Recommendation on kids gear

[Steven Hall]

Hi all, used to be pretty active on here and finally getting back into backpacking now that my kids are old enough and looking for some gear help for the big items. 9 year old girl and 7 year old boy for reference.

Shelter: Got the Tarptent Rainshadow 3 which I’m excited about.

Packs: They have the REI Tarn 18 packs which work well. Looking for something for a little volume though so they could also carry there sleeping bags. Any recommendations for something around 30L?

Sleeping bag/quilt: Any suggestion? Don’t really have anything at the moment. Seems like all the kids stuff out there is bulky and hoping to find something that will pack down more.

Thanks!

[David P]

The Deuter Fox 30 and Fox 40 have been working well for my smaller than average 10 & 12 year olds, and the suspension could be adjusted for smaller kids too.
The Costco down throw blankets (60” x 66”) might make a diy quilt with a few snaps added. We used the MH Bozeman kids bags (5’ long) this past spring in canyonlands and being synthetic they are bulky but managed to stuff small enough to just fit into the kids packs. Carrying just bags and layers their packs were pretty light to carry but big enough to be proud of!

[dirtbag]

Not sure of your budget but if you could swing it ZPacks sub Nero Is 30 L.  Great pack I can attest as I use 1 in the summer months.  I also saw a ULA kids Spark pack.. @ 40L.  Can’t say anything about that other then it looks good and ULA packs are solid pieces of gear. I do have a Circuit in X-pac material and its a great pack. My kids are older now but when they were younger they used Gossamer Gear murmur and Kumo packs. Actually, my daughter still uses a kumo pack when she comes out with me. Maybe the Gossamer Gear Loris 25 Daypacks? More affordable and they can pick from various colors? 25 L could be enough for them if you are carrying the shelter and cook set.

[Alex (he/him)]

My kids (8 and 10) are rocking the Deuter Fox 40s. The ULA kid’s pack is lighter but also twice the prices. I just make sure to put nothing heavy in either kid’s pack, but especially the 8yo’s.

I think UGQ or UCQ makes kids’ quilts of good quality.

Personally I just bought adult size quilts for my kids. Being down, they should last them into young adulthood. “Regular” (in my mind narrow for most adults) pads and quilts though.

I did ZenBivy because my skill level at debugging drafts is low as a new quilt user myself.

[Alex (he/him)]

I like the high volume pack. Easy to fit their adult size quilt, their non-optimized clothes, and their precious Blankie and stuffy in there.

[Steve Thompson]

Perhaps try finding a couple of these:  Kelty Jr. Tioga 34 External Frame Pack – Kids’ | REI Co-op

They are discontinued but served great for my kids.  My daughter lost interest backpacking once she hit her teens, my son ultimately wanted and got an internal frame pack.  But these weigh a pittance “grew” with them.  No difficulty strapping a sleeping bag and pad.

[Erik G]

I’ve had great success with the Deuter Climber 22 kids backpack for our 8YO son. It’s not much bigger than the Tarn but is comfortable, carries well, and has all the features of a full-sized backpacking pack. I wouldn’t want to put much more weight/bulk on a 7-9 year old.

For sleeping bag we snagged a Feathered Friends Fledgling 20. FF only makes them a couple times a year, but it looks like they have some available now! Excellent, top quality bag – just miniaturized.

Hiking with the kiddos is THE BEST!

[AK Granola]

Do you have friends with slightly older kids? You might try scoring some less costly gear from people like that, whose kids are now bored teenagers who wouldn’t be caught dead camping with parents. The one thing I wouldn’t skimp on for kids is puffy jackets. Being cold is miserable for kids; make sure they have what they need to be warm and dry. The other particulars of gear aren’t as important, even sleeping bags, especially if they’re all in one tent; they’ll keep each other warm in a tent and most kids are good natural heaters. I used the cheapest down bags I could find for both of them and they were never cold. If they have a comfy puffy, they can always wear that too.

You didn’t ask about other gear, but I’ll toss this in anyway.

I would never put big hiking boots on kids; I’ve seen them on toddlers! Ugh, the boots just make them trip more often. Kids are great walkers and don’t need “ankle support” or whatever, although they can get blisters like any of us so you have to check in. Good quality sneakers and socks and kids do great in just about any terrain, and you’re probably not mountaineering with them.

