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Poll: Good Idea or Bad Idea To Thru Hike With All The Kids?

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  1. #1

    Default Thru Hiking Family of 8 - Your Thoughts?

    Ran into this family on youtube and personally I don't really see a HUGE deal with it, however they are really getting mixed feelings from other viewers. Really my only reservation is their youngest is 2 years old and to start in early March with him is really my only concern. I know the little boy didn't ask to thru hike, and probably doesn't even comprehend the scope of what the family is doing. They have been on the trail since about march 7th and are doing about 8 miles a day.

    This family reminds me of Homer and his family of 4 thru hiking way back when...They seemed to enjoy it...

    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
    Foothills Trail: 0.0
    AT Map 2: 279.4
    BMT: 52.7
    CDT: 85.4

  2. #2

    Default

    Talk about clueless. Their not going to last much longer. It only gets harder. BTW, they posted a new Vlog today.

    Did they bring a drone along too?
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  3. #3
    Registered User Last Call's Avatar
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    Default

    First "stunt" hike of the year....and they are skipping the Approach Trail....*sigh*
    Let's head for the roundhouse; they can't corner us there!

  4. #4

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    Other families have thru hiked. Including with babies.

    Why would anybody care what someone else is doing?

    The odds of any individual making it are only 30%.
    When you multiply that by several people.... Connected together.... The odds of the group making it together completely are extremely low. Doesnt matter if they are family or not.

    Which is expressly why individuals should hike don't look for people to hike with you cuz you scared to be alone. Those companions are a liability for a strong hiker
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-19-2018 at 14:37.

  5. #5
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    Default

    The video doesn't inspire much hope but people do learn along the way and maybe they will too. One thing's for certain ... those kids will be spinning tales about this adventure when they are old.

  6. #6
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    Yeah. I have an issue with the baby, the rest of the crew is sort of ok. But the baby - is stuck in a baby carrier for 10 miles per day, not moving, not able to generate heat via movement and blood circulation - this, for me, is at the edge of neglect and abuse. The previous video of showing his face wind freeze burnt was really upsetting to me.
    Let me go

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    Did they bring a drone along too?
    Yes they did, along with a laptop, camera and whatever other electronic equipment they are using to vlog.


    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    1-Why would anybody care what someone else is doing?

    2-Which is expressly why individuals should hike don't look for people to hike with you cuz you scared to be alone. Those companions are a liability for a strong hiker

    1-Almost every thread on WB is commented on because people care what others are doing. That is what fuels discussion.

    2-This is a good point as I almost always search out for hiking buddies to go with me, and only 2 of those buddies can I say were independently not a liability. All the others have ended a hike early that I have invited them on. (Not all the hikes they went on, but at least 1 hike somewhere along the line) So this statement will probably encourage me to go out on more trips by myself even though I enjoy the company of a friend, I am not scared to be alone, just bored.

    - The dads voice gets on my nerves, sounds like a valley girl talking thru her nose. Just had to rant on that for a moment.
    Last edited by Gambit McCrae; 03-19-2018 at 14:58.
    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
    Foothills Trail: 0.0
    AT Map 2: 279.4
    BMT: 52.7
    CDT: 85.4

  8. #8

    Default

    https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/sho...from-the-North

    Excerpt from that thread:

    "My Family was the Family from the North... my trail name was Shortcut. I hiked with my whole family mom dad baby sister two step brothers and step sister. I was only eight then so all the details are a little fuzzy but at the time I hated it however looking back now at 18 years of age I am proud to have hiked the AT thru. I am really wanting to get information on our family and the hike now that my parents are split we dont talk about it. If anyone has documents or articles about our family hike that would be great. And in respone to some of the upove comments us kids didnt have a say, we all hated it. We where hungry all day and during the winter we froze, the first cold night by boots actually froze and the next morning I had to wear them until they thawed. Their where times that felt like hell but like i said im glad that I have had that experience. And at some point would love to do some section hiking."

