Camping/Backpacking with little'uns

[John Maniscalco]

I have a 1.5 year old and wanted to start getting her out for some overnights in the outdoors. She loves hiking and being outdoors, but I want to try our hands at camping/backpacking with her. I am going to try a car camping trip this fall and go from there. What I am asking from all of you is for any pointers, tricks, tips, family friendly camp areas in North Carolina or experiences. I want her to enjoy herself and make it a successful outing. I have been doing this for 8+ years and have many of what we will need for the trip. Thanks in advance!

[tmountainnut]

I have a 1.5 year old and wanted to start getting her out for some overnights in the outdoors. She loves hiking and being outdoors, but I want to try our hands at camping/backpacking with her. I am going to try a car camping trip this fall and go from there. What I am asking from all of you is for any pointers, tricks, tips, family friendly camp areas in North Carolina or experiences. I want her to enjoy herself and make it a successful outing. I have been doing this for 8+ years and have many of what we will need for the trip. Thanks in advance!

I have a 6 year old daughter, and I've taken her "backpacking" for the last 4 summers now.

For places to take her, i always find somewhere that's close to a trailhead and close to water. My favorite spot to take her now is only a half mile from the trailhead, and right next to a stream, but its not a popular trailhead, so normally we're pretty much alone out there. Being close to water makes cooking and getting drinking water easy, and being close to the trailhead means that she enjoys a short stroll followed by some fun time in camp and at the stream. I carry 95% of the stuff, but i still have her wear a backpack with a few light things in it (stuffed animal, a favorite book of hers, etc) that way shes kinda like daddy, but not really carrying anything. I'll always stop at the grocery store on the way out there with her, and let her pick out a few things as well as helping me pick out whats for dinner/breakfast.

Bring anything that will comfort her like she's at home (a book or two, a stuffed animal, maybe a special blanket, etc.) and make sure to bring some snacks and deserts like smores or banana boats. A small campfire is great, however i don't build campfire pits and i don't use existing pits unless they are permanent steel pits, so i use a bush buddy wood stove so i don't scar the land. I love my bush buddy and i can't recommend it enough! Apparently they are now being made in the US by http://www.nomadicstovecompany.com/ so i would go there if you wanted one. I've had mine for over three years and its still in excellent shape.

Recently I picked up some night sky playing cards and the book that goes with it. We play slap jack with them, but i read off the names of each constellation while we're playing and then if she's interested in it, i read about it in the book afterwards about what it means and what it looks like. its a fun game to play with her in the tent till she gets sleepy.

I'm going to be taking her on our first multi-night trip in two weeks at the great sand dunes national park, so hopefully that goes well :-)

[Gary M]

I really liked tmountainnut's ideas..............

My sons are now in their mid 20's, but I gradually introduced them both to hiking and backpacking when they were kids. I say gradually, because I slowly brought them along via short day hikes at a local park. We slowly increased the difficulty to car camping, and just kept advancing eventually with Boy Scouts. The important points to me were:

Make it fun for the kids, and remember what kids think is fun is sometimes different than what adults think is fun. Keep it light, not serious and well within their physical abilities.

If you can bring along friends, it's a real bonus.

Mix in other activities such as swimming, boating, fishing, horseback riding; whatever the kids like. My sons loved to swim, so we would always go to an area where they could at least get wet.

My sons really loved having their own backpacks, their own tent, their own snacks, and favorite card games or magazines to read if they got bored.

My kids loved making the fire (in an established fire ring), maybe this is just a "boy" thing, but I can tell you it was one of their favorite parts of camping out.

On the way home we would always stop at their favorite spot to eat. After getting home, I would send them right upstairs for a bath and to rest. I took care of all the unloading and clean up for the most part. Backpacking and hiking take a lot of energy, and kids need down time to relax.

My main goal was to make it a fun experience and not work or something they felt they had to do.

Good luck!

Gary M

Olathe, Kansas

[John Maniscalco]

Thanks, these are very helpful tips!

[Jen]

Those are helpful tips, Gary & tmountainnut!

Our kiddo is almost 2 years old, and although he's been backpacking a handful of times, it was before he could run (and before he was fearless to jump off of rocks and into water - I think we're going to have our hands full with this one!) This article has helped me a lot with preparing for our next trip, and some of the tips are the same as above: http://yard2dinnerplate.com/?p=1747

But I'd love to hear any other suggestions from you all who have experience backpacking with toddlers... when they are able to run and walk, but perhaps are not the best at following directions?

[rig]

We have been taking my children (now 6 and 8) out for day walks for several years now. We had not tried overnighters as the youngest wasn't great at walking very far and I didn't fancy carrying the gear for three folks.

Last weekend, I took my son (8) for an overnight trip. He carried his sleeping gear and I carried the rest of the kit. We set out late, walked not far, to the top of a ridge and followed that for a bit. Then we set up camp and cooked dinner. Up super early next morning, back down the hill then breakfast. He loved it and was really buzzing afterwards.

I deliberately kept the trip short and sweet, as I really wanted him to enjoy himself and didn't want the trip to drag for him. I am looking for a slow and steady introduction, gradually making trips longer and more challenging as he matures. It seems to have worked as he's already asking about out next trip and my daughter wants to head out next weekend as well!

The biggest hassle we had, was that he got worn out walking up the hill with the pack; so I ended up carrying both. Which was not so fine!