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I was wondering if anyone has done a thru with there kid(s)? I mean 10 years and younger. I think in a couple of years I am going to start taking my boys to the A.T. when the get out of school for the summer. Both of my boys are pretty young and they like to camp. I think it would be pretty cool to have them have already hiked the A.T. before they get out of high school. That way they will love hiking and exploring the outdoors or they will hate it. I hope to be still hiking when I am in my 60's and it would be great to be hiking with my kids.
my son was around 10 when we first started backpacking 3-4 years ago. He enjoyed it, but I don't think he would have enjoyed a long distance hike. At 10 he carried his clothes, and personal things. I carried everything else. You have to consider the loads they carry with their "not yet developed bodies". I am hoping to do a 50 miler with him this spring, but I think that will be his limit. I want to make sure that I don't push him to the point where he hates hiking.
It is not the AT, but the book ZERO DAYS (http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=06Cw8_KuQ88C&dq=pacific+crest+trail+scrambler&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=d_2IINcOb2&sig=gNPsq7-XPReLXx_OBqjAgWUx6TY) may be of interest to you.
Scrambler was 10 y.o. when she thru-hiked the PCT with her folks.
minnesotasmith
01-30-2008, 11:49
A married couple thruhiked the AT with their two children, boy aged 8 and girl aged 10, I believe.
Almost There
01-30-2008, 11:51
Selfish to take a Pre 10 year old on a thru hike. They have to know for sure if they want to do it or not. Kids alot of times do stuff because mom or dad want to. If you want your kid to love backpacking, keep the hikes shorter and scenic until they're a little older. Can it be done....Sure! But ask yourself why are you really doing it.
You can still take your kids out for 2 weeks at a time or even a month at a time.
Sorry as a teacher I just see so many parents today doing what they think would be "cool" rather than what is "right" for their kids. Let your child truly develop a love for hiking, and when they bring up doing a thru one day...well then you got them hooked.
Lone Wolf
01-30-2008, 11:52
if you drag a kid or a dog on the trail then you should carry all the gear/food for the kid/dog
Also, I think its important, with small kids, that they go super uber ultra lite. When my son crossed over to Boy Scouts, I wanted him to be able to carry all his stuff in one bag. After researching gear, (Many thanks to WB) I chose to make him a ray-way pack and sleeping quilt. When we hike with the scouts, his weight is about half of the other boys. Also, he has adult gear. I'm not having to re-fit him with new packs and gear every other year.
if you drag a kid or a dog on the trail then you should carry all the gear/food for the kid/dog
...and keep them on a leash at all times.
minnesotasmith
01-30-2008, 11:59
Also, I think its important, with small kids, that they go super uber ultra lite. When my son crossed over to Boy Scouts, I wanted him to be able to carry all his stuff in one bag. After researching gear, (Many thanks to WB) I chose to make him a ray-way pack and sleeping quilt. When we hike with the scouts, his weight is about half of the other boys. Also, he has adult gear. I'm not having to re-fit him with new packs and gear every other year.
Your kid must be the envy of every other Scout in his troop when they're on a hike. Good for you, for doing this for him.
if you drag a kid or a dog on the trail then you should carry all the gear/food for the kid/dog
agree. I took my son (13) and grandson (5) on an overnighter in the Cohuttha last year. My son and I carried everything. Granson did not even have a day pack. He loved it. There again. short trip no weight.
Your kid must be the envy of every other Scout in his troop when they're on a hike. Good for you, for doing this for him.I did it mainly for me. The first year we backpacked, I was probably carrying 50lbs. I didn't enjoy the hiking. Two 5lb walmart sleeping bags, two person dome tent, Lantern, big one burner stove, hatchet, etc.
Pennsylvania Rose
01-30-2008, 12:10
There was a 5 yo that thru'd with his parents in the '80's. I'd personally never thru with any of my kids under 12 or 13, but section hike - no problem. All of my kids (ages 5 - 16) have been hiking all their lives. With the exception of my 6yo step-daughter (who I have yet to take backpacking for a variety of reasons), all of them go out with me for about a week at a time twice a year. We also camp a lot in the summer and dayhike year round. Right now, I wouldn't even want to go backpacking without my kids. Just have a lot of patience and use your common sense wrt speed, distance, weather, the weight the kids carry, etc. Keep it FUN!
