I am totally new to the world of backpacking, but am interested in getting my family into it. My long-term goal is to do a section of the AT four years from now, maybe 6 week's worth of the trail, and work our way up to that. It's me, my husband, and our two boys, who will turn two and four this spring. (By summer 2017 they'll be 6 and 8, which is the youngest I can picture them doing a serious trek.) I thought we'd start by doing a lot of day hikes this season, advancing to a few overnights next season, then more overnights and week-long trips the next two, then the big trip. I'm also hoping very much to get my younger brother, mom, and possibly dad in on it. (Younger brother and mom have plenty of backpacking experience already through the Boy Scouts-- he's an Eagle Scout.)
So, help me out! Poke holes in my plans, tell me what I need to do differently. If you've backpacked with kids, what should I know?
Reading through this forum, it doesn't seem that common to go as a family, or is that just because WB.net is more for through-hikers, not weekenders? There's not even a sub-forum for hiking-with-kids concerns, the way there is for hiking-with-dogs!
Oh! I live in Virginia-- the AT runs practically through my backyard-- which is why it's the target of this lifestyle change. The part I'm most interested in is the Smokies, simply because I've never even seen them... Still, will I find more pertinent information on some other forum, since a serious stab at the AT won't be for years yet?