Hiking With A Baby

[Jedeye]

So I've got a new addition to my family that I'm looking forward to taking hiking for the first time this summer. Right now he is a little over 5 months and pretty awesome - although a long ways off from carrying a pack of his own. Any tips for a mom and dad looking to take their baby on a hiking trip? Should I be concerned about the nylon tent floor and choking? Any tips on packing and diapers? Would you have one parent carry the baby on back and the other carry the majority of the gear, or use a front pack for the baby?

Any tips are welcome, this is a new chapter for me. Thanks!

[Jedeye]

Just realized I should have been a little more specific - I'm looking at doing 1-2 nights, perhaps more if we can figure out how to carry everything.

[squeezebox]

Babies are more durable than a lot of people think. But Geez that's a lot of extra to carry.

[Hoofit]

Leave him with Grandma and go light...he's way too young to appreciate it and you'lll get a nice break...

[Havana]

Leave him with Grandma and go light...he's way too young to appreciate it and you'lll get a nice break...

That's the plan I'd follow.

[hikernutcasey]

In the book by the Barefoot sisters, they hike along with a large family that has an infant. I don't think it really went into exactly how they did everything but you might be able to gain a few tips. Plus it's a good read But even if you don't at least you know it can be done!

[jimyjam]

If you wanna hike with your son, my opinion is, go for it. They have packs that have a spot for an infant. A front hang, as you suggested, is another option. Go to an REI or other outfitter and test their packs that are made for this. Outfitters are also a good source of information. I'm sure you're not the only one who has wanted to or has done this.
Although your son is to young to really appreciate hiking, I understand...sometimes it's about the memories for the parents more than the child. I'm sure there are a lot of "firsts" for him out in the forest!
Diapers would be the only extra thing I can think of that you'd have to pack out. Or you could use reusable diapers and clean them in the backcountry. You'd still need to dig a cat hole for solid waste (LNT practices).


Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!

[4eyedbuzzard]

Leave him with Grandma and go light...he's way too young to appreciate it and you'lll get a nice break...

That's the plan I'd follow.

Yep. Leave junior with family or friends. Find a nice campsite by a river, make a nice fire, break out that bottle of wine you packed in - and make a little sibling hiking companion for him.

[HooKooDooKu]

First of all expect a baby to slow you down way more than you think it will. Next you have to remember to monitor your baby's temperature. You might be working up a sweat from hiking. But your baby is just sitting there doing nothing. Combine that with the fact their little bodies loose heat faster and it real easy for you to be sweating like crazy on a cool afternoon while your baby is cold. We made that mistake hiking on a summer afternoon on a test day hike in GSMNP. I was sweating and didn't realize how cool the summer air was as we hiked along a creek.

Don't let the naysayers get you down. We hike to LeConte Lodge for an overnight stay when our first son was a year old. Did he get any think out of it? Nothing but a nice story of something out of the ordinary and we've never regretted it.

I would also suggest you google the subject. I know there was a book on the subject I bought over ten years ago... but I can't find it. But it does look like there is a lot more info on the Internet now than then.

On the subject of carrying your baby... my personal feeling is that a chest carrier would be unsafe in the backcountry. It seems to likely that your baby would get hurt if you fell. You would have much less room to use your arms to protect you and your baby than if you didn't have something riding on your chest. And the additional load in the front would make it more likely for you to fall. After all how many times has someone fallen with a pack and landed on there pack compared to r those that land on thear face... plus the less you a burdened the less likely you are to fall. So I would suggest that you get one of the wear on your back carriers and have the wife carry that and only that (with perhaps a few minor items lashed to it) while the husband carry ALL the gear the family needs.

[Mags]

Car camping with a child that young, or even a little older, may be much more doable. Many of my friends take out their young (under a year old) children car camping.

Most of my friends with children don't think of taking their child out backpacking until 4 or even 5 however.

And, no offense to the gentleman above, but a lodge is a bit different than a backpacking trip.

Every family and situation is different, but it seems once a child can consistently walk and carry a tiny bit of weight, backpacking is a more doable option.

