hiking advice for kids

[saltysack]

I'm wanting to take my 6 yr old son hiking with me on the AT in Ga or Nc. Looking for a section not to tough. Would love input on kids gear as well from others who have experience with it. He is full of energy. We plan to sleep in my Easton kilo 2p tent. I'm probably going to take our trail dog as well to keep him goin. I bought a small golite jam off eBay that he can wear. But haven't decided if he will bring. I may carry all in mine. Any advice would be appreciated!!!;)

[FarmerChef]

Check out my journal here (http://www.trailjournals.com/geigers) which has a mostly complete gear list and some photos of our son who started long distance hiking when he was 5. In the beginning, we used a school style backpack and let him carry a couple fun items in it but we found that it was just not up to the task of even light duty outdoors. So we instead purchased a small REI Sprig daypack which he has used for the last 2 years and just shy of 1,100 miles. All it will fit is his sleeping bag, a change of clothes and a small water bladder and we make sure that his load tops out at about 5 pounds. If your son is a bit on the tall side you might be able to try a small jam but as a Jam owner, I would be willing to bed that it will be too big to rest comfortably on him without constantly slipping to the side. Deuter makes an adjustable pack that could grow with him depending on your hiking future. We have two Fox 30s for our older girls but will be swapping them out for Jam's this year since that saves over a pound of pack weight and holds their bulkier cold-weather gear better.

Other than the pack itself here are some general tips for hiking with young boys:

1. Make it Fun (can't say that enough. If it isn't fun, they won't want to come back)
2. Boys love to DO stuff so let them. For instance, even if his pack only has one race car in it, he'll be so proud he's just like the big boys.
3. Have a destination in mind. Working toward a goal helps keep attention focused. It could be a big vista, a stream (kids and water are magnetically attracted), a campsite, you name it.
4. Trail treats help dispel gloom or a boo boo. We use Mike and Ikes and Starburst a lot since they don't melt. Another hiker I know called it "medicine" for his young hiker daughter.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your hike.

[Rasty]

The best advise I can give is let him determine the distance and pace. Hiking with my daughter I have stopped and set up camp just to pack up again and do a few more miles when she got bored.

[saltysack]

Thx for all the great info! I'm going to try the pack on him today..

[magic_game03]

Georgia does not have much altitude but it's a lot of attitude. The most southern area that I would consider is the Standing Indian Cirque. You mostly stay up on a ridge and you could loop back to your vehicle, still it's not flat. Next moderate section north would be up by Max Patch. But the best area that I would recommend is just on the other side of the NC/VA line. I'd go to Grayson Highlands. They got wild ponies1837018371, too. I recommend these areas because they only have moderate up 'n downs which gives a 6 year old time to look out enjoy the views without having all the rigorous climbs.

[Feral Bill]

Unless your son is especially small and frail, give him a respectable load for his size. Clothes, snacks and water at least. He'll fell like more of a hiker.

Also, be ready to stop for every interesting bug, flower and rock. Really, that's how we all should hike, sometimes.

[bfayer]

...Other than the pack itself here are some general tips for hiking with young boys:

1. Make it Fun (can't say that enough. If it isn't fun, they won't want to come back)
2. Boys love to DO stuff so let them. For instance, even if his pack only has one race car in it, he'll be so proud he's just like the big boys.
3. Have a destination in mind. Working toward a goal helps keep attention focused. It could be a big vista, a stream (kids and water are magnetically attracted), a campsite, you name it.
4. Trail treats help dispel gloom or a boo boo. We use Mike and Ikes and Starburst a lot since they don't melt. Another hiker I know called it "medicine" for his young hiker daughter.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your hike.

+1 on all the above. Hiking for kids is about the journey not the miles.

Make sure you let them have some input on what they take, even if you have to carry it. For example when my son was like 2 we got him a fisher price toy camping set that included a toy plastic mess kit and lantern. I would be the first to say that these toys had no business being anywhere except in the house or the backyard, but when I took him on his first real overnight hike, he not only packed them, but ate dinner out of the mess kit. He is 13 now and still keeps the lantern next to his bed.

It's the little things they remember the most when they are young.

[G-FOURce]

i am planning a long hike with my 10-year old son, too. i dont know if there might be any information in the thread i started regarding our hike, but if you want to look here it is:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?89617-Inaugural-section-hike-w-son/page3

i grabbed my son an Osprey Jib 35 b/c i trust the load-carrying comfort of the osprey and when covering 40 miles i didnt want to take any chances. the weight initially appears to be a little more than comparable packs like the Fox 30, but when i realized that he Jib comes with a pack cover that made the weight more comparable.

glad to see you're getting out there with him and we hope you guys have a great trip!

[Trebor66]

My son started hiking with me when he was 5. I can't comment too much on the gear because our hikes are all day hikes. He just turned 7 last month and he can easily do 8 miles or more in the Springer Mtn area. Lots of snacks, lots of breaks, a promise of hot chocolate when you reach camp, and most important pack lots of patience.

[MuddyWaters]

Kids can get bored with nothing to look at. One or two views per day may not cut it for them.

Grayson Highlands and wild ponies sounds like a winning combination to me.

[bigcranky]

+1 on Grayson Highlands. Some nice hikes up there. You can PM me for specific suggestions.

Keep his total weight carried below 10% of his bodyweight. So if he weighs 50 pounds, his total pack weight is 5 pounds max. This is important to avoid damage to growing joints and bones. (Yeah, I know, his school bookbag weighs more than that. But he's not carrying it all day.) He'll need a water bottle and some very basic ten-essentials things (flashlight or headlamp, fleece sweater, large trash bag for emergency shelter, that sort of thing. A stuffed animal or other toy. Some sort of ID. Teach him the "hug a tree" thing if he gets separated.) Don't forget sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat - he can be badly burned at 5000 feet even on a cloudy day. (Yeah, ask me how I know that, but keep forgetting anyway. Ugh.)

My daughter started backpacking at age 4, and we took her to Mt Rogers (Grayson Highlands area) at 5. The most important thing for her was keeping her fed. She needed little snacks pretty much all the time. Her favorite was homemade beef jerky, but we let her make her own gorp, too.

+1 on taking it easy. The first trip should be a couple of miles out and back. Stop frequently to look at stuff. Let him play in creeks. Have fun!

[Rasty]

Kids can get bored with nothing to look at. One or two views per day may not cut it for them.

Grayson Highlands and wild ponies sounds like a winning combination to me.

I think Greyson's ponies brings out the kids in all of us. Who doesn't get a kick out of looking at or petting the ponies.

[TheYoungOne]

6 years old, don't expect to do "big miles" and be ready to carry both packs at some point.

Here is a good video of two adult hikers and one 11 year old hiking in Shenandoah.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXz06_imbDY

[Blackett]

Also, be ready to stop for every interesting bug, flower and rock. Really, that's how we all should hike, sometimes.
My parents took me and my brother hiking a lot when we were 9 and 7. We stopped to look at and take pictures of every mushroom, chunk of moss, and piece of animal poop on the trail. Looking back, that was a great way to slow the pace and keep it interesting so that we could still do steeper, more challenging hikes.

Enjoy your hike!