  9. #9
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    I've carried my elder daughter quite a lot when her being 1-4yrs. But while it was extremely good exercise for me and she enjoyed it immensely, it was only daytrips and I always left a good margin from exhaustion, so I had always part of my Attention and good mood free for to take good care about her.
    Not in my wildest phantasies I could imagine to do the very same, plus all the heavy stuff for me and her, for a really long hike.
    But hey, its their own hike, and the baby will be fine I'm pretty sure, while the others might hit their wall (and the SPOT button) sometimes, maybe.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gambit McCrae View Post






    2-This is a good point as I almost always search out for hiking buddies to go with me, and only 2 of those buddies can I say were independently not a liability. All the others have ended a hike early that I have invited them on. (Not all the hikes they went on, but at least 1 hike somewhere along the line) So this statement will probably encourage me to go out on more trips by myself even though I enjoy the company of a friend, I am not scared to be alone, just bored.

    .
    Reminds me of what a buddy of mine told me when I was getting into diving. He was a very experienced diver and a Dive Master.

    He laughed at the buddy system. And said that's just for new newbies. When you start really diving, a buddy is just one more thing that can kill you. The best divers dive alone. They aren't going to die because someone else made a mistake.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-19-2018 at 15:14.

  11. #11
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    Default

    This story sorta makes a person think about the Trail of Tears, and all they had to haul, and all they had to endure, and those that didn't make it...

  12. #12
    Leonidas
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    I think their hike and the feedback is a microcosm of society today.

    Some people enjoy doing hard things, some people think life should be easy and sunshine and rainbows.
    AT: 695.7 mi
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  13. #13

    Default

    I think its a bad idea and probably not much fun but I don't think its abuse.

    It would be much more pleasant if they'd have started in April.

  14. #14

    Default

    With regard to the pole, it’s not the way would do...but does anyone of you care what I would do? Meh

  15. #15
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    Can't find the baby's rain pants in a cold rain on day one... yeh, this is not going to go well.

    I think the grandparents sitting at home watching this must be having a bird!

    I don't knock them for giving this a try and having some fun, but if they cannot keep those kids safe I hope they are smart enough to pull the plug on this adventure.
    “For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
    the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


    John Greenleaf Whittier

  16. #16
    Registered User lonehiker's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Coffee View Post
    The video doesn't inspire much hope but people do learn along the way and maybe they will too. One thing's for certain ... those kids will be spinning tales about this adventure when they are old.
    The fact that they've made it as far as they have is pretty impressive in my eyes. I especially appreciate the fact that, it appears, they didn't need to be "spoon-fed" every detail about the trail...
    Lonehiker (MRT '22)

  17. #17
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Are they hiking to raise awareness?
    Do they have support service critters?
    Wayne

  18. #18
    Registered User sketcher709's Avatar
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    Does anyone have a link to this family's youtube video?

  19. #19
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    Nope, not amused. I've binge watched quite a few hiker youtube videos over the years when I got bored and couldn't be on the trail, but 3 minutes in and I found this unwatchable.

    I hope everyone enjoys themselves, but I doubt that will be the case. I can't even imagine having a 2 year old out there. I have carried my soon to be 3 year old daughter on my back in the osprey poco for hundreds of miles and she absolutely loves it...until she doesn't. I'm always conscious of the temperature when we hike late fall through early spring. Kids riding like that aren't generating the body heat like anyone else who is up and moving, they can't even move their legs. That 2 year old is going to be freezing when the temp dips and the wind starting blowing. And they were a couple miles in and can't even find the kids rain pants?!?!

    My 5 and 7 year old boys love hiking also, but I highly doubt he would want to do it day in and day out at this age. They usually hit their limit at 6-8 miles. I couldn't even imagine trying to feed teenagers after hiking all day. I feel like I feed my 2 boys nonstop and all they talk about is food. Add hiking to that and they would chew off their own limbs. But who knows everyone is different.

    It is going to be a hygiene nightmare out there for the youngest kids. I see gastrointestinal illness in everybody's future.

    ....or maybe it was just his voice that I can't handle.

    Who knows...best of luck to them but these people and videos just scream LOOK AT ME!!!

  20. #20

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by sketcher709 View Post
    Does anyone have a link to this family's youtube video?
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT2...hWgbahB0CNENkg
    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
    Foothills Trail: 0.0
    AT Map 2: 279.4
    BMT: 52.7
    CDT: 85.4

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