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Backpacking

Page editing guidelines:

  • See Hiking page for general hiking tips - this should be reserved for items specifically related to backpacking.
  • Useful links can be added to each section, for example, great summary posts or videos from other websites that offer additional perspectives however, the link must be specific to that section of this page and a comment must be added to explain why it's helpful.
  • Websites or channels that offer great general backpacking advice should be added to the Other online content page

Gear


In general, when backpacking with babies and kids that can’t carry their own gear it’s really worth it to invest in lightweight equipment, especially for the key pieces: tent, sleeping system, pack. Good lightweight equipment can last a long time and you don’t have to buy it new or full price - see our tips below for getting deals.

Carrying babies/toddlers

  • Option 1: Hard carriers / Frame-pack style baby carrier
    • Pros: space under the baby to strap bulky but light stuff
    • Cons: Max weight is low
    • Examples: Deuter Kid Comfort 1 Child Carrier, Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Child Carrier
    • Example images of fitting properly (to be added)
    • Tips on how to pick which one to get
  • Option 2: Soft carriers
    • Examples for babies:
    • Examples for toddlers: Kinderpack
  • Option 3: Trail Magik - straps to your existing backpack
    • Pros:
    • Cons:

Sleeping bags

  • Babies:
    • Morrison Outdoors makes a sleeping bag specifically for little babies/toddlers, but can be expensive
    • Other options include snow suits, fleece sleep sacks plus layers underneath, co-sleeping
    • Sleeping bags don't work for some kids until about age 3 for kids that move a lot, but might work for others sooner
  • Toddlers:
    • Morrison Outdoors
    • Toddler specific sleeping bags such as from Big Agnes, but watch out for weight because many can be heavy
    • Sleeping bags that attach to the pad work for some kids to keep them from moving around too much but some kids move so much they can flip over
  • Have a back up plan for how to keep your kid warm if they have a night time accident
  • For small kids:
    • The Big Agnes Little Red 15 is great because the pad is attached which keeps the kid on the pad, but some kids move so much they can flip it over
    • Many people buy adult sleeping bags for bigger kids (starting at around 6/7 years old) since adult sleeping bags are usually lighter (but more expensive). If you're concerned about the kid getting cold, you can tie off the bottom of the sleeping bag where they can't reach, but often the kids are just fine staying warm.
    • Another option is this expandable bag (the Duster 15) from Big Agnes that grows with your kid.

Sleeping pads

  • Option 1: Whole tent pad
  • Option 2: Individual pads
    • For small kids, consider a ¾ length since kids are short, and many adult thru-hikers use ¾ length pads to save on weight.
  • Babies - pack and play thing

Tents

  • How big do you need (esp with babies)
    • 4p vs 2 2p
    • Tip: a generous two person tent can work for two + baby and a three person can work for two adults and two kids for a while
  • Fitting dogs in

Packs for kids

Water purification

  • Platypus gravity filter - the water can be filtering while you're doing other things (or you can train the kids to do it)

Where to find discounts

  • See our General Advice Page

How to store gear

Cleaning gear

Annual gear checkup

Age-specific info

Baby specific info


Taking your baby on a backpacking trip is a great introduction to outdoor parenting. Many families go on their first backpacking trip when kids are 6-12 months old. Even if it's just a one night trip and a couple mile hike, it's wonderful to be able to give your baby the experience of being in the backcountry with us from an early age. Here are some tips on how to make it happen:

When and how to start

  • Your baby should be small/light enough that you can carry him/her in a baby backpack and ideally with an extra 5 lbs of stuff**
  • Minimum age depends on your baby, weather, destination, and the comfort of the parent
  • Don’t try to push yourself on the first trip - it could be challenging to get used to backpacking with a baby so pick a trip where things are more straightforward. Pick something where you have good weather, a short hike, and great campsite location. Good locations include ones near water or with options for day hikes.
  • Take your baby backpacking before you hit the “gap year(s)”! This is the time when the baby is too heavy to carry and too young to hike 2 miles a day.

Sleeping

  • see the Gear section for sleeping bag/pad
  • Some babies sleep better if you bring a light weight crib like a Peapod
  • If you’re not too tall, babies can sometimes fit sleeping width-wise at the top of the tent and then you don’t need to worry about rolling onto them
  • Some parents co-sleep in a larger sleeping bag with the baby
  • Some families have the baby sleep on their own sleeping pad
  • Be prepared that it might be hard to get your baby to sleep - it's a different bed and the parents are nearby (if they're not used to that)
  • Remember - it will get easier the more you do it, but it won't get easier if you don't do it! (more on this to come in another post)

Diapers

  • Cloth
  • Disposable

Clothes

Feeding

  • Nursing
    • Special breastfeeding shirt or regular shirt with nursing camisole underneath
  • Exclusively pumping
    • Make sure to properly dispose of breast milk (cat hole)
  • Bottle feeding
    • How to treat water to mix with formula
    • How to warm the bottle

Small kid specific info

Backpacking with small children can try your patience, but keep getting out there because each year gets easier! Many families start when kids are able to hike a mile or two. Depending on how heavy your kid is for their age and the strength of the parent, you may end up with a “gap year” in your family backpacking journey, between when you can’t carry them anymore and when they can walk on their own. Here are some tips to make it work:

