Backpacking with little ones

[bsmit212]

I am ready this summer to take my little girl who is now 11 months camping this summer and getting really excited about it. I am trying to figure out how far we can go though.

Has anyone gone backpacking with little ones, if so where do they sleep? For car camping we will just bring her pack-and-play to sleep in inside the tent, but really do not want to backpack with it. Do you just let them sleep on the ground (with insulation of course) in the tent? Or just wait for her to be sleeping out of her crib in a regular bed before we take her backpacking and just stick to car camp/day hikes till then?

 

[Grandpa]

We take them backpacking very young. They sleep in the tent with mom and dad. There are infant sized sleeping bags. Although it gets hot in the tents during the day, we pitch in the shade or stretch a tarp above the tent to keep the tent cooler for naps. With the right gear, its easy to take one infant camping with mom and dad. When you get two kids, well, backpacking is over until about 7-8 and they can hike on their own. You may be able to pack short distances with two but it becomes a real challenge.

This is my grandaughter and her daddy on a three day backpack into the High Uinta Wilderness in Utah last summer. She was 10 months at the time.

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[Hikenhunter]

We stuck to car camping and dayhiking till they were 6 or 7 years old, but I know a few people who took theirs out on weekenders when they were only a couple of months old.The biggest problem is that one person carries the child and maybe a few basic items then another has to carry the rest of the gear. If you take her you have to be super discretionary about your gear choices and the weight you will be packing. I would pick some real easy trails and low mileages for those first couple trips.Whatever you do, keep us filled in on how your trips are going and the things you learn to do or not do, and have a great time.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[ponderosa]

My avatar pic shows me with my first baby on my back, on her first trip into the Sawtooths. It was fantastic. We'd been dayhiking with her since she was a newborn, so we already knew she would happily ride in the pack most of the day. I carried baby, all her stuff, my own few clothes, water filter, first aid kit, and two sleeping pads. Hubby carried everything else...food and cook kit, tent, two sleeping bags, one sleeping pad, his personal stuff. It worked really, really well and we had a great time for four days. I was about four months pregnant on that trip with baby number two...and consequently we haven't been backpacking since then. One little one is a cinch. With two, it becomes much harder, unless you have a third adult or a pack animal to carry some gear. We've still done tons of camping and hiking, but no backpacking with the kids.

When mine were that little, they used a snowsuit and warm jammies/hat/mittens for sleeping instead of a sleeping bag. It works great because they can't roll out of it. I had an old 3/4 length thermarest that was perfect for babies (actually my five year old still uses it). My older daughter was a TERRIBLE sleeper at home, but slept great whenever we camped. We just tucked her between us in her little snowsuit sleeping bag on the thermarest. I tried to share my bag with her on our first car camping adventure when she was about eight weeks old. It was miserable for me. I froze all night because I couldn't tuck the sleeping bag around my shoulders and face. I couldn't roll over and get comfy without waking her up. I slept with her at home often, but couldn't make it work in a sleeping bag. We used disposable diapers. Cathole the baby pooh, and then let the diapers dry in the sun. Once they're "dehydrated," they don't weigh much more than they did clean.

 

[ponderosa]

Mine girls are now five and almost seven. We're trying to figure out a backpacking trip for this summer. My older daughter is very excited and begging to go. She's a strong hiker, and she keeps telling me how much she wants to hike above the trees. She even says "alpine zone." I'd love to take her on a really memorable first BP trip, like the great memory I have from my own childhood. The five year old did good miles last summer, but complained just about every step. I know she'll be a stinker on a BPing trip at this stage, but she'll be heartbroken if I leave her home, even if it's with Dad. Not that she actually wants to BP, she just doesn't want to be left out of anything. Still trying to figure this out.

 

[Grandpa]

Ponderosa, three places come to mind that we have used for that age, other than Palisades. 4th of July lake in the White Clouds is a short hike with two good day hikes "over the top". Aldous lake above Kilgore on the CDT. And Stillwater Fork of the Bear River in the Uintas. If any of those sound appealing, let me know and I can give you more details.

 

[ponderosa]

Both my girls have hiked under their own steam to 4th of July and Aldous, so those are definitely doable. Maybe hubby and the little one could stay at 4th of July, and I could go over the top with my 7 yr old.
The snow was deep the last few times I've been to Aldous, so we didn't continue to Hancock. Do you know if Hancock lake is above treeline? I can't remember. I've got to get her above treeline this summer. She keeps looking at my pics of BP trips, and is dying to get up in the high country above the trees. I just want her to have a trip with a big payoff. She's a kid who very much appreciates the beauty out there...she gets teary eyed and everything. I'll never, ever forget my first glimpse of Alice Lake as an eight year old, after working hard to get there. One of the best moments of my childhood. That's what I'm going for. I've never been in the Uintas. Would that fit the bill?
The other place I'm thinking of is Goat and Bapte Lakes in the Pioneers. I think I'd have to leave the little one home for that trip though.

 

[Grandpa]

I've only gone up to Hancock once and didn't deem it worthy of another try. The water was low so it was only a dead hole with a few feet of water. It is just under the ridge between Montana and Idaho but still in the timber.

Mentioning the Pioneers made me think of Surprise valley or Moose lake. We just went up fall creek and camped near where the trail crosses the creek to go to Moose Lake. You could day hike up to Moose and a no name just beyond and then you are in the granite from there. You can also go east up into Surprise Valley, and follow the trail all the way to the top looking down on Betty and Goat Lakes. You can't get much higher than that unless you climb Borah. I'll run a trail measurement and profile on that if you want.

 

[ponderosa]

I'd love that. I haven't done Surprise Valley, and my maps for that area are at my brother's house. No hurry, but I'd love to see that info if you get a chance.

 

[Grandpa]

Ponderosa, Instead of turning left to copper basin/ broad creek, stay right up Wildhorse road. A ways past the Wildhorse guard station turn left to the Fall Creek trailhead. There is a rail fence and a pit latrine there. The gate/trail through the fence leads up a 1/4 mile or so hike to the cascade. It's worth the walk. Back at the TH, the Fall Creek trail goes across the creek then follows the creek on the east side. Elevation is 7200. The trail follows Fall creek about three miles then splits. The right fork recrosses Fall Creek and leads to Moose Lake. There is a nice primitive camp site on the left just before crossing the creek. Elevation about 7800. The trail to Moose from there is less than two miles and switchbacks to 9365 elevation. Beautiful lake with another no name lake just above it. These lakes set in a cirque with a 11,800 ft peak just beyond.

Back at the campsite, go back to the junction. The left fork continues up Fall Creek on the east side. In just a couple hundred yards, the trail splits again. The right fork continues up Fall creek and has not been maintained. The left fork takes the switch backs up to Surprise Valley. It is about 1.6 miles to the valley, 7800-9340 elevation gain.

Immediately after breaking out into the valley, walk to the right and look out over the Upper Fall Creek basin. If your daughter likes rock, she will see plenty there. Awesome.
The Valley is about 1.5 miles long to the upper lake. 9340-10148, with most of the gain just before reaching the upper lake. From the upper lake, it is about one mile to the pass looking back down on Betty Lake and Broad Creek. You're at 11,000 feet at this point. Stop and throw some snowballs on the way up through the rocks and switchbacks. I'm sure you will find plenty.

Lot of words to say it is seven miles from the trailhead to the pass. Watch for elk, deer, goats and sheep. I'm surprised we didn't see any moose but fall creek has some nice fish. Oh and it goes without saying, take your bear ettiquette. We didn't see any sign but rumor has it........:tinysmile_twink_t2:

 

[ponderosa]

Lots of very helpful words...thanks for taking the time!