Skiing with a baby in your backpack?

[Angle Parking]

Front pack thumbs up, back pack thumbs up. Keep it mellow. Pay attention to others. You can't live a zero risk lifestyle. C'mon people. You probably wear a helmet to go buy your soy latte.

Thank you. In my estimation, the greater risk at play would be not instilling in your kids a healthy sense of adventure and fun. No man ever said 'my dad was a cool dude, he bought me some plastic bullshit and took me for play dates at the the neighbour's place.' Loads of people (on this very thread even) gleefully recall ripping on their parents back's.

I fondly and vividly remember meeting my dad at the end of the driveway as he was coming home from work. He'd open the door to our Ford Ltd. an ask me in a faux Italian accent 'is it time for Lucky el Driver?' I'd laugh and hop on his lap behind the wheel. He'd gun it up our driveway, straight for the open garage. Just as we we're getting close, he's slam on the brakes and stop just before smashing into the back of the garage. My dad would spew some B.S. about how he 'Lucky el Driver ' was the greatest driver in the world. I'd laugh my ass off. He was probably not going more that 15 km/hour, but to me it was exhilarating. Many of my fondest memories of childhood involve that sort of thing. And was my mom ever pissed when we finally smashed into the back of the garage!!!!

[iancoughlin]

This is an awesome thread.

It seems a lot of you people suck at skiing and thus fixate on falling. For many proper ski bums being on the snow is more natural than walking your kid down a flight of stairs. Parents can fall down anywhere.

Let's move on from the bubble wrap contributors to sharing advise and experience on how to make this the best possible experience for the wee ones.

I'm going to start my daughter strapped to my chest (seems best keeping the weight in close and better monitoring of baby) touring in January. She'll be 8 months. Then spring laps at big white midweek towards April as weather allows.

Does anyone have advise on tiny helmets?

I kinda though about keeping her inside my jacket... But it seems bjorns outside the coat is the norm. Thoughts?

What about goggles? Or sunglasses? I thought hockey helmet w visor that I could tint, but they look too big at this time.

Any other advise (based on experience, please)??

So stoked to get the air blowing by her on my snowboard!

[Harry]

Does anyone have advise on tiny helmets?

[wooley12]

Baby heads are soft and pliable and designed to take a bonk. People drop them all the time I'm sure. A thick cap will do if to keep your ego in check IME.

Moms might disagree.

[Meadow Skipper]

This is the first time I saw this thread, but I'd say go for it, it's not like anything bad could happen.

[sar13]

Used a Bjorn when the kids were tiny but a Deuter backpack once they got a little bigger. Never found helmet that fit at that size.
AS someone said above, the chances of me falling on the terrain I was skiing, was less than it was walking from the parking lot. Second kid got more backpack days so I could ski with the first kid more. He even got his first tram ride 'cuz there was no fucking way I was going to miss my daughter's first run from the tram so the whole family skied that run together.

[WK Monoskier]

hahaha, can you image some complete loon dropping into Corbets with an infant on his back?


Just imagine seeing that...



you know what, someone needs to use one of those with a baby doll in the carrier and go to the resort on a busy weekend and figure 11 stuff and huck big and get footage of the gapers having a fit...

that would be funny

8 years late...

[LightRanger]

Holy shit.

[PlayItLeo]

+ 1,000,000 gnar points for the monoski and slalom guards. Stupendous!

[~mikey b]

...., Zxzxx

[Ottime]

Used a Bjorn when the kids were tiny but a Deuter backpack once they got a little bigger. Never found helmet that fit at that size.
AS someone said above, the chances of me falling on the terrain I was skiing, was less than it was walking from the parking lot. Second kid got more backpack days so I could ski with the first kid more. He even got his first tram ride 'cuz there was no fucking way I was going to miss my daughter's first run from the tram so the whole family skied that run together.

+1. A helmet would likely be a liability for the young ones. Good warm hat. We had sunglasses we bought online for $8 that strapped on to his head. Nice warm bunting. We hiked up to watch the FWT and drink beers. That was about 6-10months. The next season he was in a hard frame backpack. After that he was on his own skis.

[Casey E]

I had each of my 3 kids in the pack when they were 2 and taught them to ski at 3. A Doc friend said DON'T ski with them before 2 because their necks are not strong enough for the possible jerking movements. The kids loved skiing on my back, and I took everything very easy and used common sense.

Now one of my boys does talks to young aspiring entrepreneurs and uses a photo of him out on the slopes in the pack, looking pretty goofy, to say: look what my dad dared to do, and how it set me on a path of free thinking and sensible risk taking.

Now there is law in Chile prohibiting skiing with a kid in a pack. No wonder kids are such wimps these days.

[garyfromterrace]

I had each of my 3 kids in the pack when they were 2 and taught them to ski at 3. A Doc friend said DON'T ski with them before 2 because their necks are not strong enough for the possible jerking movements. The kids loved skiing on my back, and I took everything very easy and used common sense.