I dont think I would do a thru with him at that age. In the summers I think it would be good to do about a month. He would probably learn more in that month than the whole school year. I think I am a pretty good parent and have been hiking all my life and if he is not enjoying it than it maybe something hes not into yet. I understand that. I dont want to pressure him into doing something he doesnt want to do. Besides I have two other kids and I am sure one of them will follow in my footsteps.
if you drag a kid or a dog on the trail then you should carry all the gear/food for the kid/dogThat was my experience also. My daughter is 50 pounds and it works out best if I carry everything. It does help if they have a small pouch for things that are special to them, but not anything to weigh them down. They need to be free to run ahead and catch up after lollygagging a bit, but of course never out of sight. Also be prepared to lollygag a bit with them, and kick butt a little but only when there is reason, like lets get to this place before supper or something like that. Margaret carries a whistle/thermometer/compass, a proper compass and map (she likes to navigate), maybe a small bottle of water (300ml pet), and maybe a piece of clothing she might take off and not give to me to carry. She also likes to carry a hiking stick. Tried to talk her out of it. What was I thinking? I'm a total idiot sometimes.
Sometimes they make great time, just as fast as you or I, and they can go for miles and miles. They need lots of time to lollygag and explore though. It's what kids do. So you have to slow down with them and use the time to teach them about plants and rocks and stuff, just as long as it doesn't interfere with the important stuff like poking a stick into a mud puddle or moose pooh or something like that.
austexs I see you have 5 childern of your owen.
Feral Bill
01-30-2008, 12:18
A few years back, when my daughter was barely ten, we hiked the Wonderland Trail . She carried her fair share of gear, about 20 pounds. At the end of each day I would nap and she would bounce around. Best trip ever. We did do a couple of shorter preliminary trips, which I recommend.
Selfish to take a Pre 10 year old on a thru hike. They have to know for sure if they want to do it or not. Kids alot of times do stuff because mom or dad want to. If you want your kid to love backpacking, keep the hikes shorter and scenic until they're a little older. Can it be done....Sure! But ask yourself why are you really doing it.
You can still take your kids out for 2 weeks at a time or even a month at a time.
With your reasoning then you shouldn't take kids on long trips to other countries because the "parents want to do it". So we should just do what the kids want to do? Nooo thanks. I am mom for a reason, and I make the decisions when it comes to outdoor time - and the kid comes wether or not he wants to. And gee, he usually enjoys it and wants to go back!
Not every kid is a born hiker - just like not every adult is. There are ones though that were designed for the miles. Ask yourself if you kid is that one, and if so? Go for it. Have fun and ignore the people who say you can't.
There are kids out there with a little training that can out hike adults. These kids can do miles. And most of all? They can carry their gear. Kids are not as fragile as we'd like to pretend they are. A kid who is normal weight can carry a real pack, with weight. It needs to be packed right and fit to them. At 6 my kid was carrying around 8-10 lbs. At 10 1/2 he can hump 15 with no issue. He leaves me in his dust. I have never let him have it easy - that only breeds lazy kids. That means not carrying their share! The secret is let kids whine. As long as they move they can whine.
There are not a lot of parents out there that expect this of their kids - there should be more of us!
I think it depends mostly on their weight what they carry. If I was to venture a formula I would say they should carry no more a pound or two for every ten pounds over fifty or something like that. This is assuming you want to cover some distance. Kids can really make tracks when she wants to and they just fly up hill, as long as you don't burden them.
Sarbar is right. Brainwash early and brainwash often.
Kids and dogs belong in the woods even more than we do.
Well...weight might not be the best criteria. Height and muscles can be more important. By weight my son should be carrying maybe 8 lbs as he is rail thin. But his body is in great shape and is rather tall - so he can carry the pack weight. He is a couple inches or more taller than most kids his age.
Sarbar is right. Brainwash early and brainwash often.
Kids and dogs belong in the woods even more than we do.
