Backpacking with a Baby. Is it possible?

[Gerome]

I've got an almost one year old, a Kelty Kids carrier, lots of camping equipment, a pack-n-play and I'm not afraid to carry 60-80 pounds. Is it possible to take my wife and kid on an overnight backpacking trip somewhere? To get a real night sleep the baby needs to sleep in a pack-n-play and in another room from the parents. Has anyone done an overnight trip with a baby or toddler?

[The Tortoise]

We did a 4 night camping trip with a 7 month old. It was fine. He slept on a camping mat.

If you can get all the gear there I don't see why not. But don't expect a real night sleep.

[AK47bp]

Sure. It's possible.

Probably would be miserable.

Good luck

[Jong Lafitte]

[snip]....But don't expect a real night sleep.

Meh, iffin I hauled 80 lbs up any more than 500 or so feet or few miles, a bear could prolly eat the kid and it wouldn't wake me up.

[rod9301]

Yes, it works and it's fun

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using TGR Forums mobile app

[mtngirl79]

I know plenty of people who do it. It depends on your expectations.

Most people I know have the baby sleep in between them or with mom.

You will go slower and carry more.

Some people I know use to bribe strong childless friends to come along and help with the extra load.

Another friend got llamas til his kids were old enough to carry their own weight.

[alias_rice]

I tried it and I hated it. Love hiking and car camping with the babies and backpacking when they get 4-5.

Just too much work for me.

[BCMtnHound]

My wife refused to overnight without four walls, a roof, and preferably at least a wood stove once our daughter was born. Now the little one will be 5 and loves tenting. Wife is considering selling her cabin and putting some of the proceeds towards a trailer. I'm not quite on the same page, but I get her point of view. Already planning next summer's Dad and daughter backcountry camping trips

If your lady is into it, I say go for it. Any hesitation on her part and stick to the comfortable stuff IMO.

[The Tortoise]

Forgot to mention that my 4 nights was canoe camping. That's a much easier option with kids.

[The SnowShow]

Sounds potentially miserable. That baby ain't sleeping if it's cold IMO.

[Peruvian]

We used to do it when my 20 year old still fit in the Kelty pack. All over the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Usually only a night or 2 though. Bring wipes!

[concretejungle]

The younger the lighter.

[hatchgreenchile]

I’d go the car camping and easy day hike route. Backpacking sucks when you’ve got too much weight , no sleep and cranky partners.

[uglymoney]

We used to do it when my 20 year old still fit in the Kelty pack. All over the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Usually only a night or 2 though. Bring wipes!

I remember taking our daughter on an overnight with the boat when she was several months old. Drove to an island and camped several miles out. We didn't do the disposable diaper things so we brought an entire bag of cloth diapers. She pooped like 12 times that night and we went through every single diaper. Made it out alive but barely!

We did years of car camping with long to epic long day hikes. Some of the best trips ever planning campsites strategically to line up with the hikes. It worked out great and really made me crazy to get back into overnight hiking eventually. The problem we found is that packing to car camp AND doing an overnight hike with kids in tow is way too complicated for working mortals like us. I suppose it is possible if you run lean on gear but for us it is one or the other since we live too far from mountain hiking to leave straight from the house. Half the battle is getting out of the house and then when you car camp getting up and getting going on the day hike.

[oldblue]

Is your kid willing to sit in the carrier for any period of time? None of mine would (didn't matter which carrier we used) so backpacking was out. The camping part goes pretty well though.

[mtngirl79]

Sounds potentially miserable. That baby ain't sleeping if it's cold IMO.

They are easy to keep warm, body heat and all or bundle them up in a snowsuit.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Is your kid willing to sit in the carrier for any period of time? None of mine would (didn't matter which carrier we used) so backpacking was out. The camping part goes pretty well though.

This. Mine loved the carrier until he could walk. Then he preferred searching for sticks and rocks to being on my back. A pack and play is overkill.

[cravenmorhead]

People seem to be skimming over your statement that kiddo will only sleep in a pack and play. Pack and play + baby stuff + your stuff + tent big enough for pack and play + tent big enough for a second room for you means a back-breaking amount of stuff. Easy peasy for car camping though. We've car camped with kiddo with a similar setup and it's worked fine. Find some BLM land out in the boonies and you're all set. Mellow raft trips would also work.

[uglymoney]

Or ... just get some Lamas.

Rental Llamas ftw!

[mtngirl79]

http://middleearthllamas.com/leasing/

[hatchgreenchile]

They are easy to keep warm, body heat and all or bundle them up in a snowsuit.

That easy, huh ?

[AK47bp]

That easy, huh ?

Mama mtn grl has kept hundreds of infants warm in tents, she knows.

Easy peasy

[BFD]

backpacking wife carries child you everything else. Like mentioned rafting is fun and pretty easy. Car seat in the raft portable playpen for the gravel bars. Winter is best all gear in the sled you can carry the child in backpack. Good time to get with it now as kids are still light. I would think someone that has run Cherry Ck. and skied Denali would have this covered.

[Gerome]

The llamas might be the answer!!! My friend invited us on a multi day trip to the Trinity Alps next year. I consider it pretty unrealistic, but someone on Alltrails app reviewed it and mentioned that they brought their toddler along on the backpacking trip, which got me thinking it could be possible. Yeah, hiking a pack-n-play isn't an option, which means getting a good night sleep wouldn't be an option either. That little guy crawls all over us all night if he sleeps in bed with us. We've hiked Shirley lake to Squaw Valley, a four hour hike with the kelty kid pack as well as some other 3 to 4 hour hikes and so far he loved the ride. No idea how long that will last. He's also gone on his first rafting trip on the lower American. I'll have to think about some class 1 to 2 trips that he could go on. I'm not sure I'm ready to bring him on the Carson River hot springs overnight, with continuous class 2+ rapids, but that's the first river trip that comes to mind.

[Gerome]

backpacking wife carries child you everything else. Like mentioned rafting is fun and pretty easy. Car seat in the raft portable playpen for the gravel bars. Winter is best all gear in the sled you can carry the child in backpack. Good time to get with it now as kids are still light. I would think someone that has run Cherry Ck. and skied Denali would have this covered.

120 pounds of gear is easy when you tow it across a glacier, and you've had an entire year of funemployment to train. After a couple of years of house remodel and baby raising an hour of climbing gym and hour of yoga last night has me crushed today. Getting back in shape hurts :-)