[Bati]

The youngest child I've been backpacking with was almost a year and just over 20 pounds. Luckily, we had a 3 to one adult to kid ratio, but no one was over 5' 7". Weight-wise, that was an extra 7 pounds per person, plus the extra gear (diapers, clothes, etc), so it was manageable with frequent resupply.
Look into a tough traveller and always use the 5 point suspension. Consider driving 2 cars (with a kid seat in each) and resupplying/dropping off diapers/shuttling each day (we did this on a seldom-used trail with lots of road access points.) Cut your planned mileage in half. Take frequent breaks so the kid can stretch. Nurse- don't mess with formula, especially at 3 AM.
Read everything by Cindy Ross. She's done super-human hikes with kids.

[Busky2]

Leave him with Grandma and go light...he's way too young to appreciate it and you'lll get a nice break...

BIG +1 on this one

[Just Bill]

Screw em- take the kid out.
BUT- generally you need to wait until at least 6 months before their neck is strong enough for a carrier, though some kids need longer.
Don't mess around like I did- just bite the bullet and buy an Osprey Poco pack. You don't need the plus, the middle one is good enough and you can still pack most of your gear into it. Just get it over with and buy it. My son is 4 and 35 pounds and still fits in it. My daughter is little and is just getting strong enough that I feel good about putting her in it at 10 months.

You might want to check out Jennifer Pharr Davis too- she did the front (Bjorn I believe) and carried a full pack for trips with her young daughter.

Solo is very tough though, mom and dad is better- specially if Dad can be the hero hauler and mom takes the baby in the poco.

Nap time is mile time- but even then- don't figure on much. 10 was about my best day after he stopped sleeping all the time. We did a 15 once, but mostly because my son was in a phase where he thought galloping was really fun.

All that said- Not a damn thing wrong with car camping and taking day hikes.

We added an REI outlet tent that is a stand up dome- big enough to put the pack in play in there (on paper plates to protect the floor). Perfect for naps and sleep- unless you co-sleep already don't assume your kiddo will want to sleep with you. My son won't and never did, so far we can't get my bitch daughter outta mommies bed . Best I got my son to do was sleep on his own pad next to mine and share a quilt.

Besides- if you car camp you can pack a cooler. Which means mommy can bring breast milk, pump and dump, and still have a few hours around the fire sipping wine with daddy.

Kiddos in the tent a dreamin, campfire dancin, stars twinklin and glasses clinkin.

[The Cleaner]

Pack out your diapers....

[Feral Bill]

For a short trip in mild weather, the "hero" pack doesn't have to be crazy heavy. If you and Mom are able to swap packs on occasion so much the better. Give it a go, with an easy bailout. And take pictures! Junior will love them someday.

[HooKooDooKu]

And, no offense to the gentleman above, but a lodge is a bit different than a backpacking trip.

No offense taken... my point was that I've taken a baby on a difficult hike, one that people would say it's easier to do without the baby and should have left him behind.

BTW for those that don't know, LeConte is a rustic lodge (no electricity but you do get fed and a warm bed) that requires a minimum of a 5 mile hike and 2500 elevation gain. We still had to pack in baby food and pack out diapers. But we didn't have to pack sleeping gear and a tent. So to make it a full fledged backpack trip would require a heavy load for dad as he would really need to carry most of everything for two campers (and a part of my warning that you can expect to be going slower than you expect).

[Havana]

I think the LeConte idea is a good one. Still gets mom and dad outdoors but takes some pressure off of hauling all that gear and food (in addition to baby stuff). We did some car camping when the kids were young. I'm just not built of the stock that would want to add all the newborn infant care to all the personal hiker care that needs to get done. But maybe I'm just getting too old for this crap.

[squeezebox]

Bring an air thermometer and a person thermometer. Monitor air temp & and monitor babies body temp.
Hypothermia kills !!
My vote is car camping with day hikes.

[tim.hiker]

BIG +1 on this one

At that age I agree,,, you need to least wait till they are strong enough to hold there head up really good... then go for it....

[Another Kevin]

At that age I agree,,, you need to least wait till they are strong enough to hold there head up really good... then go for it....

Or do what nomadic cultures have done since prehistoric times, either carry the baby in front in a sling that supports the whole length of the body, or strapped firmly to a cradle-board. A child no longer needs such a device when s/he can sit up unassisted.