5 Tips For Backpacking With Kids: Starting With The Basics

When starting to backpack with kids there are two dilemmas. 1. Kids are freakin’ heavy, especially with all the gear you are going to need to accomplish a backpacking trip. 2. Kids carriers do not come with a lot of storage space. Hopefully the following 5 tips will help you to start backpacking with your kids.

Change Your Mindset

This is going to take some practice and continual work. I have been on countless backpacking trips and most of the time I take way too much stuff. Some things I don’t even end up using. So this is where your mindset has to change. Let me introduce you to ultralight backpacking. Ultralight is defined as having a base weight of UNDER 10 pounds. This means everything in your pack (NOT counting consumables; i.e. food, water, fuel) is under 10 pounds.

You might be thinking, is this even possible? This is where the practice and continual work come into play. This is where your mindset HAS to change.

Get A Scale

I am not talking about a scale to weigh yourself. I am referring to a simple digital scale that has accuracy down to a tenth. They are inexpensive and easy to find. Here is one for a smoking deal! You need to start weighing everything that you are considering putting into your pack. Keep a list of how much things weigh so you can refer to them and easily see where extra weight is coming from. There are some things that you will not be able to change or get rid of (like your kid and their weight). There are many things however you can leave out or cut weight on. Every ounce matters. Kids are heavy, so the less your pack weighs, the better you are going to feel.

No Maybe’s or Might’s

This is a hard one for me. While getting things ready I am always thinking I might use this, or maybe it will be useful. While getting ready take each item in your hand and either give it a “yes” or “no”. Either “yes” I am going to need this or “no” I will not need it. This can get tricky, and I still struggle with it every trip. It even gets trickier trying to pack for kids but the same rules apply.  There just isn’t room for the maybe items. Those maybe items create more weight and take up storage for your essentials.

Want or Need

To help with those “yes” and “no’s” think about if it is something you really need or just want. There are definitely things that you will need. Food, water, warmth, diapers to name a few. It’s those wants that you have to watch out for. They are the ones that can easily sneak into your pack. It is not always easy to distinguish the two so again, it is something that is going to take practice and continual work.

Really think about what, when, and how.

What is it going to be used for? Does your item have one use or can it be used for multiple things? Multi use it where it’s at. The more things that can be used for more than one purpose, the better. A down jacket is definitely a need. It can be used for its obvious purpose but is also great for a pillow, extra layers when sleeping, or even a sleeping bag for a child.

When is it going to be used? If the maybes come creeping in (ex. maybe it is going to be freezing and I need and extra long sleeve shirt) then its an automatic NO, you do not need it. If it is not cold then you just carried that extra shirt for nothing and if it is cold then make sure all your layers are on. Still cold? Then do some jumping jacks or sit ups.

How often is it going to be used? If you think its only going to get used once then I would not bring it. Everything in your pack should be getting used everyday of your trip, possibly even multiple times a day.

Try Something New

This is where it gets fun. Push yourself to try something new every trip. Maybe start with your heaviest item and try to lighten it with an alternative. Adam made a new stove, it works great and is way lighter than our old one. We tried a new sleeping arrangement on our last trip. It did’t quite go like we hoped but we learned from it and now know what doesn’t work. We are constantly trying new recipes and meals. Some are better then others and some fill us up more then others. What you try may flop, but oh well, now you know. There is always something to test. Especially as you start to implement the above subjects.

 

Backpacking with young kids can be a challenge. Us these tips and don’t let them be an excuse to not go. Push yourself to get your gear weight down and get out there! We’re going to be sharing some more specifics to help you out, like how we figured out a lightweight sleep system and what clothes to pack.

Your Turn:

What would you like us to test or share to help get your kids in the backcountry?

 

-Adam & Paige

P.S. We felt like our lives were a little “heavy” so we cut out a lot of the extras to focus more on our little ones. Watch a Free Live Broadcast to learn Exactly how we did it.

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