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Jedeye
04-13-2015, 15:00
So I've got a new addition to my family that I'm looking forward to taking hiking for the first time this summer. Right now he is a little over 5 months and pretty awesome - although a long ways off from carrying a pack of his own. Any tips for a mom and dad looking to take their baby on a hiking trip? Should I be concerned about the nylon tent floor and choking? Any tips on packing and diapers? Would you have one parent carry the baby on back and the other carry the majority of the gear, or use a front pack for the baby?

Any tips are welcome, this is a new chapter for me. Thanks!

Jedeye
04-13-2015, 15:02
Just realized I should have been a little more specific - I'm looking at doing 1-2 nights, perhaps more if we can figure out how to carry everything.

squeezebox
04-13-2015, 16:13
Babies are more durable than a lot of people think. But Geez that's a lot of extra to carry.

Hoofit
04-13-2015, 16:22
Leave him with Grandma and go light...he's way too young to appreciate it and you'lll get a nice break...

Havana
04-13-2015, 16:30
Leave him with Grandma and go light...he's way too young to appreciate it and you'lll get a nice break...

That's the plan I'd follow.

hikernutcasey
04-13-2015, 16:39
In the book by the Barefoot sisters, they hike along with a large family that has an infant. I don't think it really went into exactly how they did everything but you might be able to gain a few tips. Plus it's a good read :) But even if you don't at least you know it can be done!

jimyjam
04-13-2015, 16:43
If you wanna hike with your son, my opinion is, go for it. They have packs that have a spot for an infant. A front hang, as you suggested, is another option. Go to an REI or other outfitter and test their packs that are made for this. Outfitters are also a good source of information. I'm sure you're not the only one who has wanted to or has done this.
Although your son is to young to really appreciate hiking, I understand...sometimes it's about the memories for the parents more than the child. I'm sure there are a lot of "firsts" for him out in the forest!
Diapers would be the only extra thing I can think of that you'd have to pack out. Or you could use reusable diapers and clean them in the backcountry. You'd still need to dig a cat hole for solid waste (LNT practices).


Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!

4eyedbuzzard
04-13-2015, 17:00
Leave him with Grandma and go light...he's way too young to appreciate it and you'lll get a nice break...


That's the plan I'd follow.
Yep. Leave junior with family or friends. Find a nice campsite by a river, make a nice fire, break out that bottle of wine you packed in - and make a little sibling hiking companion for him. :D

HooKooDooKu
04-13-2015, 21:36
First of all expect a baby to slow you down way more than you think it will. Next you have to remember to monitor your baby's temperature. You might be working up a sweat from hiking. But your baby is just sitting there doing nothing. Combine that with the fact their little bodies loose heat faster and it real easy for you to be sweating like crazy on a cool afternoon while your baby is cold. We made that mistake hiking on a summer afternoon on a test day hike in GSMNP. I was sweating and didn't realize how cool the summer air was as we hiked along a creek.

Don't let the naysayers get you down. We hike to LeConte Lodge for an overnight stay when our first son was a year old. Did he get any think out of it? Nothing but a nice story of something out of the ordinary and we've never regretted it.

I would also suggest you google the subject. I know there was a book on the subject I bought over ten years ago... but I can't find it. But it does look like there is a lot more info on the Internet now than then.

On the subject of carrying your baby... my personal feeling is that a chest carrier would be unsafe in the backcountry. It seems to likely that your baby would get hurt if you fell. You would have much less room to use your arms to protect you and your baby than if you didn't have something riding on your chest. And the additional load in the front would make it more likely for you to fall. After all how many times has someone fallen with a pack and landed on there pack compared to r those that land on thear face... plus the less you a burdened the less likely you are to fall. So I would suggest that you get one of the wear on your back carriers and have the wife carry that and only that (with perhaps a few minor items lashed to it) while the husband carry ALL the gear the family needs.

Mags
04-13-2015, 21:50
Car camping with a child that young, or even a little older, may be much more doable. Many of my friends take out their young (under a year old) children car camping.

