Backpacking With Kids

Sharing your passion for backpacking with your children can be such a rewarding experience. You get to do what you love and spend time with your family at the same time. The outdoor experience is also good for the children. Too many kids today spend too much time at home playing video and putting on weight.

Backpacking with kids is different to backpacking alone. You have to plan more carefully and carry more stuff including some of your kids' gear.

Start with short day hikes before the trip to condition yourself, your children, break-in new boots and try out clothing. Once your kids are stronger, you can start using full gear including packs on the day hikes.

Practice hikes also gives you the opportunity to know your children's strengths and weaknesses so you can plan for far and how fast to go and how much gear for them to carry. This will help you tremendously in your planning and avoid frustrations.

Also practice camping in your backyard to get the kids excited about the trip and to try out your gear and to get used to it.

Don't take your kids backpacking in harsh conditions including extreme cold and extreme heat. In such conditions, when the kids complain, you know they're fine. It's when they're quite that you should be worried.

Don't aim to hike too far or go too fast. How far and how fast you should go depends on your trial runs with your children. You should also take frequent breaks and camp relatively early.

You should also plan for rewards to motivate your kids to go on until you reach your destination. The reward can be a favorite snack, a promise that you'll let him or her help with setting up the tent depending on age and what your child likes.

Internal frame backpacks for kids may be heavy compared to ultralight packs but the suspension system makes it easier and more comfortable to carry a heavy load. It is recommended that your child should not carry more than 10 to 15% of his or her weight.

A pack that weighs more than 2 pounds takes a lot from the weight budget but your child is less likely to ask you to carry for them if they're comfortable enough to carry.

If you're taking your kids backpacking, never go without a tent. It's a good idea to go for good quality tents that provide sufficient protection from the elements. In good weather, a tarp tent may provide sufficient protection for your kids.

Since you're going to be carrying extra gear and bigger tents, you might want to consider using a lightweight tent. The XT-4 tent from Sierra Designs weighs more than 6 pounds but it's still one of the lightest 4-person backpacking tent of its kind around.

If that's not light enough for you, tarp tents like Black Diamond's Mega Light weigh less than 2 pounds. It a 4-person pyramid tent and you can use your trekking pole as a tent pole.

There are generally two type of sleeping bags to choose from. Down sleeping bags are lighter and warmer but synthetic bags are cheaper. Many choose synthetic bags because they're cheaper since kids tend to outgrow their sleeping bags very quickly.

Scientific studies show that kids have a higher cold tolerance than adults so they don't as much insulation as adults. A sleeping bag that you're comfortably warm in may be too hot for kids so synthetic bags are normally sufficient.

The same goes for sleeping pads. Kids don't need much more insulation from the cold ground than adults but they might need more cushioning for comfort. If your kid can sleep well on a thin closed-cell pad then go with that. Bear in mind that kids tend to move around when they sleep so they're likely to slip off the camping mat.

If your kid still need diapers then remember to take disposable diapers. Those old cloth diapers are too troublesome to deal with especially on the trail. Baby wipes are indispensable.

Older children do what they need to do when nature calls like we adults. Be sure you tell your kids what to do in case they need to go. To keep your hands clean, use an alcohol hand gel.

Be sure that each kid is carrying a whistle and them how to use it and when to use it. Tell your kids to blow the whistle whenever you are out of sight.

Also remember to take any medication required by your child if any and make sure that your first aid kit supply is fresh.