Backpack for a 5 year old

The Deuter Junior is what I have. Fits my 5 year old perfectly.

Are you talking daypack or backpacking? The Deuter Fox 30 is a bit big for her size but is a good choice for backpacking as they get older.

Methinks she can live without Disney overnight though ;-)

I'll take a look at the Deuter Junior.

I am looking for backpacking. But, we are only thinking about one or two nights. This is my attempt to introduce her into backpacking.

Methinks she can live without the Disney, too. I am not sure shethinks she can.

Make her a little bag for a Barbie to come along that she can tuck in her pack ;-)

This is what my girls have for school packs and have carried as daypacks:

Lands' End Featherlight 100 and 200.

These are obviously not sold as backpacking packs but for what a 5-year should carry these would be great and they are very light. Best part is you can use it next year for Kindergarten. I would look for a more dedicated backpacking pack a little bit later, when the need to carry more weight occurs.

http://www.landsend.com/pp/GirlsPrintFeatherLight100Backpack~210303_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::OE3&CM_MERCH=IDX_Luggage-_-KidsBackpacksLunchBoxesLuggage&origin=index

http://www.landsend.com/pp/FeatherLight200Backpack~210297_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::ASE&CM_MERCH=IDX_Luggage-_-KidsBackpacksLunchBoxesLuggage&origin=index

my son started hiking with me at age 5 and carries a mountain hardwear scrambler pack with just a few items in it he is now going on 7 and still uses the scrambler
but with a tad more weight maybe 8-9 lbs i added pads to the shoulder straps just so he was comfortable wearing the pack but other than that it has been a great little person pack

kevin

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I'll look into the Lands End and Mountain Hardware packs.

I don't plan on having her carry more than a few lbs. I thought of having her use her school backpack. However, I thought she might find it more "special" and enticing to have her own backpacking pack. I need some bait for this one. Left to her own, she'd stay inside all day. She is not naturally sold on the outdoors.

Mark,

I think it’s great that you’re taking her. I did an overnight with my 4 1/2 year-old twins in May and they carried LL Bean “Sprout” backpacks (around $35) that weighed just a pound. The backpack held just their sleeping bag (a NF Tigger), their stuffed bear in one pocket, a water bottle in the other, and I strapped their sleeping pads (Thermarest SoLite Short) to the top of their packs. Because they carried the bulky stuff I was able to carry all the rest.

Here’s a link to my trip report

what we did when our kids were younger is had them use their school backpacks or equivalent and then "enticed them" with allowing them to pick out their hiking snacks. Dangling a few M&M's or a tasty cookie always got them down the trail easier than a "material" item. Make it special by appealing to their immediate desires.
I also made certain they carried just enough to feel they contributed but to never, ever make it a burden physically. A change of clothes and their favorite toy or stuffed animal and you're good. As they get older, then a sleeping bag and maybe their own water bottle. You schlepp everything else. This is one of the reasons many of us have a very large (and often heavy) backpack still around, because we've carried our families camping items when our kids were small.
Then when they get older, you can buy a few different sizes of backpacks. My daughter, 12, used my new MLD Burn on our trip to South America and loved it. In the deal, I got a perfect overnight bag for myself. Here is a photo of my daughter and the MLD Burn (and my wife's 30 yr old panel/internal frame bag that she now wants replaced because she was envious of the Burn ;)

You might want to look into the Deuter Climber as it adjusts from 10" to 16". My son has used his since was 6 and is ready to pass it down to his younger brother that is now 5. It fits my younger son just fine too.

here's my daughter at a much younger age on a weekend trip. Her pack contains her clothes, 2 stuffed animals, her favorite pillow and her flashlight. I couldn't stop smiling the entire time.

The spacing between the shoulder straps at the point where they attach to the pack can affect the fit with children between 3 and 6 years old. Straps are more likely to slip down if there is too much space (e.g. an adult daypack or a cheaply made disney-store pack.) I noticed this when working in daycare. So if you can you should get a child-specific pack.

Pack weight isn't in keeping with BPL philosophy because it's so bombproof but have you considered the MEC Teeny Genie? http://www.mec.ca seach: Teeny Genie. MEC memberships only cost $5 for a lifetime so that's not a big deal.

I'll second the recommendation for the Deuter Junior. It fits my 5 year old daughter perfectly and at 1100 cubic inches and 15oz it's about as good of a balance of fit/capacity/weight/price/durability you're likely to find, short of going the MYOG route.

How about the REI Flash 18 (I am not an REI promoter, I picked up mine at the used gear sale for $5). It is small enough and you can use a small pad as a frame. I used it with my daughter. She carried her clothes, pad and a small pillow. It is pretty cheap too.

Thanks – Jason

How did you get it to fit her back? I picked one up at one of those scratch and dent sales also (sternum strap was busted) thinking I could get it to fit on my daughter but it was always to long. Since the shape of the shoulder straps force the pack to hang down your back a bit, the pack would reach to low down her backside. So I pretty much ditched the idea and thats with my daughter being tall for her age, but she is all legs.

We ended up getting her a Fox30 for backpacking when she was 6 but I couldnt get the shoulderstraps to sit correctly over her shoulders. The loadlifters would lift them up creating a gap oh and the hipbelt wouldnt fit snug without extra padding. Shes 8 now and seem to still have the same problem, but not as bad. Anyhow she uses a Kelty Starfish for day hikes which still fits her and its a tiny 9Liter pack. Goes to show how small her torso is. My 4 year old borrows it to carry some clothes and toys when we go on backpacking trips.

You all have given me a lot of great suggestions/recommendations. I appreciate it much. I've also gotten a sense of how much and what I should consider that she carry. I was mainly going to have her carry her sleeping bag and some favorite toys to play with, which seems consistent with most of the comments.

When Ford was little (5-6) he too just carried his sleeping bag, sleeping pad, rain jacket, insulating layer and extra pants/underwear/socks + a toy to play with. I carried his food and water for many years – till he was 9 or so? Anyhow….7-8 lbs total including the pack is a reasonable goal for that age.