What gear to bring off roading with the kids
Let’s take the kids on a jeep trail this weekend!!! Great idea…what do we need to bring with us? Do you know what kind of gear to bring off roading with the kids?
Best Types of gear to bring off roading
There is going to be general types of gear you bring with you when you go off roading. That’s a given but what if you bring the kids with you. Do you need anything different? Extra?
Our kids get messy on a normal day when we are at home. When we go jeeping, someone ALWAYS slips and gets dirty. ALWAYS! Baby wipes are a necessity, they’re like water! Snacks are a must too. Kids are always hungry after a hike, in the car, right after they just ate lunch, and mostly when it’s inconvenient to the parent. Also scavenger hunts are a good way to keep the kids entertained and engaged on the trail. Below we’ll list out what Jeep stuff we bring with us and the items for the kids as well
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Do we need different gear when we go off roading with kids?
You don’t want to be on the trail and then a problem comes up and you don’t have the right gear with you. Or you get stuck and don’t have what you need and you are stranded for hours or worse …. the kids complain they are bored!
The word “gear” has a couple meanings here. You need essential off road gear incase you get stuck or something breaks. We bring kid gear incase someone has an accident, spills something on them self or slips and falls. You don’t need to bring everything but there are a few things that you do need to bring that are essential.
Basic gear to bring off roading
The basic off-road gear we bring with us is listed below.
- First Aid kit
- Something simple with bandaids, gauze, alcohol wipes. We have the EMT Molle one in our jeep under the back seat.
- Rope and/or paracord
- We’ve had ours for so long we have no idea where we got it
- Hatchet
- Any hatchet will do. Worst case scenario you’ll need to clear a trail or tree out of the way
- Tow strap
- Shovel
- Basic tools
- Wrenches, sockets…in case something breaks
- Jumper cables
- nothing fancy, just your basic cables
- Tire jack
- This should already be in the jeep, double check that it is still there
- Additional items that would be good to have…just in case
- Winch, Air Compressor, tire repair kit, Recovery boards
- If you aren’t rock crawling or going on any red trails you shouldn’t NEED a winch or recovery board, but you never know what the trail will give you.
Best gear to bring off road with kids
Additional items that we bring when the kids are with us are listed below.
- Kleenex and/or toilet paper
- Because…nature. our family has allergies to nature so someone is always needing to blow their nose. Toilet paper for girls to use the bathroom in nature or at a restroom. You can’t assume all pottys have toilet paper. (If you pee outside, don’t leave the toilet paper. Please bring it back with you and put it in your trash bag in the back of the jeep.)
- Baby wipes
- For kids, messes, dirt and if you have littles…butts
- Extra clothes for the youngest kiddo.
- In my case my little dude is 4, I bring a change of clothes for him.
- Snacks and water for everyone
- I try and pack a small cooler to keep water in. We usually go to higher elevation and water is essential so you don’t get altitude sickness.
- Trash bag
- Use a walmart or grocery bag for trash and keep in the back of the jeep. Or if you bring a picnic you might need a larger trash bag.
- Scavenger Hunts
- I like to bring a few. One for the specific trail we are going on and 1 or 2 others for hikes. I like to keep them engaged as much as possible.
The Last Thing You Need to Know about what kind of gear to bring off roading with the kids
Don’t bring everything from the house with you. Think of it as a day trip to a state park. But you get to drive through it, on bumpy back roads! The kids will have fun. Who doesn’t like a bumpy roller coaster?!
What gear to you bring off roading with you? Do you bring the kids? If so what extra items do you pack for them?
