Winter clothing system for small 3yo?

[Michael Ray]

I'd like to try some winter camping and take along my 3 year old son. He's pretty small for his age – 28 lbs and some 24-month pants just fall off of him. I suspect he's a mini-oven though.

Anyway, what kind of layers should I be looking at for him, knowing we won't be going more than a mile or 2 at a time? Snowfall is pretty minimal in this area and I doubt I'll take him out if temps will be below 15 F at night.

We'll just practice in the backyard a couple times first, since I'm new to backpacking. Well, no catholes in the backyard – don't need to start a bad habit!

I think I'll have him carry just a few small toys, a stuffed animal, and maybe a water bottle in his tiny backpack.

[Roger Caffin]

While he is walking he will probably be warm enough. But you need to put warm clothing on him as soon as you stop. make sure he has enough food as well – he will have very small reserves. Probably need to snack frequently. Don't forget the beanie!

Cheers

[larry savage]

Things that don't move need insulation but be vigilant to over heating.
The worse mistake I ever made with my son in the winter snow was not realizing that he needed sun glasses too.
All these years later the guilt rises right to the top.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

The smaller the human body the greater the danger of hypothermia because small bodies cool much more rapidly.

A "small" 3 year old on even a fairly short day trip requires that you take emergency equipment like chemical heat packs, a thick down or poly comforter, a hot drink in a thermos, and extra head gear such as an insulated hood in addition to the toddler's knit hat. Remember, the kid's heat, like yours, is self generated and that may not be enough without outside heat sources.

Eric

[BlackHatGuy]

You might want to send Doug Johnson an email. He backpacks with his small kids, one's just a baby! He can probably give you some great pointers/advice. I know there's a thread on here somewhere where Doug is showing off the tiny sleeping bags that Tim Marshall made for him, one of them 'grows' longer as the child grows. Great stuff! See http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=22882&skip_to_post=196360#196360

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