Can you go hiking with a stroller in the mountains? Of course yes. Obviously the arrival of a child makes it necessary to review the paths a littleor to choose suitable ones, to revise one’s expectations a bit and also to adapt their equipment to the changing needs of the family which has expanded. But with the right stroller, and a little preparation for the needs of the little one at home, it is possible to go to the mountains and take beautiful, pleasant and relaxing strolls with the stroller.
Stroller excursions in the mountains: everything you need to know
The first thing to do to organize an excursion with a stroller in the mountains is choose suitable routes. Obviously no impervious, narrow or stony paths, which are not suitable for pushing a stroller but which, if anything, require a child carrier backpack as well as adequate preparation and the habit of walking in the mountains. But whatever the chosen location, there will be no shortage of indications on itineraries, usually on mountain cart tracks, which can also be done with a pushchair: to be reasonably sure that it is an easy route, it must be indicated with the T for Tourist, but by now all the locations mountain also provide specific itineraries for families with children. Provided of course it is a stroller suitable for proceeding on dirt roads.
Mountain strollers: how they are made
There are many mountain strollers, with well-defined characteristics to advance on dirt paths in complete safety and with due comfort for the little thing, who will probably fall asleep during the excursion, then he will be hungry and thirsty, he will need to change his diaper and last but not least he will need some entertainment.
The first, fundamental, characteristic of mountain strollers are the all terrain wheels. Basically the “MTB” wheels for strollers, very different from the smooth ones of city strollers. Nothing prevents you from using pushchairs with all-terrain wheels even in the city, but it would be an unnecessary risk to do the opposite. The all-terrain wheels of mountain buggies are wider, more resistant, more “tessellated” and also taller, therefore more shock-absorbing, than normal stroller wheels. This feature allows you to reduce vibrations and jolts on dirt roads, roots and stones, and make the child’s outing much more pleasant and fun. Normally they are “solid” wheels, therefore anti-puncture: it is now really rare to find strollers with tires and inner tubes, however if you do, it is good to know that finding yourself with a flat wheel of the stroller in the middle of a mountain excursion is not the kind of experience you want to have with your little one at home.
Considering the uneven ground, between 3 and 4 wheels it is definitely better to choose a 3-wheel modelwith single front swivel wheel: especially in the pushing phase this allows dad and mom to drive the stroller with more agility and ease, especially if there are some more “technical” passages (technical obviously said in quotation marks, given that it is always of excursions in the mountains with the stroller and certainly not of real trekking).
Most trekking buggies are pushchairs, but there are also versatile models that involve pulling the stroller: these are the ones that can also be used while running or cross-country skiing, by detaching the front wheels or replacing them with mini-skis.
Indispensable, and inevitable in every trekking stroller to go to the mountains, a safety braking system, particularly useful and important when going downhill, when you need to “hold” the stroller: usually it is a bar or handle located near the handle with which you drive and push the stroller, and which can be operated without taking your hands off. The best models too also a safety bracelet, which is basically a string to be fixed to the handle and to the wrist which represents an additional safety in the event that the stroller slips out of hand when going downhill.
Said of safety, then there is also the comfort of the child to consider. A stroller for hiking in the mountains must have a hood. Because the weather in the mountains can change suddenly and in the event of a downpour we certainly wouldn’t want our little puppy to be exposed to rain and wind, and because protection from the sun’s rays is also essential in the mountains. Indeed, considering the altitude, it is even more so than at the sea, so it is good to check that the towel also has protection from UV rays.
Described like this, a trekking stroller looks like a real SUV of strollers, and the concern may be her weight. Obviously yes, with a small child in the stroller it will be more complicated to organize light and minimal for an excursion, but normally these mountain strollers cost a little more also because materials and solutions are chosen for the frame and for all the components that combine sturdiness with lightness: in the choice, however, it is also necessary to take a look at the weight and consider that it will be necessary to push it with the weight of the child in addition.
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