Most of my friends with children don't think of taking their child out backpacking until 4 or even 5 however.

And, no offense to the gentleman above, but a lodge is a bit different than a backpacking trip. :)

Every family and situation is different, but it seems once a child can consistently walk and carry a tiny bit of weight, backpacking is a more doable option.

Bati
04-13-2015, 22:21
The youngest child I've been backpacking with was almost a year and just over 20 pounds. Luckily, we had a 3 to one adult to kid ratio, but no one was over 5' 7". Weight-wise, that was an extra 7 pounds per person, plus the extra gear (diapers, clothes, etc), so it was manageable with frequent resupply.
Look into a tough traveller and always use the 5 point suspension. Consider driving 2 cars (with a kid seat in each) and resupplying/dropping off diapers/shuttling each day (we did this on a seldom-used trail with lots of road access points.) Cut your planned mileage in half. Take frequent breaks so the kid can stretch. Nurse- don't mess with formula, especially at 3 AM.
Read everything by Cindy Ross. She's done super-human hikes with kids.

Busky2
04-13-2015, 22:21
Leave him with Grandma and go light...he's way too young to appreciate it and you'lll get a nice break...

BIG +1 on this one

Just Bill
04-13-2015, 22:48
Screw em- take the kid out.
BUT- generally you need to wait until at least 6 months before their neck is strong enough for a carrier, though some kids need longer.
Don't mess around like I did- just bite the bullet and buy an Osprey Poco pack. You don't need the plus, the middle one is good enough and you can still pack most of your gear into it. Just get it over with and buy it. My son is 4 and 35 pounds and still fits in it. My daughter is little and is just getting strong enough that I feel good about putting her in it at 10 months.

You might want to check out Jennifer Pharr Davis too- she did the front (Bjorn I believe) and carried a full pack for trips with her young daughter.

Solo is very tough though, mom and dad is better- specially if Dad can be the hero hauler and mom takes the baby in the poco.

Nap time is mile time- but even then- don't figure on much. 10 was about my best day after he stopped sleeping all the time. We did a 15 once, but mostly because my son was in a phase where he thought galloping was really fun.

All that said- Not a damn thing wrong with car camping and taking day hikes.

We added an REI outlet tent that is a stand up dome- big enough to put the pack in play in there (on paper plates to protect the floor). Perfect for naps and sleep- unless you co-sleep already don't assume your kiddo will want to sleep with you. My son won't and never did, so far we can't get my bitch daughter outta mommies bed ;). Best I got my son to do was sleep on his own pad next to mine and share a quilt.

Besides- if you car camp you can pack a cooler. Which means mommy can bring breast milk, pump and dump, and still have a few hours around the fire sipping wine with daddy.

Kiddos in the tent a dreamin, campfire dancin, stars twinklin and glasses clinkin.

The Cleaner
04-13-2015, 22:59
Pack out your diapers....

Feral Bill
04-13-2015, 23:46
For a short trip in mild weather, the "hero" pack doesn't have to be crazy heavy. If you and Mom are able to swap packs on occasion so much the better. Give it a go, with an easy bailout. And take pictures! Junior will love them someday.

HooKooDooKu
04-13-2015, 23:52
And, no offense to the gentleman above, but a lodge is a bit different than a backpacking trip. :)

No offense taken... my point was that I've taken a baby on a difficult hike, one that people would say it's easier to do without the baby and should have left him behind.

BTW for those that don't know, LeConte is a rustic lodge (no electricity but you do get fed and a warm bed) that requires a minimum of a 5 mile hike and 2500 elevation gain. We still had to pack in baby food and pack out diapers. But we didn't have to pack sleeping gear and a tent. So to make it a full fledged backpack trip would require a heavy load for dad as he would really need to carry most of everything for two campers (and a part of my warning that you can expect to be going slower than you expect).

