I just got back from my first backpack with my son Henry on the Olympic NP coast- the Ozette Triangle. It was AWESOME! Henry turned 11 months old during the hike and he did very well- and he LOVED it! I wanted to share my gear choices with y'all and comment on how it all worked.
First, there were two packs- my wife carried a Golite Pinnacle with about 21 pounds of gear (mostly low density items like bags and clothes) while I carried a Sherpani Ultralight child carrier with about 35 total pounds (including an 18 pound baby Henry and high density stuff like food and fuel). Both carried the weight very nicely. The volume of the Pinnacle was great for the trip and I was really impressed by its ability to shrink down to a tiny daypack size when I had to shuttle back to the car for more diapers.
For a tent we used the Tarptent Rainshadow 2. Generously sized for 3 adults, this gave us a huge space for Henry to crawl around, play with toys, and have some baby play time that wasn't in the dirt, sand, and rain (plenty of that too!). The tent weighs about 2.5 pounds and was perfect for the trip, shedding a downpour and decent winds with ease.
Amy and I used "normal" bags (both custom Feathered Friends) but Henry had the killer set-up. REI base layer, layer of cheapie fleece sleeper, Patagonia fleece bunting, and Smartwool socks at the feet and hands. For a bag he used a Vaude Pebbles 110 that we ordered from Europe that was 3.5 feet long. We used a strap to shorten it by about a foot. The bag was fine but not the lightest and we'd wished we bought the down model- this one was mostly just fleece. Still, having a bag that fit him was super cool. We used a BMW Torsolite pad (baby full-length) and used a long strap to hold the whole thing together so he didn't slip off the pad or attempt to crawl away. We also brought his favorite blankie mainly as a comfort item. He was quite warm and comfortable in this set-up (we skipped the mid-layer on night 2.
We also brought a few key toys- a book that plays music, a ball, and his dangly keys. Other fun items included sleeping pads, titanium spoons, and dad's fleece hat.
We found that he slept almost as well at night as at home. For naps, we found that the backpack was a sure bet. Henry and I would go for long beach walks where he's talk in my ear until he fell asleep. When I arrived back at camp he'd continue to sleep in the carrier! That Sherpani is the lightest carrier on the market that stands up on its own and has a solid frame and it is an excellent product. Obviously Henry liked it!
For food, he mostly ate our stuff- freeze dried, oatmeal, cheese, etc. He had cheerios and some baby applesauce and bananas. We also used dried veggies from Just Tomatoes! and found that they became soft with warm water in about 10 minutes- great for the baby AND the parents. Great product. We cooked over a Primus Ti canister stove using an MSR Titan Kettle. We had a Titan mug for baby food and one baby spoon in addition to our BPL ti long spoons. Great combo. We had an Orikaso plate that we never used and wouldn't carry again.
We used disposable diapers for the trip (we typically use wash diapers) and hung food and baby waste from our BMW Bear bag system (PCT method).
Lessons learned from backpacking with a baby:
– Go for it! Henry had a GREAT time and it was a total success!
– Plan well for keeping the kid warm. We were very happy with our solution but don't expect to find nice UL baby sleeping bags.
– A big floored tent is critical at this age- he needed room to crawl and play
– A well-fitted baby bunting with hand and foot covers is great because it keeps them warm and also keeps them cleaner when playing in the dirt
– Whenever Henry didn't have his binky (pacifier) he tried to eat everything from pine needles to sand to rocks. Keep the binky in the mouth!
– Be flexible. We planned for one night because we didn't know what to expect. By being close to the car (3 miles), I was able to do a shuttle run for more food and diapers.
– Expect more weight. No way around it- more volume and weight are to be expected. I didn't use my scale on this trip (until I got home that is!)
I also used some new Komperdell Bamboo/Carbon poles that I LOVE (review coming), the new Golite Sun Dragon shoes (forum review posted- great design), and Birdiepal umbrellas (very lightweight- stronger than Golite, better coverate than the UL Montbell- and perfect for the rainforest!). I used a No Sniveler ground system (minus the hood) the first night and slept very cold (40 deg temps). The bag is just too big to be effecient, the hood doesn't seal well (updated now), and the Thinlight pad wasn't warm enough for this cold sleeper. I was much happier with my Feather Friends Winter Wren the next night.
It was a wonderful experience that I've been dreaming about since well before Henry was born. I can't wait to share many other backpacking experiences with our family!
