NW Kids: How to make lifetime backpackers out of your kids
By Amy Whitley
Photo at right: Backpacking with kids in Yosemite, courtesy of Amy Whitley
I grew up backpacking with my parents, so as soon as we had kids of our own, my husband and I couldn’t wait to continue the tradition.
We were so eager, in fact, that we embarked on our first multi-day backpacking trip when our eldest son Nate was just shy of one year old. Was it a success? You tell me.
Nate had a fine time enjoying his view of the trail from his perch in his baby carrier, and certainly had fun learning to walk precariously close to the campfire. However, the rest of us emerged exhausted after three days of carrying him, chasing after him, and trying to get him to sleep in the backcountry. (Spoiler alert: he didn’t.)
We’ve learned a lot about backpacking with kids since that inaugural trip, and are proud to say our sons—now 13, 11, and 8—are seasoned enthusiasts. Here’s how to ensure yours will be, too.
Start with a multi-day trip, but hike shorter distances.
Starting with a trial one-night trip is tempting, but it takes babies and young kids longer than 24 hours to adjust to a new environment, especially one as intense as the wilderness.
After all the packing and effort it takes to spend one night in the backcountry, you might as well spend two. However, end it there with young kids: everyone will sleep better the second night, earning you smiles upon your return. Best to end on a high note, right?
When backpacking with babies and toddlers, bear in mind that if one adult is burdened with your bundle of joy on his or her back, the other will have a heavier load of supplies
to carry.
Preschoolers and young children start out enthusiastic enough at the trailhead, but little legs soon tire. Choosing a route with fewer miles to cover over a day means more time to stop along the way to wade in a creek, turn an ordinary stick into a sword, or climb a tree. (Yes, they’ll have the energy for this. And no, you probably won’t.)
If your heart is set on hiking longer distances, set up a base camp from which some adults can hike further.
Leave toys at home
Let nature entertain your kids! We used to haul toy action figures and even LEGOs in our packs until we wised up: once at camp, kids will be busy enough collecting rocks, turning tree boughs into a fort, or swimming in a lake. Now, we bring only a light paperback to read aloud and a deck of cards.
Make sure your kids have correctly-sized gear
Kid-sized backpacking gear is not a gimmick to make outdoors companies rich. It’s important that your kids’ packs fit properly. Start with an external frame pack for young kids, and let them graduate to internal frames marketed for youth as they age.
When our kids were preschoolers, they carried nothing but their own (few) clothing items in a lightweight kids’ daypack. Ensure your kids have child-sized sleeping bags as well: there’s no point in their carrying the extra weight of a full-sized bag, and they will stay warmer if it fits their body properly.
Make sure safety comes first
After volunteering in my county’s Search and Rescue unit for a few years, I now make my kids never embark upon a trail without a whistle tied to their pack. They also wear bright clothing, and they know to stay in one place should they become separated from us.
Amy Whitley is a freelance travel writer, lover of the outdoors, and editor of family travel website Pit Stops for Kids. She makes her home with her husband and three kids in Southern Oregon.