Havana
04-14-2015, 08:37
I think the LeConte idea is a good one. Still gets mom and dad outdoors but takes some pressure off of hauling all that gear and food (in addition to baby stuff). We did some car camping when the kids were young. I'm just not built of the stock that would want to add all the newborn infant care to all the personal hiker care that needs to get done. But maybe I'm just getting too old for this crap.

squeezebox
04-14-2015, 08:55
Bring an air thermometer and a person thermometer. Monitor air temp & and monitor babies body temp.
Hypothermia kills !!
My vote is car camping with day hikes.

tim.hiker
04-14-2015, 11:45
BIG +1 on this oneAt that age I agree,,, you need to least wait till they are strong enough to hold there head up really good... then go for it....

Another Kevin
04-14-2015, 14:06
At that age I agree,,, you need to least wait till they are strong enough to hold there head up really good... then go for it....

Or do what nomadic cultures have done since prehistoric times, either carry the baby in front in a sling that supports the whole length of the body, or strapped firmly to a cradle-board. A child no longer needs such a device when s/he can sit up unassisted.

Sarcasm the elf
04-14-2015, 14:17
My 5 month old controls his head just fine. It all depends on the individual kid.

(EDIT: See the picture's sideways and he's still Holding his head up just fine. :D)

Jedeye
04-14-2015, 16:25
Thanks for the input everyone! Once I get everything figured out and give it a go I will let y'all know how it went down.

jeffmeh
04-15-2015, 03:29
I lugged my kids on my back fairly frequently, but limited it to day trips. Even on the longer ones, it was still much easier to deal with the logistics of feedings and diapers once or twice, rather than many more times over a few days. One had an uncanny habit of always hitting his diaper when we were stopped at a particularly prominent rock formation, lol. I do think their love of hiking was certainly influenced by some of those early "rides."

misprof
04-15-2015, 04:02
I too recommend car camping for your first time out with the baby. You can use it as a base camp and do day hikes. We took a 3 year old and a 5 month old camping/hiking in the alps. We used a sack for strollers as the sleeping bag and then wrapped it in a down vest. She stayed toasty. We had a great time with her and until today she loves the outdoors.

teefal
04-15-2015, 06:40
I used a back carrier pack with my daughter when she was 6 months old. There's nothing like having a little hiking buddy right next to your face, someone to talk to & touch.

She doesn't remember the hikes, but BOY did she have fun during them. And I do think they influenced her love of nature now.

naturlred
04-15-2015, 07:35
Go for it. Young or old..... it does not matter. I wish more parents would attempt what your going to do.
Have a great time!

naturalred.wordpress.com

soulrebel
04-15-2015, 08:15
I've been on the trail carrying a baby, sterilizing breast pump parts in a cookpot over a fire (sometimes the kid doesn't drink as much as you think), sleeping in winter storms aka checking on the baby every 10 minutes throughout the night. It's hard, but times I won't forget. You will realize the vulnerability of our early ancestors and the complete lack of control we had over our environment and how attitude can be an asset or a liability.

P.s. You can vac seal diapers down into a reasonable size and use them in the back support area of the pack. Be sure to plan to stop for breast feeding breaks for baby and mom. Bring a sitpad, actually bring a closed cell foam that you can roll out easily for mom/baby naps. You can learn to sit quietly or do pushups and support the group without a gripe or pressure about getting somewhere. Carrying the baby up front in a wrap is nice and provides a blanket play/area in downtimes, but it gets hot and the thing gets dirty (oh well) the backpack is good but then they fall asleep and their head flops, so you carry them in your arms or walk like a waiter to smooth the ride, don't trip! a basket might be nice :) a basket on a pack animal. yes! I've zipped two bags together for a giant quilt, and used individual bags for all of us. I also have used a down vest/jacket as a light sleeping bag for the baby. I put one sleeping bag, rainjacket, diapers, umbrella and kid in the kidbackpack. We put all the other gear, food/majority of water in the other backpack. I've also had them ride on my shoulders and made a lil seatback with a closed cell roll on the top of the pack. This is comfortable and works well for the adult, but i think the kid gets a lil uncomfortable and you gotta watch out on downhills and the brush in general. It's an experience. Have fun! Check out Pine Mountain, GA it's not epic territory, but an easy place to go and check out family camping. GL

Jedeye
04-15-2015, 09:51
Awesome info - and yes, I'm the more I start totaling up the gear a pack animal is looking better all the time :)


I've been on the trail carrying a baby, sterilizing breast pump parts in a cookpot over a fire (sometimes the kid doesn't drink as much as you think), sleeping in winter storms aka checking on the baby every 10 minutes throughout the night. It's hard, but times I won't forget. You will realize the vulnerability of our early ancestors and the complete lack of control we had over our environment and how attitude can be an asset or a liability.