Well.....I do have a point: how many of you men got your love of hiking from your old man taking you camping, hunting, Boy Scouts, etc? Kids are NOT being take out enough nowdays! Many kids don't have a clue what camping even is........
I would however draw the line when it comes to coal mining. ;)
In 2005, Troll and Anchor thru-hiked with their son following her retirement from the Navy (Never Again Volunteer Yourself :D). Here's (http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3002) a link to their Trail Journal. Excellent reading!
I would agree with Sarbar that more weight is OK. It depends on the kid.
By far the most important thing is time in the woods. That is way more important than how many miles they cover or how much they carry or what they wear. I would argue that they should spend just as much time in the woods as in school, and she would if I had more time to get her there. Just as it is far more important for kids to read and go to school than adults, it is far more important that they spend time outside, preferably in natural habitats. Nature has more bandwidth than TV or the Internet. We need to take full advantage of that. What is the point of preserving wilderness if not for kids to spend their formative years in it?
Farr Away
01-30-2008, 12:53
I have a four year old who _desperately_ wants to go backpacking with me. (A couple years ago my (now) ex told him that he could go if he could carry my pack. My son probably weighed 30 or 35 lbs, and my pack is normally in the mid 20s. He actually got it up off the ground he wanted to go so bad.)
The two of us have been doing car camping and hiking, and this year we'll be doing an overnight backpack. Just a couple miles out and back. He will carry very little, but he will have a pack.
So start early; keep it realistic; make sure there's more fun than misery, and yes, if necessary drag the little darlings out into the woods. It's good for them. Just like vegetables. :)
jak and sarbar I think you guys are both right. I would rather have my kids outside rather than in front of the t.v. I think some people dont like the idea because their parents did get them involed in the outdoors when they were little.
I have a four year old who _desperately_ wants to go backpacking with me. (A couple years ago my (now) ex told him that he could go if he could carry my pack. My son probably weighed 30 or 35 lbs, and my pack is normally in the mid 20s. He actually got it up off the ground he wanted to go so bad.)
The two of us have been doing car camping and hiking, and this year we'll be doing an overnight backpack. Just a couple miles out and back. He will carry very little, but he will have a pack.
So start early; keep it realistic; make sure there's more fun than misery, and yes, if necessary drag the little darlings out into the woods. It's good for them. Just like vegetables. :)I have a 6 year old son who is the same way. He is dying to go backpacking with Doc and I some time. I've taken him on a couple short day hikes and he's enjoyed it. He's been car camping with me since he was 4, but hasn't been able to make the same transition into backpacking that Doc and I have because of his age. My plan is to get him a small pack that will hold his sleeping bag and a few little things this spring and hopefully take him on an overnighter after school gets out. I'm hoping that he enjoys it as much as I do.
Gray Blazer
01-30-2008, 13:03
My grownup kids love the outdoors. Their kids are always asking when is G-pa going to take us hiking again. I can't afford to outfit myself the way I would like to but we still keep it light. Heck, the school backpacks full of textbooks can give them scoliosis(sp?). They love carrying their own water and snacks (the dog is used to her backpack). They and our dog were playing on a Suwannee River beach the other day on the FT after they had already hiked 8 miles (good for a 7 and an 8 yr old) and they were saying that it was the best time they had ever had. They love looking for bigfoot tracks in the Bardin Booger Woods on the FT. You prolly need to get them a Sponge Bob Ultra-light backpack (:D).
I think we are too fixated on backpacks. The essence of hiking is walking in the woods, not buying a bag and stuffing it full of more stuff we buy. That said, if the litte buggers are just as brainwashed as we are to need a backpack to get out in the woods, do it. Heck, I would let her drink and smoke if that's what it took to get he out there. Fortunately it hasn't come to that. ;)
Alligator
01-30-2008, 13:57
I think we are too fixated on backpacks. The essence of hiking is walking in the woods, not buying a bag and stuffing it full of more stuff we buy. That said, if the litte buggers are just as brainwashed as we are to need a backpack to get out in the woods, do it. Heck, I would let her drink and smoke if that's what it took to get he out there. Fortunately it hasn't come to that. ;)The kids want to be like Daddy and Mommy, so even a little pack makes them feel grownup.
