As a new mom, it can be hard to find nursing-friendly hiking clothes that are comfortable and functional. I have nursed two babies and many of those nursing sessions have been on hiking trails. I started off wondering how I would do it without my nursing pillow and not having a comfortable couch to sit on. But with practice, my confidence and ability to breastfeed my baby on the trail grew.
Over the years I have found nursing friendly hiking clothes that have made it easy for me to breastfeed my babies on my hikes. They are functional and comfortable and I’ll share options for all 4 seasons (including winter!).
If you want more logistical information about How To Breastfeed While Hiking, check out this post.
*Some of the links shared in this post may be affiliate links meaning I make a small commission off of your purchase (with no extra cost to you). This allows me to continue to create free content for my readers. Thank you for your continued support!
Tips for Breastfeeding ON the Trail
- Offer a Feeding at the Trail: It is so much easier to breastfeed in the car than on the trail. You have a little bit of privacy, and a nice chair to sit on. Always at least offer a feeding before starting the hike so you don’t have to stop quite as often on the trail.
- Find a Comfortable Spot: I find it most helpful to find a spot to sit where I could bring my feet up. I try and find a log that was low to the ground, or drag a rock over I could prop my feet on. This way have that extra support from my legs when nursing.
- Learn to Breastfeed Your Baby in the Carrier: This only works if you are wearing your baby on your front in a soft carrier. But it makes all the difference. I did this with my second and didn’t have to stop hiking to nurse. It took some practice but here is a video I made showing how I do it.
- Here is a video of me showing how I do it!
- Get Off the Snow (if you’re hiking in the winter): A hard part about breastfeeding in the winter is that there is no dry spot to sit. Everything is either snowy, wet, or frozen. The best investment (and it really isn’t much) for me was getting a sit pad (Recommendations at the end).
- Wear Nursing Friendly Hiking Clothes: When you’re just starting off hiking and nursing on the trail, skip your traditional sports bra and just wear your nursing bra to make it easier. I also recommend wearing loose fitting clothes that are either easy to pull down or up. If you want to cover up a little more without bringing a full on nursing cover is to wear a lightweight button up over your shirt.
If you are looking for Nursing Clothes specifically to wear on your hike, here are some of my recomendations:
What I Wear Hiking As a Nursing Mom
Nursing-Friendly Hiking Shirts
I love to wear merino wool shirts when I hike as they help keep me warm in the winter, they are odor resistant, and they are temperature regulating. So even in warmer temperatures, they help cool me down. I have a few different nursing-friendly merino wool shirts I like to hike in.
Iksplor Merino Wool Nursing Shirt
Iksplor Merino Wool Nursing Shirt: I have two of these long sleeve shirts and I love them. I wear them hiking and camping. They run big so I would recognize sizing down. I am typically a size small, and I was able to wear the size small up into my third trimester without it feeling tight. The xs fits me much better. (My discount code is HaileyOutside)
Kojo Activewear Merino Wool Nursing Shirts
Kojo Activewear Merino Wool Nursing Shirts: Kojo Activewear has many more nursing shirt options: from long sleeve, to short sleeve, to tank tops. I have one of their long sleeves and short sleeves and I love them both. Kojo runs small (they even say so on their website) so I would definitely recommend sizing up. I have a small in both of my shirts and with I had a medium. They still fit but are snug.
Half Zip Shirt
A great option for nursing-friendly hiking clothes if you don’t want to buy a shirt that looks like it’s meant for nursing, is to buy a half zippered shirt. This is just a shirt that zips down just below your chest. I have a couple from before I had kids and use them all the time in the winter to nurse my babies. I think it works a little bigger so the zipper is even longer.
Here are a couple of my favorite merino wool half zip shirts for hiking:
Nursing-Friendly Sports Bras
Since both of my baby’s have been winter babies, I have often times just worn my regular, cotton, nursing bras on my hikes postpartum. I don’t get too sweaty and the support is fine since I take it easy. But if you are looking for something with a little more support and moisture wicking, these have been some of my favorites.
When looking for a nursing-friendly sports bra, you want to make sure it doesn’t have an underwire as it can put pressure around the edges of the milk ducts and cause a blockage.
Ken and Jeri Nursing Sports Bra
Ken and Jeri Nursing Sports Bra: This nursing bra is simple but supportive. It has two layers and you just pull up the top one, and pull the second layer down to nurse. I don’t recommend this if you have a very large chest as it can be a tight fit to get access to nursing. But I wear this sports bra even when I’m not nursing and really like it.
Front Zippered Nursing Sports Bra
So this isn’t actually a nursing specific sports bra, it’s just a sports bra that unzips in the front. But I love it for nursing and it’s so comfortable to get on and off. I don’t have a link to the one I wore but will share similar ones.
Branwyn Merino Wool Bralette
Branwyn Merino Wool Bralette: This merino wool bralette a newer bra for me so I never used it when my milk supply was high. My bra size really shrinks after I nurse for about a year and a half so I have not tested this bra with a fuller cup size. But I absolutely love it and wear it on so many of my hikes. It’s stretchy but gives a little bit of support.
I sized down to a small so it would be a little tighter and I like that. It has the amazing properties of merino wool. It’s not technically nursing friendly but stretchy enough to easily pull to the side. I can’t wait to wear this nursing my next baby, whenever that is.
They also have a busty option but I can’t speak to how stretchy it is and if it would be easy to nurse in.
Nursing-Friendly Seat
I love to have something soft to sit on when I nurse. It’s especially important if you are in a snowy hike to keep you insulated from the cold ground. You can just use a jacket but if you’re looking for something a little more comfortable, here a few of my favorite options:
Sit Pad
A sit pad is a great lightweight option and packs down small enough to fit in your backpack.
- Thermarest Z Seat: This is what I have and love. It has held up great over the years and keeps me nice and warm when I’m sitting on the snow.
- Amazon Sit Pad: I haven’t tried this before but I’m sure it would work pretty much the same as the Z seat.
- Foam Sleeping Pad (Cut off): This would be a good option if you already have a foam pad at home. If you’re not using it anymore or you are short enough that you can spare about a foot, just cut off a section to the size you want and bring that with you on your hikes.
Here is a video of me showing how I sit and nurse my baby in the winter: Featuring my sit pad.
If you found this post about my Nursing Friendly Hiking Clothes helpful, make sure to check out these posts:
- What I Pack for Hiking with a Baby
- How to Change Your Baby’s Diaper on a Winter Hike
- Which Child Carrier is Best for Hiking With Kids