One of mine hiked in cheap flipflops down to Pololu Valley on the Big Island, a 490 foot drop in less than a mile, on a slippery muddy trail, at about age 8. I didn’t even notice his footwear until we were halfway down! I felt terrible that I hadn’t checked to make sure they were in their sneakers; I just assumed they knew to put them on. He made it down, played on the beach for 2 hours barefoot, and back up again in the flipflops, not the slightest scratch or injury.

I also brought small games along when they were younger; you don’t need much. But they won’t be as thrilled to sit and sip tea and watch the sunset; they’d rather be playing a game. If you know word games, those are good too and weigh nothing. Telling stories is always fun.

Glad you’re getting them out! I relished those days, even through the whining.

[Link .]

Enlightened Equipment makes xshort quilts and ULA makes a children’s 41 liter pack called the Spark

[Link .]

Gear Swap ULA Kids Circuit For Sale (FS) .

[Steven Hall]

Thanks all! The Dueter Fox & ULA look promising.  Just got back from a one nighter and the kids had a blast. Weight actually wasn’t too bad for myself but the volume was nuts. Have a custom Superior Wilderness Designs frameless pack but couldn’t fit everything. Had to borrow my dads GG Mariposa which carried well but even that was packed tight with the volume. Sleeping bags were the main culprit.

Anyone ever bought one of the cheap down sleeping bags on amazon? Wondering if they are decent if I could just buy two of those and cut them and sewn them smaller. Few options for sub $100.

Think I might just try and figure out a way to lash the Z-Lite sleeping pads to the Tarn & if I can figure out the sleeping bags with that should be good to go. Might need to spring for a Mariposa for myself though as well!

 

 

[Link .]

UGQ Youth Bandit are still more than you want to spend but you can get an 850 fill 40 degree quilt for $159.95 in your choice of colors ect.

[M B]

My son used a  youth circuit when he was 11 /12.

But I will add that all his gear was just as light as mine…… And his pack was well in the ultralight range…

 

 

[JG H]

Okay, my $0.02 here…

eBay may be your friend if you aren’t allergic to knuckleheads and can exercise a little patience. I have found a lot of great deals there, but then again price is relative to income and budget so you’ll have to make your own assessment there (obviously).

One thing to consider for packs would be looking for some from mass pack makers who offer comfortable backpacks in women’s XS. They’re usually well-featured and come in some pretty short torso sizes. Think: Gregory, Osprey, Deuter. It’ll be easier to find a used one from them than a cottage maker and the price may be more appealing, too. You can also keep an eye out for Osprey’s and Deuter’s youth packs on the cheap.

Another thing to consider, though probably still a little pricier, would be an adult’s half bag like climbers use. They’re usually well made and would fit like a long bag on a little dude. You can turn it inside out, slip an elastic head band over the lower X inches of the footbox, and then flip it right-side out to make it fit better. And remember, kids generally have a different tolerance for cold than us old folks, so a little flexibility in temp range may also be of benefit when shopping used gear.

And lastly, please don’t skimp on shoes or packs. Just like us, if they find an endeavor to be unpleasant they’re less likely to cotton to it. Shortcutting either of those may have unintended consequences for you if you hope to enjoy wilderness adventures with them for years to come. I’m 55 and my son is 22 and we’ve been backpacking together since his first trip when he was six years old. I bought him quality shoes and a women’s XS pack and he schlepped his own sleeping bag, pillow, and headlamp the whole weekend. Sixteen years later, we’re doing a week in the Yosemite backcountry this September.

I’m kinda jealous of you, even though I’ve already been there myself, because those were some amazing times. The enthusiasm, the adventure, the bonding… such a great phase in their lives and what a wonderful way to strengthen those tethers.

[Alex (he/him)]

Yeah, for me I didn’t mind the weight when I was carrying substantially everything but the volume was obnoxious. That’s why I went with high volume packs for the kids (Deuter Fox 40) even though they’re heavy out of the gate. Bag, clothes, pad, pillow, and stuffed animals only for now. And it makes my pack so much more manageable!

Also got them on sale for like $40 each which helped.

[Steven Hall]

Thanks for all the incite

 

did you get those Deirdre online somewhere for $40 or pick them up used?

[Alex (he/him)]

It was backcountry.com earlier this year. Last year’s model. Maybe more like $50 but half price, whatever it was.

[Alex (he/him)]

I learned about the sale on the Backpacking With Babies & Kids Facebook group.

[Author]

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