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Hiking with your Baby / Toddler around Oslo

You can go hiking with your baby already when it´s a couple of weeks old. But where? What sort of hiking carrier should you have? How old should the baby be for the different carriers? What does it take to make the hike a successful one? 

Day Hikes around Oslo

If you can have the baby in a sling or a carrier backpack, the possibilities are endless in the Oslo Marka, and the absolute best way to find suitable hikes for you is to go on Ut.no 's pages. (They´re in Norwegian, but they have an option for Google-translating them.)

Ut.no has also launched a free app which is very handy. It gives you suggestions for walks near you and close-by cabins, as well as hike suggestions for wherever you want in Norway. 

If you want to hike with the stroller, the possibilities are also numerous, see some suggestions here. DNT (the Norwegian trekking Association) organises strolls in the Oslo Forest every Wednesday at 10:30, but if you don´t want to go in a large group, there´s nothing wrong with "stealing" the itineraries from DNT and walk the same route on your own or with some friends. DNT´s strolls are included on the page on Strolls. 

DNT Asker also organises strolls in the forests surrounding Asker/Bærum.

A weekend trip with your Baby

It´s also possible to bring your baby / child on a longer trip (2-3 days), but it might be wise to start with a fairly easy route since it´s heavy to carry the child as well as the rest of the luggage, and also a route where it is not too far between places where you can stop and change the diaper, etc.

1. Oslomarka - the Oslo Forest
The Oslo Forest has a lot of nice cabins to stay at if you want a two-day hike. The best would maybe be to choose one of the smaller cabins where chances are you are the only guests. Remember that these cabins are unstaffed and the accommodation requires membership in DNT (at least one of the guests). You have to pick up the key for the cabin at DNT beforehand. Read more here and here about the cabins and here for booking.

Here are some suggestions:
- Lille Tømtehytta. Capacity 5 people. 5,5 - 6 km walk from the parking / bus stop / train station). Remember to get the key from DNT in advance.
- Bekkestua. Capacity 4 people. You can even push a stroller right up from the parking lot! 2 km to the lodge from the parking area, 6 km to the lodge from the bus stop Trugstadholtet or 8 km from the bus stop Glitre.
- Sinnerdammen. Capacity 4 people. One and a half hour walk (5 km) from the parking lot.
- Spikertjernhytta. Capacity 4 people. 15 min walk from the parking lot, 1 to 2 hours from the bus stop.
- Småvannsbu. Capacity 4 people. 3 km walk from the bus stop Dikemark, slightly shorter from the parking lot.

See here for cabins with more capacity if you are going with friends.

2. Huldreheimen
If you want a longer hike, DNT Oslo recommends the mountain area Huldreheimen, located between Valdres and Gudbrandsdal. The distances between the cabins are short, and you can decide which direction you want to go along the hike. (For example, if you want to go with the wind instead of against).

DNT recommends to hike up here a little later in the summer when the mosquitoes are slightly less numerous, and also a little lazier.

In Huldreheimen it's nice to start at Liomseter (if you drive), or Espedalen (if you take the bus).

How should you carry your baby?

There are so many different carriers out there and it´s easy to be confused about which one is best for hiking. Read here, here and here for some advice on what´s more suitable. (Other pages for Norwegian readers.) Feel free to stop by the Bæreglede Shop in Sankthanshaugen or a sport´s store to try them out.

It´s important to focus on comfort, both for your child and for yourself.  If you choose a backpack-style carrier, it´s important that your child is able to sit up on his/her own before you use it and he/she shouldn´t sit in the backpack any longer than he´s/she´s able to sit on his/her own.

Hiking with toddlers

DNT provides great advice for what is needed for a successful trip with children:

  1. Make sure you get a good start - pack the lunch box, prepare the thermos and the backpack before you dress the child and start to fuss. Prepare the child about the trip the night before or at the breakfast table.
  2. Sell ​​the hike to your kids - be enthusiastic and faithful to the project. You can decide the framework of the ride, but let the child participate in the planning to a certain extent.
  3. Bring healthy and nutritious food and beverage. Sandwiches, fruit, water and hot drinks are the best, but small bribes such as  sweets and chocolate might contribute to a good mood ;)
  4. Decide whether the goal of the trip is to run around and play or to arrive at a particular place or peak. Tell your children about today's goal, they like predictability.
  5. Have fun. Play with the kids. Talk together.
  6. Verbalise the positive experiences both during the hike and afterwards. Brag to family and friends about the kids in front of them.
  7. Let the kids go first and decide the pace. It´s more motivating to be in front than struggling in the back.
  8. Feel free to let your kids bring a friend on the trip, it might make everything much easier.
  9. Dress according to the weather and road conditions - freezing is no fun. Windproof, waterproof and movement friendly clothing is essential and it is better with several thin layers rather than one thick one. Your own clothes should be practical and warm. 
  10. Make sure your children succeed on the trip. Mastering is important - what we master we would like to repeat.

Children´s Hiking Rules
  • All children can hike.
  • We would like to bring a friend.
  • We want to participate in the planning of the trip.
  • We would like to walk in front and set the pace.
  • We want to have time to play and experience exciting things along the way.
  • We want to take the time to talk about what we see and experience along the way.
  • We want a treat at arrival.
  • We want to have a good time in the evening when we are on an overnight hike.
  • We don´t want to freeze, be wet or afraid.

From Barnas Turlag, DNT. Read more here.

    Comments? Suggestions?