Backpacking with the Kids

We just returned from a backpacking trip with the kids--the first one with our own kids. This reminded me of some earlier comments that I meant to post on the website but never did (will soon perhaps!).
- small kids may need to take 2-3 steps for every one step you take
- singing, storytelling and imaginative creations (trees that remind you of a dragon, moss that looks like a miniature forest--I wonder who lives in that forest? Counting "Excalibur" trees--trees whose roots grew around rocks, etc.) go a long way towards increasing everyone's enjoyment and taking their minds off of the work of walking
- kids are way stronger than adults, both physically and spiritually, or at least, these kids are way stronger than these adults!
- sometimes reading the map and figuring out where you are (using a compass or not) can be fun, unless you try and share that info with someone who is feeling particularly tired out at the time!

- kid loads should be about 20% of their body weight; even though these seems light, and they may beg to carry more at the outset, it is good to remember that their bodies are growing and the extra stresses can cause long-term problems for them
- a well-fitting, well-adjusted backpack is worth its weight in gold (although it also shouldn't weigh much at all when empty!)
- keeping easy to reach snacks available for the kids at all times, and topping up the water bottles regularly keeps everyone happy
- even the most cheerful backpacker is bound to get a little grumpy when their footwear gets waterlogged
- "one" should always fix any broken gear immediately after a trip and before "one" forgets that it has been damaged!

We bought "big squeeze" backpacks from MEC for the kids for Christmas and this was their maiden voyage. I have to say I am incredibly pleased with the design. The only thing I'd change is to put a water bottle carrier right on the hip belt rather than just the ones on the sides of the pack so that they are more easily accessed by the kids with small arms and hands. The packs were easy to adjust and re-adjust on the trail, held an impressive amount of gear (which is good, because the kids carried the light but bulky items), and the compression straps were incredibly useful. The vertical alignment made it easy for the kids to dig through and find things themselves quite easily.

Songs we sang this trip: The Happy Wanderer, Mud Mud Glorious Mud, I've Been Working on the Railroad, The 12 Days of Backpacking (the kids had to keep revising it as we saw more and different wildlife), Put One Foot in Front of the Other, Smoke on the Water, we hummed the Top Gun Anthem, and a few others I'm not thinking of at the moment. An eclectic list for an eclectic family!

For more tips on camping with kids (car camping, canoe tripping and backpacking), see my camping pages here: http://greensim.com/lemonade/camp.html