How young do you take your kids camping? - Page 1

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Posted: 9/28/2013 3:58:10 AM EDT

This board has given me the camping bug again - bad. I have a 19 month old and I can't wait to get him out in the woods. So my question is, when can I get him out in the woods? And when I do go camping with him, are there any special considerations I need to keep in mind?

Posted: 9/28/2013 4:13:11 AM EDT

[#1]

My ex wouldn't let me take the boy until he was 14. My older brother (R.I.P) lived in a tent the first three months of his life due to necessity. Mom was tough. Generational differences I guess. Take them as soon as you are prepared enough for whatever their needs are.

Posted: 9/28/2013 4:33:02 AM EDT

[#2]

My daughter pretty much started at birth and now she LOVES it and looks forward to every trip we go on. I guess birth is a bit early but we did have her out probably by at least one and we took her out west for a road trip that included hotels and multiple nights car camping when she was 3. That included a couple of 100+ degree nights in Canyonlands and she got by ok.

Posted: 9/28/2013 4:35:32 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
This board has given me the camping bug again - bad. I have a 19 month old and I can't wait to get him out in the woods. So my question is, when can I get him out in the woods? And when I do go camping with him, are there any special considerations I need to keep in mind?

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19 months might be a bit young. I wouldn't take a kid before they are potty trained and out of diapers. It makes it much simpler on needed supplies to bring.

Posted: 9/28/2013 4:45:49 AM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
My daughter pretty much started at birth and now she LOVES it and looks forward to every trip we go on. I guess birth is a bit early but we did have her out probably by at least one and we took her out west for a road trip that included hotels and multiple nights car camping when she was 3. That included a couple of 100+ degree nights in Canyonlands and she got by ok.

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Same here on the very hot days we would put her in the car for a bit and then keep her hydrated and playing in the water.

She's almost 16 now and still loves to go camping.

ETA: When we had a few kids camping in a group I would buy several glow sticks and string and tie two to each kid we could keep an eye on them at night with no problems.

Posted: 9/28/2013 5:12:14 AM EDT

[#5]

Kids that young, camping at a campground with facilities is much easier and still fun. Kids can wander and disappear in a split second. A child going missing out in the boonies where you are all alone would be terrifying and possibly tragic.

We have some great memories with my son at about that age doing some pop-up camping up in the adirondaks with the ex-inlaws...

Posted: 9/28/2013 5:33:39 AM EDT

[#6]

In my family we were thrown in the deep end of the pool in the first year, spent a lot of time around water so swimming was a necessary skill. We went car and boat camping in first five years and after that canoe and backpacking.

Posted: 9/28/2013 5:34:48 AM EDT

[#7]

Actually look at the weather reports. I grabbed my 4 year old and headed off for some spring camping when I saw the weather was going to be in the 70's up in Wisconsin. What I forgot to check was the night time lows. It hit the upper 40's and I spent the entire night awake making sure he did "kick off the covers"....

(Other than the sleep thing, great time)

Posted: 9/28/2013 6:39:47 AM EDT

[#8]

My parents took us as young as 6 months old.

Posted: 9/28/2013 7:00:35 AM EDT

[#9]

post diapers

Posted: 9/28/2013 7:05:48 AM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:

19 months might be a bit young. I wouldn't take a kid before they are potty trained and out of diapers. It makes it much simpler on needed supplies to bring.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
This board has given me the camping bug again - bad. I have a 19 month old and I can't wait to get him out in the woods. So my question is, when can I get him out in the woods? And when I do go camping with him, are there any special considerations I need to keep in mind?

19 months might be a bit young. I wouldn't take a kid before they are potty trained and out of diapers. It makes it much simpler on needed supplies to bring.

Ours is three and one and I don't see us taking them both until we are at that stage.

Posted: 9/28/2013 7:36:16 AM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:

My daughter pretty much started at birth and now she LOVES it and looks forward to every trip we go on. I guess birth is a bit early but we did have her out probably by at least one and we took her out west for a road trip that included hotels and multiple nights car camping when she was 3. That included a couple of 100+ degree nights in Canyonlands and she got by ok.

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Same with my 2 girls starting after birth.

They get mad when we have to leave them with the in-laws or they cannot go with.

Even as baby's they traveled by snogo.

The way we get around all the time is by boats or snogos.

Posted: 9/28/2013 7:44:14 AM EDT

[#12]

My parents had us boys camping by 6 months or so, we are all winter babies, so they had to wait for spring.. I do not believe we did any real backcountry camping until 6 or so. But by six, we were for sure in the back country with regularity.

Poster above points out not until 14yo.. by that age we boys were doing week long back packing trips into Desolation Valley on our own.

Posted: 9/28/2013 7:59:22 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Same with my 2 girls starting after birth.

They get mad when we have to leave them with the in-laws or they cannot go with.
Even as baby's they traveled by snogo.
The way we get around all the time is by boats or snogos.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
My daughter pretty much started at birth and now she LOVES it and looks forward to every trip we go on. I guess birth is a bit early but we did have her out probably by at least one and we took her out west for a road trip that included hotels and multiple nights car camping when she was 3. That included a couple of 100+ degree nights in Canyonlands and she got by ok.

Same with my 2 girls starting after birth.

They get mad when we have to leave them with the in-laws or they cannot go with.
Even as baby's they traveled by snogo.
The way we get around all the time is by boats or snogos.

