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Post by mradventure on Nov 26, 2015 14:07:27 GMT -8
My wife and I have 4 kids (currently 3, 5, 7, and 9). We've been backpacking in the backcountry since our oldest was 1. It doesn't always go well as you can see here.That said, we always end up having a blast. I don't consider myself an expert, but I'd be happy to answer any questions new parents might have. Also, anyone else with outdoors kids: Please chip in too! |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 26, 2015 16:17:41 GMT -8
Wow, that's quite the trip! We were lucky, and never had anything like that strike. We also found that two kids were challenging enough...never was very good as a sherpa, and my husband's not big enough to carry immense loads. But taking the kids definitely means thinking through how you'll cope with all the things that can go wrong. We had some altitude sickness on one trip, and borderline hypothermia (come to think of it, those were both the same trip, though different kids. And come to think of it, we had altitude sickness on another trip, too). Kids are simultaneously very fragile-feeling to the parent and incredibly resilient. After a night of throwing up, they almost always feel better than the parents do  |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 27, 2015 22:37:00 GMT -8
I"m really sorry the TRs I did over the years are mostly lost. I may have saved one or two on my hard drive. Maybe I'll dig them up and post...for historical interest!
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Post by mradventure on Nov 27, 2015 23:22:39 GMT -8
I'm always game for trail reports. We have our share too. I find it easier to do video.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 28, 2015 9:54:18 GMT -8
No video here. And if you go back to when the kids were really little, it's harder, because it was all slides. Pre-digital. Or we can go WAY back and contemplate this shot of my husband's first backpacking trip, at 6 months. That's a laundry basket on a pack frame he's riding in.  |
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Post by trinity on Nov 28, 2015 14:15:05 GMT -8
It doesn't always go well as you can see here. That's a hell of a TR! I still mostly camp at developed sites with my 6 year old, but I've taken him on two short backcountry trips. I wouldn't have described either trip as easy, but nothing like your epically terrible trip. |
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Post by mradventure on Nov 28, 2015 21:56:08 GMT -8
Or we can go WAY back and contemplate this shot of my husband's first backpacking trip, at 6 months. That's a laundry basket on a pack frame he's riding in. That is truly epic. I would love to hear the story behind this. Any interest in sharing it on my blog? |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 29, 2015 10:23:59 GMT -8
That is truly epic. I would love to hear the story behind this. Any interest in sharing it on my blog? I'm not sure there's any special story behind it. His parents had been backpackers before having children, so they took the baby (probably used a horsepacker for a drop-camp; that was something they did a lot). It was 1955, so there were no baby backpacks out there... |
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Post by beartoothtucker on Dec 5, 2015 8:27:05 GMT -8
Almost all of my trips are family oriented. I get out on my own from time to time but those days are fewer and farther between than in the past. My daughter is 9 now and I still find some frustration in how limited our trips can be, but we do enjoy the time together. Our Last Trip |
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Post by trinity on Dec 5, 2015 14:08:49 GMT -8
Great video, beartooth! Looks like a great trip.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Dec 9, 2015 22:43:30 GMT -8
Beartooth, I think our kids hit a distance we found quite adequate around 10-12. By 13-14 they were suddenly hiking faster than I was, and we could do any distance we wanted. By then, of course, we a) were used to lower mileage and more time in camp to nap, and b) getting older and less interested in high mileage anyway. So it goes!
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Post by beartoothtucker on Dec 11, 2015 18:30:36 GMT -8
Beartooth, I think our kids hit a distance we found quite adequate around 10-12. By 13-14 they were suddenly hiking faster than I was, and we could do any distance we wanted. By then, of course, we a) were used to lower mileage and more time in camp to nap, and b) getting older and less interested in high mileage anyway. So it goes! Yea. I am impressed by her growth from last year to this year. In my mind I have been planning a bigger trip next summer in Montana. She would be 10. |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Dec 11, 2015 22:22:52 GMT -8
Let's see...when Second Son had just turned 10, we did 7 days in the Sierra, including the boys' first off-trail section. I think that one had about 6 mile days, on average. And my guys are not and were not particularly large for their age. In fact, at that point, Eldest Son was still the smallest kid in his class, I think. To inspire you, from that trip: Just about to go over the 11,000'ish off-trail pass. Note key point: at ages 10 & 11, they are above me. As in, they are ahead of me. Maybe I'd been taking pictures?  And here, picking their way down the ot  I believe that at that point their packs contained all their own gear except tent and sleeping pads. They carried some of the food, and everyone's utensils. Possibly the pot and stove, though I can't recall for sure. And yes, they are dressed like twins, almost. That happened a lot, since they were always the same size. |
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Post by mradventure on Dec 15, 2015 8:09:20 GMT -8
Great motivational stuff!
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Dec 15, 2015 8:15:28 GMT -8
I had to scroll back up and look at the title of this thread to see what it was really supposed to be about I'm still hoping more backpackers with kids will be checking in here and starting to develop the sort of sharing about experiences, gear, etc., that we had 7 or 8 years ago when there were a bunch of us with kids the same age, all figuring it out as we went. Maybe I'll start a thread for "Tips and Tricks" or something--which is probably what this thread should have been, but it's gotten rather sidetracked |
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