P.s. You can vac seal diapers down into a reasonable size and use them in the back support area of the pack. Be sure to plan to stop for breast feeding breaks for baby and mom. Bring a sitpad, actually bring a closed cell foam that you can roll out easily for mom/baby naps. You can learn to sit quietly or do pushups and support the group without a gripe or pressure about getting somewhere. Carrying the baby up front in a wrap is nice and provides a blanket play/area in downtimes, but it gets hot and the thing gets dirty (oh well) the backpack is good but then they fall asleep and their head flops, so you carry them in your arms or walk like a waiter to smooth the ride, don't trip! a basket might be nice :) a basket on a pack animal. yes! I've zipped two bags together for a giant quilt, and used individual bags for all of us. I also have used a down vest/jacket as a light sleeping bag for the baby. I put one sleeping bag, rainjacket, diapers, umbrella and kid in the kidbackpack. We put all the other gear, food/majority of water in the other backpack. I've also had them ride on my shoulders and made a lil seatback with a closed cell roll on the top of the pack. This is comfortable and works well for the adult, but i think the kid gets a lil uncomfortable and you gotta watch out on downhills and the brush in general. It's an experience. Have fun! Check out Pine Mountain, GA it's not epic territory, but an easy place to go and check out family camping. GL

Wolfmate
04-16-2015, 20:10
My brother had a backpack that was made to carry the baby too. Not for sure what it is called. They bought it on amazon three years ago and it was just a bit over $100. Plenty of room for some supplies in it too.

it is great you want to make this a family thing. I am planning a hike with my 4 year old grandson through the smokies and have been getting a lot of grief from people over it. Good luck on your hike and have fun!

The Solemates
04-17-2015, 08:27
We have 3 kids and have hiked with them since birth. We took our firstborn out at 6 weeks for an overnight. At 10 weeks she went out for 3 nights in snow and temps in the teens. We have been hiking with all 3 ever since. I generally carry all gear. My pack usually weighs about 50-60 pounds for a 2 night weekend trip. My Edie carries an external frame kid carrier with 1 sleeping bag strapped on. Kids do not carry anything. We move at their pace and rarely hike more than 5 miles. Our oldest is only 7 right now. They love it!

The Solemates
04-17-2015, 08:28
Wife not Edie :)

Alligator
04-17-2015, 10:26
Your son will be too big for a front carrier. About 6 months is the time to transition out of those. You'll need a back loading one. Get one with a large capacity for gear if possible and good suspension. Think ultralight as much as possible and ultra small volume in your gear choices. This will be true throughout family backpacking trips until they get big enough to carry all their gear. That will be many years away. One person will carry a disproportionate share of gear as one person will be handling the baby.

Diapers are heavy packing out. You could scrape the diaper waste into a cathole and possibly sun dry the diaper before packing it out.

You can go farther carrying the baby vs a walking toddler but still keep the miles low anyway. It will not be your regular backpacking style. It'll be camping with a some waliking in between. Remember that and you will enjoy your trip.

Special safety concerns: A squirmy baby or toddler may roll outside of a floorless tent. A child that age you would want to be careful with positioning too close to your own bedding (SIDS concern). For the baby, fleece sleepers would work (looks a bit like a Snuggy). I recommend filtering your water (not iodine though) or even boil it if you use formula. Iodine is likely a no-no if you were thinking of using it.

