kids, in case they fall in mud or water
• diapers and wipes for babies and toddlers

First Aid Kit

Here’s our basic first aid kit that includes things we use regularly. This all fits in a small resealable plastic bag to make it waterproof.

What’s in the kit:

• bandaids in a variety of sizes. The most common injury for us is scraped knees, so we typically we need the biggest size. Sometimes they get a small cut on their fingers, so then the smallest size.
• waterproof bandaids, useful if you are playing near water
• blister pads – these are the most often used item in the kit, saving many hikes. It works like a second skin and pad, protecting the skin from rubbing and alleviating some pain
• safety pins – to temporarily fix broken clothes and gear
• hand sanitizer – useful after mid-trail toilet emergencies
• flosser – my kids freak out if they get stuff stuck in their teeth
• disinfectant spray for minor cuts – makes everyone feel like we did the right thing
• allergy cream – for stinging nettle and bug bites, unfortunately used all the time
• chewable ibuprofen – one of my kids gets frequent headaches, so this is essential
• small sun cream – always in my pack in case I forget to bring the big bottle
• tweezers to pull out splinters
• lollipop to stop the screaming