backpacking baby!!!

[joecamper]

My wife and I have a one year old girl. We have done a fair amount of car camping and day hiking, but want to go on an overnight backpacking trip with her for the first time. Bear in mind we have to dogs that will be with us as well. We are planning on buying a backpack style baby carrier as our girl is getting to big for the "Ergo" carrier momma usually uses.

Soooooo, here is the plan. We hike about a 10 mile loop. 6-7 miles on day one, remainder on day 2. Momma carries the baby in the carrier and some food. Daddy carries 2 lightweight backpacking tents that we own. One for me and the dogs, and one for Mom and Baby. I will also carry 3 sleeping pads, water filter, water, food, and sleeping bags for the 3 humans. The dogs will be packed w/ dog food and dog water.

So what are your thoughts??? What temps are too low? Can you recommend a chiropractor?, does anybody have experience backpacking w/ a baby? etc.....

Thanks in advance

Aaron

[renodesertfox]

Just some old suggestions

It's been over 25 years since I did this kind of backpacking, but here are some suggestions! The main thing to consider when hiking with babies and kids, is that you will have to modify your goals is whether it is in choice of destination, mileage, environment When you go hiking with a baby or a toddler, you will have lots of extra gear, plus be carrying the kid. That's when you pick a location that's easy to get to, kid friendly, and not too far in. There are certain trips you will want to do with your buddies or childless friends, to maintain your sense of what you want for "you", which will free you up to do more family oriented trips.


Kids will force you to alter your sense of accomplishment and to be flexible. For many children, it's the journey that's important, not how long the journey is. They are slower and closer to the ground, and by taking the time to look at the world from their perspective, with their sense of time, wonder and their short attention span, we learn lessons for ourselves and build real foundations of a love for the outdoors with our children. For all of us who have taken young children into the woods, it is the sense of wonder and altered time that seems to be recalled most fondly. Children don't seem to care about mileage, or destination. "Have fun. look at world through their eyes and it becomes new again" is how one dad put it so well. Get down to their level. spider webs, dew drops, a crawling bug, tossing pebbles. There is a real joy in re-discovering nature, on a kid's level. Older kids are going to enjoy the hike, the mileage and the view from the top more, but that is something that most families work up to.


Just change your goals. You won't be able to go as far/fast/high. If you want everything to be the same reconsider your plan. You won't be able to go as far/high/ because you'll have a heavier pack and maybe a pair of less strong legs walking (when they are old enough to walk). You also may have to limit your winter trips-At least I didn't want to take my kids out in -20 weather until they were around 10 years old. You'll need a lot of patience.

Plan flexible trips. Be prepared to shorten a trip. Things like bad weather, heavy mosquitoes/black flies have more serious consequences.


Carrying a kid:
There are lots of excellent kid carriers available. Look for one that has a good suspension, with padded waist belt, padded shoulder straps and adjustment points. Do not attempt to use a basic pack with only shoulder straps, older ("Gerry" type from yard sales) these are not designed with serious hiking in mind. Some carriers have places to strap thing on, and extra pockets. There are a lot of extra accessories too: sun and rain guards, stirrups, and so on. A smaller infant can be carried in a Snugli type front pack, which will balance out a backpack, and keep the infant close for warmth.



Diapers:
Diapers are one of the biggest issues when backpacking. Let, "pack it in,pack it out" be your guide, whether you use cloth or disposables. Under no circumstances bury or burn diapers. You MUST pack them out. Scrape the poop into a cat hole. What we did, is scrape the diapers clean, and then dry them in a rock in the sun. This is where a dog pack can be handy: what better item for your dog to pack out than dirty diapers in plastic bags. In terms of weight, cloth diapers will dry more efficiently than disposables. Good sanitation for the parents is a must. lots of hand washing, and antibacterial hand wipes might be a useful item to carry. Consider too that an infant in a pack will be sitting on his diapers all day long. be sure and maintain diligence for not getting too soaked, or diaper rash. Good luck....!!!

[joecamper]

Wow, thank you so much for the thoughtful and detailed reply! You have given me some excellent points to consider. We live pretty far south and have a lot of good opportunities for camping throughout the winter. My daughter is 14 months, and I would like to keep overnight temps to about 45 degrees.
I will try not to be to ambitious with my goals and be flexible. We go on day hikes sometimes, and I want to go-go-go. Little Maddie wants to pick up rocks, leaves, and sticks. When we stop and allow her to do things at her pace we have a lot of fun! Just watching her enjoy the outdoors is such a treat.

We are looking at good quality baby carriers with a real suspension system. Stacey uses an Ergo carrier now and it is becoming insufficient. Im hoping to do our first overnight in the next 2 months. I will be sure to report back

p.s. Thanks for the excellent suggestions for the diapers. Drying them and packing the dirties on the dogs is a great idea.

Aaron

[renodesertfox]

You're welcome! Thanks for askin!