But no smokin' or drinkin':mad:.
The kids want to be like Daddy and Mommy, so even a little pack makes them feel grownup.
But no smokin' or drinkin':mad:.Agreed, kids want to emulate those they love. Even if you just put a couple small things in the pack, it makes them feel like they're contributing, which is important for them. They want you to know they're doing their part, too. As for smoking and drinking, I don't smoke, but I let me son taste a beer once when he insisted it was apple juice. Now he doesn't like apple juice anymore. :(
I guess its all in the way you expose them to the boot
My son is 14 and is a scout since Tigers. Before he was ever in scouts I was taking him on little jaunts in the local parks paths and family camping (familirzation with camping gear). I was doing scout weekends and AT mile weekends every month then. Sometimes they would clash and mom would oversee his participation in the cub venture.
By the time he was a tenderfoot in the troop, he was also going on ALL my backpacking trips also. In the begining, like most posting have said, I took most o the gear but our gear was the right gear and I got him into the clothing usage of a backpacker.
Eventually he carried more of his own stuff, the last trip, he tells me that he wants his own tent now. NOOO PROBLEM SON! LOL.
He's got the scent, but he wants to do the AT after school like I did BUT he wants to also do the NCT. (North Country Trail)
I have another son, now 16 whos had some sleep walking issues, left scouts because of it. (It wasnt me who took him out, we tried for 2 years to iron it out)
He told me right after the holidays that he wants to go on the next weekend trek, so I am hopeful.
Lots of kids love long hikes and many have thru hiked. I think a six year old has thruhiked. There's nothing wrong with it. I think it would be great for a 10 year old. I doubt you'll be overworking him, more likely he'll be overworking you. LW is FOS on this one...some dogs and kids do well while others don't. For the right kid with the right parent it would be an awesome experience. For the wrong kid with the wrong parent it could be a nightmare. I have some friends who don't hike but frequently pick me up at Harper's Ferry and other places with their kids when I'm done hiking and the kids beg and plead with me to take them hiking with me. We're gonna start by camping in the backyard and work up from there. Obviously you'd have to hike the kids hike and do things carefully to prevent problems and keep the kid enjoying the whole thing. It wouldn't be a selfish experience like most thruhikes, you'd have to put the kid's experience first all the time.
Blissful
01-30-2008, 14:47
Selfish to take a Pre 10 year old on a thru hike. They have to know for sure if they want to do it or not. Kids alot of times do stuff because mom or dad want to. If you want your kid to love backpacking, keep the hikes shorter and scenic until they're a little older. .
This is good advice. We started Paul Bunyan out backpacking when he was about nine or ten. Easy stuff at first, letting him get used to the idea. Then he went on hikes on the AT in SNP and northern VA. Then in NH. Did good with that.
He still was not thrilled though about the thru hike. Said it was my deal not his and why should he go? I didn't say much on it but let time and situations help. His communcations with other hikers on WB helped a great deal. And of course, meeting other thrus like Disney and Mailer on the trail back when we did SNP (Disney gave him his trail name). And he loved Trail Days. But on day one at SPringer last year he did not want to be there (but he was getting over an illness too). But he hiked on and never talked about quitting until PA. At PA he wanted to get off. But he liked the half gallon challenge. We took a day off in Gettysburg. And he decided himself to keep going and he did, never talked about quitting again.
And I am really proud of what he did. It became his hike, and that's what it's all about.
Do I remember sometime...last ten years or so, everyone being concerned about someone who took their 6 and 7 year olds on the knife edge?
It's a great thing...but you must have infinite patience. And yes, be prepared to carry their stuff, sometimes, and listen to some whining and complaining, too. Eventually they see how much it means to you, and may take a life-long interest in it themselves. I started my three kids out at a young age (toting the littlest in back carriers) and kept at it thru the years. We learned a lot on the trails,(still do) and I am grateful for the time I have spent out there with them. Good luck to you and the kids!
