SoCal Backpackers Wanted

I use a Golite Shangrila 3 with the kids.
I usually take it without the inner nest…but last trip I did there were TONS of spiders- kids didn't like that too much. Next time I'll probably take the inner to put them at ease.

I hope we can hook up some time and take the kids out. My kids beg me every time they see me go. I'm headed up to Heaton flat now and they're giving me the puppy eyes.

So, let's start a discussion about backpacking with kids.

I have a cheap day pack that will be my kids pack.I dont have a sleeping bag small enough to fit in it. is there a good down blanket/quilt that will fit two kids? does every kid need to have their own bag to stay warm? maybe i take a full size bag, cut a hole in the bottom and use it for both of them? (i just thought of this, probably ridiculous). do you end up carrying alot of the water/etc for them or do you find that they can carry their own weight?

How to backpack with kids? Just do it.

My son (6 years old, 49", 55 pounds) has a pack made by Tim Marshall (member here). It's pretty sturdy and weighs around 8 ounces. My daughter (9 years, 59", 100 pounds) is getting a Womens small Golite Jam for Christmas.

Last summer they ended up carrying about 5-6 pounds. That covered pack, pad, sleeping bag, small water bottle, snacks, clothes, and some group gear (cups). Of course on the all uphill day it was dad and mom with the kids' packs on top of our own.

Each uses their own sleeping bag though the previous summer I shared a top bag with my son.

I made sure each child had rain and warm gear with them just in case we got separated. My wife and I carried a change of clothing for the kids (socks, underwear, shirt) just in case they got themselves and their packs soaked.

Gear is the simple part- use lightweight principles but give a good safety/comfort margin. The tricky thing is making the trip good for them. Dad has to be mean to get them going early enough in the morning that we can have an afternoon break by a stream. We agreed that next time we'll do some zero days and work harder to allow a midday break.

For trip planning I'm looking for routes with nice trail surface. The big built up stone "mule steps" in Yosemite were rough for short legs.

There are a couple of kid specific threads around, but they are a pain to find.

Check these out

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=24972

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=12401

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=13172

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00177.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=11423

Plus there's the Backpacking with Kids Yahoo group. I think it's gone pretty quiet, but the archives are still there.

Rod

my son is 5 and has just started going with dad last summer he has a small daypack for right now but carries his sleeping pad and a few clothes and dad carries his sleeping bag and other gear he sleeps on a thermarest 3/4 length pad and a northface blue ridge +20 sleeping bag which has kept him warm down to 30 deg he has never complained about being cold in that bag its a tad heavy for its size but it is true to its rating and keeps him toasty in cold temps
i have a daughter 3 yrs and im thinking about having tim marshall build her a sleeping bag with a couple draw cord
sections in the bottom soican cinch it up to fit her and
extend it out as she grows
would love to get out for a hike with you guys sometime
but im in central ca mostly hike in kings canyon np
but would be more than willing to head south and do a hike down there
would have to bring my 5 yr old of course he wont let me out the door with my pack if he knows he is not going lol
divr6347

This forum is crazy, you guys are so helpful!

Rod, i will be going through those threads closely, there is so much info there its ridiculous! thank you!

Kevin, your idea for putting cords into the center of the bag is right on the money. i have been using adult bags for my kids because i cant afford to get new ones each time they sprout a few inches! i usually go up your way to backpack so we may get to join up some time anyway. I'm getting ready for my kids first trip, i dont know where that will be but i can definitely keep you posted if you are interested.

hey
sounds great yea hit me up if your heading out
and maybe we can get a trip together i love taking my son with me camping with kids is pretty cool its amazing how much fun they have in the wilderness
oops almost forgot my email is
rcfan37@aol.com
thanks look foward to meeting the so cal group sometime
kevin

just a couple words of advice on taking your kids out for the first trip
keep the trip short maybe 3 miles or less each way
hike at thier pace if climbing be prepared to stop frequently they tire fast
take plenty of water the tend to get thirsty often (at least mine does)

when you reach camp let them be involved in pitching tents/
setting up camp (my son likes to blow up his own therma rest)
but most of all
HAVE FUN !!

this worked great the first time i took my son and now he
will not let me leve home without him lol

kevin

Great info. That totally suits my style of camping with the kids as well, so I totally agree. take it easy, be flexible and most of all, make it fun…got it!

The next challenge…how do you make meals fun and satisfying. i havent even started considering that. My meals are usually nothing special, but for the kids i would like to make it tasty. they like granola, cereal, etc so breakfast should be easy. dont know about lunch and dinner yet.

I hope we can meet on the trail some time.

Mike,
thanks for the excellent writeup on Domeland. I've wanted to visit the area for a while and I'll definitely refer back to this when i get the chance.

Adan

hey adam

take a look at trailcooking.com and click on the blog icon
then click trail and cooking videos and check them out
there are a few videos to watch on some simple meals
that can be prepared with one pot very simple to keep the kids happy

my son likes pasta so i cam make him
about any simple pasta dish with a pouch of instant mashed potatoes and he is happy
for breakfast we usually take oatmeal or some pancake mix
and add some raisins or berries to it

kevin

Rainy day today, so I tried pitching my tent in the rain. In about 10 min i had the tent up and completely dry inside. normal time is under 5min. My tent is a Walrus tube-style 2-man tent with one pole at each end.

First i laid the fly out and staked it loosely on 3 sides. then i slid my tent under it and spread it out so that its edges came out to the edges of the fly. i did not have to get under the tent at any point except maybe to poke my head in when working the poles through. once the poles were in and secured to the grommets, i pulled the tent taut and staked it down. I then loosened the fly carefully and clipped/staked the fly back down.

Puddles of water accumulated on the fly while doing this, so a small pack towel would not suffice if i just pitched the tent quickly the normal way. Maybe in a drizzle the "pitch-it-fast-then-towel-dry-it method" would work, but in a steady rain this method would save the day (or night).

Being from Socal, I'm not used to dealing with rain much. This exercise helped me gain confidence when backpacking in the winter. Maybe someone else will find it useful.