When our kids were small, my partner and I became the unofficial pack mules of every bushwalk. We carried the water bottles, the spare jackets, the forgotten sunscreen, and the endless snack wrappers. After one too many sweaty climbs up a steep trail, we decided something had to change. Teaching our children to pack their own daypack for hikes quickly turned from a chore into one of the most rewarding skills we've shared as a family.
Australia is a country built for outdoor adventure, and giving kids ownership over their own kit means they head out the door more confident, capable, and connected to the landscape. From the eucalyptus-scented trails of the Blue Mountains to the granite peaks of the Grampians, there's no shortage of places to put their newly learned skills to the test. The process takes patience, repetition, and a healthy dose of humour, but the payoff is worth every meltdown over a missing sock.
Before a single muesli bar makes it into the bag, the pack itself needs to fit. An adult-sized backpack on a six-year-old is a recipe for sore shoulders and a miserable walk. We learnt this the hard way on a family hike near Mount Lofty in the Adelaide Hills, where our eldest spent half the climb trying to wrestle a grown-up pack into a comfortable position. These days, every child gets a fitted pack with padded shoulder straps, a chest clip, and ideally a small hip belt to take pressure off the lower back.
Kids love having a say in what they carry, so we take them along to outdoor stores and let them try on a few options. Walking a few laps around the shop floor in a loaded pack is a brilliant way to feel whether the weight sits well and whether the straps dig in. Look for packs with external bungee cords or front pockets — these are perfect for stashing a rain jacket when the southerly buster rolls in unexpectedly along the coast. Bright colours or fun prints help too, because a pack that feels like "mine" gets packed with far more enthusiasm.
Once the pack is sorted, the next step is deciding what actually goes inside. We sat down one rainy Sunday and drew up a master list, which now lives on the fridge door. For Australian conditions, water is non-negotiable — at least 500ml per child for a short walk, and closer to a litre each for longer trails in places like the You Yangs or Wilsons Promontory. A reusable bottle that they can refill at a creek or tap saves weight and teaches them about looking after our waterways.
Food comes next, and we let each child choose a couple of items within reason. Trail mix, dried mango, rice crackers, and small sandwiches are favourites, and we always include one "special treat" to look forward to at the halfway point. Sun protection is critical in our climate, so a broad-brimmed hat, sunscreen, and on brighter days, a pair of sunglasses all earn a permanent spot. A lightweight long-sleeve shirt can also double as sun cover when the UV index climbs above 10, which happens more often than many parents realise during summer.
Lists are the backbone of our routine. We printed a simple visual checklist with pictures for our youngest, who is still building literacy skills, and a written version for the older two. Each child has a copy tucked into the inside pocket of their pack, and we tick items off together the night before a hike. The picture version uses little drawings for water, food, hat, sunscreen, jumper, and first-aid kit — clear enough that even our non-reader can pack independently.
To make the list durable, we laminated ours so we can wipe off pencil marks after each walk. If you're not up for a laminator, a plastic sleeve and a whiteboard pen work just as well. The key is consistency. Every hike, every time, the same list. Repetition is how habits form, and habits are how kids eventually pack without being asked. We also add a "weather check" line at the bottom, which prompts them to glance at the forecast before zipping up the bag. In Melbourne, where four seasons in one day is a running joke, this step has saved us more than once.
Theory only takes you so far, so we practise. Our local area in Brisbane has plenty of family-friendly trails that are perfect for testing new packers. The shaded loops of Toohey Forest, the gentle climbs of the D'Aguilar Range, and the well-trodden paths of Mt Coot-tha have all served as training grounds. None are long enough to be daunting, but each offers a real challenge — a creek crossing, a sudden slope, an unexpected change in weather — that helps children adjust their kit on the go.
During these practice walks, we stay close but let them lead. If they forget something, we resist the urge to fix it for them, even when the consequences unfold in real time. Forgetting the hat on a hot summer day is a fast lesson in why sun protection matters. Forgetting extra water on a longer loop sparks a long conversation about preparation. These small failures are precious teachers, and far more powerful than any lecture at home. By the third or fourth hike, our kids began naturally adjusting their loads, swapping heavy items for lighter ones, and pulling out the rain jacket at the first rumble of distant thunder.
Kids respond brilliantly to play, so we leaned into that. We created a simple point system: every item packed correctly earns a star, and a full set of stars at the end of the month means a special family outing, often an ice-cream stop at a country bakery or a new trail to explore together. On occasion, we've borrowed ideas from games we love, including the kind of anticipation described in our must-win-jackpot post, where small rewards turn ordinary moments into something to look forward to.
A packing race also works wonders. Whoever packs their bag fastest and most accurately gets to choose the next walking track. The competition is friendly, but it has shaved minutes off our departure routine. We've also started letting each child be the "leader" of one walk per month, responsible for checking everyone's packs before we leave the driveway. Being trusted with the role of inspector is a huge motivator, and it reinforces their own packing knowledge in the process. The whole family ends up more prepared, and the kids take genuine pride in leading the adventure.
Watching our children shoulder their own packs and walk confidently into the bush has been one of the quiet joys of parenthood. They've gone from reluctant hikers to trail leaders, and the skills they've learnt translate well beyond the footpath. Packing a daypack teaches responsibility, planning, and an awareness of personal needs — all valuable lessons for life. As our family dreams bigger, we often talk about future trips that mix hiking with other outdoor pursuits, from the wrecks of Chuuk Lagoon to a multi-day walk along Tasmania's Overland Track when the kids are older.
If you're starting this journey with your own family, remember that mastery takes time. Expect mistakes. Expect forgotten items. Expect a wet jumper or two on the first few outings. Celebrate the small wins, be patient with the setbacks, and enjoy the process. The trails of Australia are waiting, and with a little guidance, your kids can carry more than you ever imagined — both in their packs and in their growing sense of independence. Subscribe to Hope Post Kids for more family hiking tips, real-life travel stories, and activity guides delivered straight to your inbox.