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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    1,147

    Backpacking with a Baby. Is it possible?

    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?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    1,744
    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.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    10,870
    Sure. It's possible.

    Probably would be miserable.

    Good luck

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Warm parts of the St. Vrain
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    2,774
    Quote Originally Posted by The Tortoise View Post
    [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.
    If we're gonna wear uniforms, we should all wear somethin' different!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Squaw valley
    Posts
    4,637
    Yes, it works and it's fun

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

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    The Land of Subdued Excitement
    Posts
    5,437
    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.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    2,831
    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.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Shuswap Highlands
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    4,336
    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.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    1,744
    Forgot to mention that my 4 nights was canoe camping. That's a much easier option with kids.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    In the swamp
    Posts
    11,102

    Backpacking with a Baby. Is it possible?

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

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    between campus and church
    Posts
    9,912
    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!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Planning an exit
    Posts
    5,930
    The younger the lighter.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    I-70 West
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    4,684
    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.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Moose, Iowa
    Posts
    7,908
    Quote Originally Posted by Peruvian View Post
    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.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    225
    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.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    The Land of Subdued Excitement
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    Quote Originally Posted by The SnowShow View Post
    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.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Not Brooklyn
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    8,313
    Quote Originally Posted by oldblue View Post
    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.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    1,064
    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.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Moose, Iowa
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    7,908
    Quote Originally Posted by cmcrawfo View Post
    Or ... just get some Lamas.
    Rental Llamas ftw!

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  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    The Land of Subdued Excitement
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  21. #21
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    Nov 2012
    Location
    I-70 West
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    4,684
    Quote Originally Posted by mtngirl79 View Post
    They are easy to keep warm, body heat and all or bundle them up in a snowsuit.
    That easy, huh ?

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    10,870
    Quote Originally Posted by hatchgreenchile View Post
    That easy, huh ?
    Mama mtn grl has kept hundreds of infants warm in tents, she knows.

    Easy peasy

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    cordova,AK
    Posts
    3,681
    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.
    off your knees Louie

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    1,147
    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.

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  25. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    1,147
    Quote Originally Posted by BFD View Post
    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 :-)

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