This is totally doable, just take it slower as needed and be mindful of the weather. It will be one of the most beautiful memories of your child that you ever have.

gravityman
04-17-2015, 11:42
Do it, but it's hard if they aren't a great sleeper. We took our first out at 5 months, then 10 months, then 1.6 years, then 2.6 years. No one slept, and we stopped until he was 5 when I took him alone, we walked, and it was great. At 7 (son) and 5 (daughter) we just had our first family backpacking trip this fall that was amazing. We did do a ton of day hiking and car camping.

Every baby is different, and if we had our daughter first, we could have had much better backpacking experience with the baby. You won't know unless you try. But if it feels too hard, find something that isn't.

CalebJ
04-18-2015, 21:41
Don't mess around like I did- just bite the bullet and buy an Osprey Poco pack. You don't need the plus, the middle one is good enough and you can still pack most of your gear into it. Just get it over with and buy it. My son is 4 and 35 pounds and still fits in it. My daughter is little and is just getting strong enough that I feel good about putting her in it at 10 months.
You meant 'don't need the Premium', right? There's the regular Poco, the Poco Plus, and the Poco Premium on the high end. Hope so - I just ordered the Plus based on my interpretation of what you said...

lonehiker
04-18-2015, 23:56
Check out www.justtrails.com the site has a section devoted to hiking and kids (albeit just day hiking). But, it still has good information. I have gone up to some local mountains to do some snowshoeing and seen Al and Rebecca (owners of the site) coming out with their very young children. And I believe that Rebecca hiked 100 consecutive days with the 2 kids.

Fredt4
04-19-2015, 01:34
I've hiked enough that I've had plenty of falls. Never been seriously injured but doubt that a baby would have fared as well. Hiking with a baby sounds insane to me. Definitely not what anyone should do. Just saying.

katz
04-30-2015, 09:46
Hi, my husband and I are currently section hiking in Virginia with our 8 months old. We are almost 1 week into our 6 weeks hike. So far this is what we have learned and we had planned to make this possible:
1) baby in backpack carrier must be able to sit upright and have no problem supporting his head. We use a Deutet Kid Comfort Air cause it is lightweight compared to other models, but does not have much capacity for gear, I can only fit a 1.5 day worth of cloth diapers, baby pyjama and small pharmacy with thermometer, oragel, tempra, baby electrolyte (pedialyte brand), baby sunscreen and low deet insect repellent that I try to avoid using unless bugs really are an issue.
2) We take 30-60 minutes breaks every 1.5 hours for feeding/nursing the baby and give her a rest from sitting in the same position. We find that 5-6 hours of moving time is the maximum to keep everyone happy.
3) Weather. We check twice a day the weather mountain forecast and adjust our plan for the next couple days accordingly. If its supposed to rain but warm, we plan a short day, if wet and cold we wait it out somewhere where we can stay dry and keep baby warm. If sunny, we leave early and try to stop the hike early in the afternoom to avoid overheating. Make sure you have a sunroof on your carrier.
4) baby loves her experience so far, wih the exception of the occasional snob thru hikers who uses the trail for the purpose of feeding his ego, most people are very kind and friendly in regards to sharing the trail, shelters and lunch tables with an infant. By the way we do sleep in a tent keeping a distance from the shelters at night to respect the other hiker's sleep in case she wakes up to cry at night (eventhou she almost never does).
5) make sure to know some basic technique on how to deal with a choking baby... leaves and worms and more are easy to catch by fast tiny fingers. We took a wilnerness advanced first aid before embarking on this journey, it is not necessary but if you plan to hike a lot with baby in the future we found it to be very useful. But prevention is your best friend. Avoid cold night or be prepared for them, and make sure everybody is well hydrated!

Have fun planning your hike!

We have a blog, mostly in French but some articles in English are coming:
www.quarantejours.com

Wyoming
04-30-2015, 12:47
I would think that the greatest concern for a summer hike would be overheating. A baby strapped in a carrier on a 90+ deg day can easily get really hot and since they dont handle heat well at all this could lead to problems fast. So don't overwrap with clothes/blankets and make absolutely sure the baby is not sweating. Hydrate like crazy.

