hiking with kids

[SorFinger]

Does anyone have any experiences or suggestions they would like to share about hiking/backpacking with young kids? My 3 year old loves being outside more than anything (and in any weather!) and likes camping and walking with us. I'd like to start taking him out for longer periods but other than having lots of patience and going slow, I'm not quite sure where to start!

[Happy]

Living in the Atlanta area I frequently hike the AT at the beginning of hiking season to meet the current season thru-hikers...and I can state that I have met several familys hiking the entire trail over the past 3 years and doing homeschooling along the way for school age children.

They have told me that they maintain a pace that is capable for the children and stop early and the father sets up camp and cooks dinner while Mom does the homeschool chores...seems to work fine...let the children set the pace!

[knightjh]

Does anyone have any experiences or suggestions they would like to share about hiking/backpacking with young kids? My 3 year old loves being outside more than anything (and in any weather!) and likes camping and walking with us. I'd like to start taking him out for longer periods but other than having lots of patience and going slow, I'm not quite sure where to start!

SorFinger I have only been to Phoenix but I'm sure there are TONS of places to go in AZ. I'm also involved in "Geocaching" "the sport where YOU are the search engine" there are 1000's of "caches” check out www.geocaching.com
PM me if you want some more help.

[weary]

Does anyone have any experiences or suggestions they would like to share about hiking/backpacking with young kids? My 3 year old loves being outside more than anything (and in any weather!) and likes camping and walking with us. I'd like to start taking him out for longer periods but other than having lots of patience and going slow, I'm not quite sure where to start!

The year my youngest was 3 in March, we backpacked into Chimney Pond, half way to the summit of Katahdin that summer. The 3.5 mile hike required six hours. He walked the whole distance, carrying his own sleeping bag. Also along was his brother 4, and sister, 6, and my wife.

I think my pack, however, was about 65 pounds, so backpacking with a family isn't a go lite exercise. WE made the same trip annually for 3 or 4 years, and me and the boys did a section or two of the Maine AT annually until they were in their early teens.

When I went to Georgia in '93 I was asked several times if I had ever backpacked on the AT before. I replied I had done the main(e) section of the Appalachian Trail with my kids. Always, I was asked, "oh. Where is that?"

One guy wanted to know if Maine was in the United States or Canada.

Weary

[SorFinger]

Weary, thanks for making me feel like I'm not nuts. I know it's certainly not going to be the lightest way to go, but I cut my weight back as much as possible and let him carry some of his own stuff, and I think it should be do-able. I've already had him carrying his own daypack when we are just "out and about" for almost a year now. I just bought him his own kid-sized daypack with a hydration system in it (so he'll stop stealing mine) that he is thrilled to hit the trails with. I think my biggest challenge will be slowing down to his pace and still maintaining my sanity. I can't wait to have a few days in a row off again so we can go out some more!!