Sleeping

  • Depending on the kid, when they get to be around 3 or 4 they can get better at staying in a sleeping bag
  • Most small kids probably still prefer the parents to be there in the tent to help them go to sleep

Clothes

Key tips

  • This is the age to start getting them engaged in the activity
    • Give them something important to carry (even if it’s small)
    • Start showing them the map and talk about where you’re going, and make sure the destination is something they can get excited about (see the Trip Planning section)
    • Make sure to keep them constantly engaged - see our Hiking page for tips to keep a kid moving down the trail
    • Make the kids help out with chores (getting water, setting up tents) and adjust the expectations as they get bigger
    • Try not to carry the kid's backpack - once you give in it’s hard to give it back. Instead, you need to keep the pack light enough that they’ll carry it the whole time but ensure they are carrying something and that every year they carry a bit more.

Bigger kid specific info

Sleeping

  • Bigger kids generally go to sleep on their own and then start not wanting to get up early
  • If you had a 3/4 length sleeping pad for them, you might need to get a bigger one and the same for a sleeping bag

Clothes

Key tips

  • At this point, you should get the kid fully engaged - planning the trip, packing, setting up camp, chores, etc.

Packing

Carrying a baby

  • If you have multiple adults, it usually makes more sense to pick one person to carry the baby and some stuff and then have the other adult carry more stuff
    • One possibility is to have the person carrying the baby carry their water, snacks, and a diaper plus light but bulky stuff, such as sleeping pads, sleeping bags, or the tent
    • If using a hard carrier, these could be strapped under the baby
  • If you’re going with just one adult, your best bet is probably to use a soft carrier under a backpack or the Trail Magik if your baby is big enough. You’ll need to pack all your gear in the backpack

Small kids through big kids

Before you plan your pack decide what you will ask your kids to carry and have a backup plan in case you have to carry things for them.
Here are some rough suggestions on what kids of different ages can carry - adapt them to your kid’s size and ability levels and consider starting with less stuff when they’re older if they’re less experienced or you’re going on a tougher trail:

  • 3-4 years old: snacks, small toy, maybe water (keep it very light at this age to encourage them to carry the pack)
  • 5 yo: add in more water, headlamp, mug, spoon, maybe playing cards
  • 6 yo: add in toiletries, something for group gear (example: trowel and TP)
  • 7 yo: add in some clothes
  • 8-9 yo: add in sleeping bag/sleeping pad


Examples in the field:

Backpacking4yo7yo
Backpacking6yo
Backpacking9yo
7 yo and 4 yo
6 yo
9 yo

Packing your pack

  • Divide up the remaining gear among the adults
  • Consider bringing extras of things, even if you normally wouldn’t, since the consequences can be higher for small kids and they may lose or spill things
    • Example: extra water if kids decide to play with it when you’re not looking, extra clothes in case they lose it or have an accident
  • If you go with another family: discuss sharing some gear or bringing different snacks or toys to keep the kids entertained

Food


In general, make sure to have a variety in case a kid decides they don't like something after the first day

Snacks

  • For small kids especially: extra snacks or special treats, for tough spots on the trail
  • See the Hiking page for more suggestions

Breakfasts

Lunches

  • See the Hiking page

Dinners

Medical and Safety Concerns

Allergies

  • How to go out safely with kids with severe allergies

First aid kit / wilderness medicine training: see the general page

  • Make sure to bring any baby, toddler, or small kid specific medicine in your first aid kit as needed

Ticks

Mosquitos

Altitude

  • Baby
  • Kid
  • Pregnancy

Bears

  • Bear canisters - what to put in them
  • How to keep food off of kids
  • Something to put under hte kid to catch food spills

Bugs

Snakes

Steep trails/campsites (kids wandering off)

Water (kids wandering in)

Heat

Cold

Other Considerations

Children with disabilities

Trips with one adult

Pregnancy

Sleeping

Maternity clothes

How much to carry

Thru-hiking with kids

Travel to the trailhead

Bringing a hard carrier on a plane

Kids who hate being in cars

See travel section

Trip Planning


For lists of places to go or websites with recommendations, check out the Backpacking Trails page.

Distance

    • Many kids can “hike their age” starting at 3 or 4 up until 9 at least (one mile per year of age). It’s a fun challenge to give to them!
    • When backpacking, pick something shorter than what they usually do while on day hikes until you’re sure they can do it.
    • Some kids are motivated to hike all the four thousand footers in New Hampshire at only 5, some can hike 11,000' mountain passes at 5 but take a lot of pushing, and some are less excited about hiking but love the destination. You need to understand your kids, know when to push them, and know when not to.

Criteria for selecting a route or destination

    • Water (a top choice for many kids)
    • Interesting wildlife (banana slugs to count!) or flowers to identify
    • Rocks to scramble over (the domes in Tuolumne Meadows are a good example)

Permits

  • Babies and kids count as people

Hiking

  • For tips on how to keep your kid motivated when hiking, how long they can hike or be carried, how to hike with kids of different ages, etc see the Hiking page for that info.

General tips from other sites




Contributors to this page: admin .
Page last modified on Saturday August 28, 2021 10:13:35 MDT by admin.