CalebJ
04-30-2015, 16:01
I would think that the greatest concern for a summer hike would be overheating. A baby strapped in a carrier on a 90+ deg day can easily get really hot and since they dont handle heat well at all this could lead to problems fast. So don't overwrap with clothes/blankets and make absolutely sure the baby is not sweating. Hydrate like crazy.
I'd be a lot more concerned if the baby -wasn't- sweating. Still, valid point.

For what it's worth, our Poco Plus came in last Friday and I'm very impressed. Only been able to take a couple of walks in town with it so far, but our almost 8 month old loves it. Went about 1.5 miles each way to dinner last night and he seemed to really enjoy himself.

Size12
04-30-2015, 18:36
Id be honest, I agree with the earlier comment of leaving the baby with grandma. As a baby, the kid wouldnt really get much out of it, or even remember it later in life. Also, it is another thing you would have to worry about when hiking, especially with temperature regulation.

That said, if you want to, go for it.

But, (I might be making myself unpopular with this suggestion) if your baby is likely to wind up crying and making a racket (particularly in the night/morning) I'd consider camping away from other people. I was recently in a large, fully booked hut and while I could deal with all the snoring no problem, there was a crying baby there that was beginning to drive me insane before it shut up. On a moderately unrelated note, Also the small children that had no control of their torches (and have been given hundred plus lumen light.....) that insisted on looking at me, pointing their torches/headtorches at my face and blinding me.

Wyoming
05-01-2015, 13:56
I'd be a lot more concerned if the baby -wasn't- sweating. Still, valid point.

For what it's worth, our Poco Plus came in last Friday and I'm very impressed. Only been able to take a couple of walks in town with it so far, but our almost 8 month old loves it. Went about 1.5 miles each way to dinner last night and he seemed to really enjoy himself.


Well yes, but we are saying the same thing. Watch for excessive sweating and take action immediately. By the time they have stopped sweating you have a big problem.

Moosling
06-08-2015, 09:02
Great suggestions, I have a 14 month old and have been itching to get him out there with me, so far we have done some day hikes and he seems to really enjoy being in the woods (tree canopy must be an amazing thing to see at such a young age.)

Robert Alexander
06-16-2015, 22:52
It's kind of presumptuous to suggest leaving the baby at home with family. I'm not going to suggest that. There's a lot to taking care of kids. I've got three including a 20 month old. I am a confident father. I take care of my child during the day while his mother is at work. If I am going into the backcountry with him, I need to have the same level of confidence. I need to be able to provide comfort and keep him healthy/happy. It's entirely possible but does require a set of skills that is different that what's required around town. It's critical (read: responsible) that I am aware of these required skills and take this into account if I'm going to venture into the deep woods with him.

I took my older son on his first backpacking trip when he was in first grade. That was some 4 years ago. I was too busy to consider it before.

CalebJ
06-20-2015, 23:38
Finally had the opportunity to get some real use with the Osprey Poco Plus in the last couple of weeks. My son (9 months old) loves it. He looks around and chatters, laughs at dogs, and eventually sleeps while we hike. He's been to McAfee's (twice) and to Dragon's Tooth so far, with lots more to come as we have the time. Very happy with the way the pack carries. No soreness after 8 miles, and it adjusts nearly instantly to a huge range of sizes. My wife has no trouble carrying it either.

gibsygoldtop
06-22-2015, 12:31
I haven't read all the post so I don't know what the majority says but my thoughts are to take the baby! We have been taking our daughter since she was six months old. She is four now. She loves to go and asks when we are going again. We went last year a few times last year when my wife was pregnant as well. Now we have a little boy and will taking him for his first trip maybe this weekend.

We have a Dueter Kid Comfort 2 and it works quite well. I have an older pack that is huge and just pack everything in there for all of us and the Dueter carries the baby and all of their needs.

Camping on the AT with has been awesome with our daughter. We camp in the backyard a lot too because of going. Our only issue now is the Hubba Hubba is too small!