Now one of my boys does talks to young aspiring entrepreneurs and uses a photo of him out on the slopes in the pack, looking pretty goofy, to say: look what my dad dared to do, and how it set me on a path of free thinking and sensible risk taking.

Now there is law in Chile prohibiting skiing with a kid in a pack. No wonder kids are such wimps these days.

Agree (mostly)

Had my kid in a pack at age 6 mo skiing green groomers. I was told his neck was strong enough at that age. He loved it, I loved it. Didn't put a helmet on him though (because of the neck strength issue) . I figured if I could ski a 40+ degree back country run (variable conditions) with a 50lb multiday pack without falling, that a 15lb pack on an easy groomer wouldn't be an issue (it wasn't). I ramped it up a bit as he got older (1.5 - 2 yrs) and skied the odd groomed black, I believe I had a helmet on him the last few times. He started skiing on his own at 2, but I seem to remember the odd time (until he was 3) that he asked to go in the pack just for fun.

Oddly, his first day skiing on his own was because the hill I was skiing at that day just started dis-allowing skiing with kids in packs. Worked out fine for us.

Now having said that I enjoyed skiing with my kid in pack doesn't make it right for all. I was a 100+ day a year skier used to skiing with a heavy pack in all conditions. I've seen some gapers skiing with kids in flimsy packs, and or front sling snugglies that should in no way be allowed, and were a serious kid injury waiting to happen.

I'm sure glad I got to do it.

[boarddad]

I would never do it, but not because of my abilities but the abilities of everyone else on the mountain. The hardest falls I've taken in the last couple of years have all been because someone else just wasn't watching what they were doing. That is why they are called "accidents". I'm willing to take te risk and suffer the consequences should I get hurt, but I would never forgive myself if my kid was injured when I was carrying them, and I don't care who's fault it was.

YMMV...

[ill-advised strategy]

+ 1,000,000 gnar points for the monoski and slalom guards. Stupendous!

I saw the little versions and thought to myself "that has to be turbo".... Sure enough, it's turbo. That fuckin' guy.

[Supermoon]

I can't believe that people wouldn't take their kids out in a resort because of the remote risk of a skier collision, but instead would take them into the bc where there is a risk of avy.

Skiing a green or blue run for most of us is much easier than walking. Seems like a very very small risk compared to anything else a kid is going to get into.

[LightRanger]

I can't believe that people wouldn't take their kids out in a resort because of the remote risk of a skier collision, but instead would take them into the bc where there is a risk of avy.

Not at all against kids on the hill, but there are millions of acres of touring terrain in NA where you're not in avalanche terrain. I'd be more concerned about getting nailed on a green/blue run than slide danger on anything I'd consider taking my backpacked kid on in the backcountry.

You think the guys posting in this thread talking about touring with their kids are skiing slide terrain? I never thought that...

[Harvey44]

We did a few hours of nordic with our daughter on my back when she was really little. Never fell, but the next morning her face was way red and we kind of freaked about it. Little kids don't really understand frostbite or being cold. And what's cold to you and cold to a kid could be very different. She was fine, but I'd say it wasn't worth it.

[Supermoon]

Not at all against kids on the hill, but there are millions of acres of touring terrain in NA where you're not in avalanche terrain. I'd be more concerned about getting nailed on a green/blue run than slide danger on anything I'd consider taking my backpacked kid on in the backcountry.

You think the guys posting in this thread talking about touring with their kids are skiing slide terrain? I never thought that...

I don't think anyone is skiing 45 degree slopes on high danger days, but every time you go in the bc you take that risk. My personal feeling is that skiing down the middle of a wide open green slope is just as non-dangerous as taking an easy tour through the meadow.

Not that I have a kid either....

[LightRanger]

but every time you go in the bc you take that risk.

No. You don't. I've gone touring in plenty of places, both for turns and simple XC-style stuff, where there is no avalanche danger.

My personal feeling is that skiing down the middle of a wide open green slope is just as non-dangerous as taking an easy tour through the meadow.

Meh. I still disagree. No slide danger if you tour where there isn't any (I promise there are such places) vs. the danger of being taken out by an out-of-control gumby. I worked on the hill for a number of years and saw it happen to many. Some of whom were carted off on a toboggan. Not that it's a significant chance, I don't think it is. But it's greater than zero.

[Ottime]

I've only skied closed slopes or bunny hill stuff with my kid. I would avoid blues because of the hazard if dipshits. But light ranger is spot on. Plenty of places to go for a stroll in skis well away from avy terrain.

[~mikey b]

SKI THE MUTHA FUGGIN BABEEZ!

[Stealth Radness]

If you ski faster than the gapers it's pretty hard for them to run into you

[LightRanger]

If you ski faster than the gapers it's pretty hard for them to run into you

Unfortunately we're not all full of stealth redness like you and don't tuck groomers with a baby on board, dipshit.

[~mikey b]

Baby? Or babies?

Twins?

Yikes.

Good luck son.