I took my son last summer for a short day hike to Bear Rocks in PA (check my pics). He is 5 and loved it. It was great but a little scary... he had absolutely no fear of climbing up to the top. He loved every part but the walking. I wound up carrying him on my shoulders for the last couple miles. This summer I want to take him on his first overnighter. When I was little I hated to be inside, hopefully he will too, instead of rotting away in front of a tv.
Pennsylvania Rose
01-30-2008, 16:53
Do I remember sometime...last ten years or so, everyone being concerned about someone who took their 6 and 7 year olds on the knife edge?
Yeah - that was Cindy Ross - the picture was in the AT newsletter. I didn't have a problem with it. The risk factor just depends on the kids/parents. For example, I took my oldest two and my youngest some fairly dangerous places when they were 6 & under, but I knew they could handle it. They have cautious natures and listen very well. My 6 yo, though, hasn't even gone backpacking with me yet because her personality is totally different. Just dealing with her on a day hike or camping wears me out mentally. She tends to wander off and could be walking off a cliff and would take off running just because I told her to come back. She's getting better, so we'll probably try it this summer.
Another example: My oldest two started carrying real backpacks at 5 & 6, and they could keep up all day. My youngest doesn't like to carry any more than a sweater and snacks and stops to piddle around a lot, but he did hike six miles uphill out of Cades Cove just after his 5th birthday last year, then put in full days the next two days. So I'm not complaining about carrying his stuff. Especially since he tells me "we need to go hiking up a mountain" at least once a week.
Another good reason not to encumber them too much, but again it depends on the kid, and most kids are like mountain goats. I would be most careful around streams and cliff edges, but I wouldn't be too worried about slopes where they get a second chance if they slip. Just make them aware of the danger, and don't tollerate any clowning around. Common sense and instincts should prevail. Kids are born to hike and explore. As a species, it's what we do best.
Sometimes they make great time, just as fast as you or I, and they can go for miles and miles. They need lots of time to lollygag and explore though. It's what kids do. So you have to slow down with them and use the time to teach them about plants and rocks and stuff, just as long as it doesn't interfere with the important stuff like poking a stick into a mud puddle or moose pooh or something like that.
Interesting point. Two summers ago while on vacation in Ontario, I took my 8 year old niece out for a hike one afternoon. One minute she was 50 yds in front of me, the next she was sitting on a log 50 yds behind me. Then she became fascinated with some sort of poo (I told her it was wolf, it was mostly hair), so we had to look at every piece of poo that we saw. Then she discovered that there were lots of colorful and neat looking mushrooms, so we had to look at those too, even the ones we had already passed. In between I gave her mini geology and plant ID lessons. She had a blast and so did I, even though a 2 hour hike turned into 4 1/2. For Christmas I got her a field guide to North American mushrooms, and she had no idea why I got it for her. Go figure.
Yeah - that was Cindy Ross - the picture was in the AT newsletter. I didn't have a problem with it. The risk factor just depends on the kids/parents. For example, I took my oldest two and my youngest some fairly dangerous places when they were 6 & under, but I knew they could handle it. They have cautious natures and listen very well.
I hear you on all that however, I dont think I could of took my boys out there when they were 6.
angel2cdwings
01-31-2008, 23:55
My Granddaughter who is 2 1/2 wants to go backpacking with me. She has several differnt packs that she wears around the house and plays like she is going "backpacking", She has been car camping since she was 8 months old, gets in my kayak with me for playtime in the lake loves to look at the birds and flowers when we are outside. I can tell you she wants so much to participate in all aspects of camping and is very helpful at times. After a little encouragement, her mom and I have agreed to take her out for an overnight in late March on Springer. I am so excited yet so scared at the same time. I think I have taken all the precautions like buying a bear bell to put on her mini mule pack, a solar blanket and a whistle, that and a little water will be all that she will carry. I just keep thinking about all the children who become seperated from their family in the great outdoors and do not wish for her to become a statistic. maybe I should think about some power bars or something to sustain her if the worst does happen...God Forbid!
Angel...when my son was very young I had him on a tether. Yes, you get comments about leashing your children - but it keeps them from getting ahead and lost.