We tried a few times this summer to get out daughter backpacking but it never worked out. She is 7 this summer and will be 8 in March and we will definitely get her out backpacking next summer and possibly this fall if we can work a trip out.

Posted: 9/28/2013 8:52:58 AM EDT

[#14]

First two went backpacking at 3 and 5. The next year they went backpacking at Mount Rainier. Wife was 4 months pregnant with #3. Oh, she went with us. The following year, the youngest was 4 months old when we spent 5 days backpacking in the Tetons. "Pack it in, pack it out" takes on a whole new dimension when backpacking. That was 28 years ago. We still try to get all the families together now to camp together.

Posted: 9/28/2013 9:26:21 AM EDT

[#15]

we took our little guy out starting at just a few weeks old and its paid off. hes three now, loves the woods, his sleeping bag, not afraid of the dark...

Posted: 9/29/2013 5:59:06 AM EDT

[#16]

My daughter started at less than a month old....
We used a pack and play...and set her in a portable baby cradle covered with a mosquito net.
Get one of those baby chest rigs for hiking and have fun....

Camping with a baby is really no big deal...

ETA: We had her on skiing at age two...Some parents start them earlier

Having a baby around does NOT mean staying home and doing nothing.

Posted: 9/29/2013 7:59:41 AM EDT

[#17]

When I went backpacking in Indian Heaven Wilderness a month ago, there was a husband and wife with their daughters. They were on a 3 day/2 night backpacking trip on the same loop I was doing, taking it 5 miles a day with their girls. The girls are ages 3 and 5, if I remember right.

Posted: 9/30/2013 9:07:54 AM EDT

[#18]

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Quoted:
My parents took us as young as 6 months old.

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I just took my 7month old out last weekend. Diapers aren't that big a deal guys :)

Posted: 9/30/2013 9:31:09 AM EDT

[#19]

Mine were camping at 3 month old. Car camping to be sure but out side. They loved it.

Remember, if you're cold, they're cold or colder. If you're hot, they're hot or hotter.
Dress for duress.
Keep it fun.
Beware of short attention spans and plan accordingly.
Keep it simple and gradually move up in difficulty.
Flashlights are cool. Bring extra batteries.
Share curiosity.

Have fun.

112

Posted: 9/30/2013 10:54:29 PM EDT

[#20]

You have them sleep in sleeping bags?

Posted: 10/1/2013 9:45:28 AM EDT

[#21]

I just got my 4 year old to "camp out" with me in the back yard this past weekend. She spent the whole night in the tent, had a great time. She enjoyed it enough next trip is to the "woods".

Posted: 10/1/2013 10:07:26 AM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:

19 months might be a bit young. I wouldn't take a kid before they are potty trained and out of diapers. It makes it much simpler on needed supplies to bring.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
This board has given me the camping bug again - bad. I have a 19 month old and I can't wait to get him out in the woods. So my question is, when can I get him out in the woods? And when I do go camping with him, are there any special considerations I need to keep in mind?

19 months might be a bit young. I wouldn't take a kid before they are potty trained and out of diapers. It makes it much simpler on needed supplies to bring.

That would be my lower limit. Don't want to deal with diapers in primitive conditions. And they need to be old enough to understand not to wander off into the woods.

Posted: 10/1/2013 10:19:27 AM EDT

[#23]

My Father and I

In later years

Family friends boy.

Posted: 10/1/2013 6:43:25 PM EDT

[#24]

I guess it all depends on how much you can handle with the kids being that young & in the wilderness.

Just dont let them wander off like I tended to do as soon as I could walk. I loved to (still do) follow the dog. Wherever he goes. lol
They said the first time I got lost, they found me a couple hundred yards away sitting on a tree stump just looking around.

Ive been out camping a few times with my 2 1/2 year old daughter. She loves the outdoors but when its time for bed, she's ready to go home.
Im sure it'll get better in the next couple years.

The glow sticks are a great idea. I have 2 ready for the next camping trip.

Posted: 10/1/2013 7:35:13 PM EDT

[#25]

I took my 8 year old son on a backpacking trip at night, 4 miles in a blizzard and camped in -30 degree F temps.

but I was experienced in that and owned the gear and cloths and outfitted him for it.

he talked about how we survived for years.

it was not his first backpacking trip,

whatever trip you do, make absolutely sure you are proficent in the skills needed and have the equipment to take care of him and yourself no matter what.

Posted: 10/1/2013 7:59:29 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
This board has given me the camping bug again - bad. I have a 19 month old and I can't wait to get him out in the woods. So my question is, when can I get him out in the woods? And when I do go camping with him, are there any special considerations I need to keep in mind?

View Quote

My daughter and son-in law took my grand son camping twice so far.
Once in a cabin at 6/7 monthes old. Then they tent camped this sumer.
He was 16 monthes old. Had a great time they said.
My daughter is a camper my son-in-law not so much, But he trys!
The Grand son seams up for anything!
I do not think it is the kids you need to worry about.
It is if the parents are up to taking care of a small child while camping!
Planing is everything! And the best laid plans.... you know the rest!!!
Hope this helps!!! Good luck!!! Go Camping!!! Have Fun!!!

PITA45

Posted: 10/1/2013 8:16:18 PM EDT

[#27]

My son is 5 months. He's going next weekend. It'll be in the 30's at night. We just bought a camper for the first winter with the little guy.

I plan on raising him camping in the woods

Posted: 10/3/2013 3:57:10 PM EDT

[#28]

I'm taking my SO's 11 y/o and my buddy is bringing his 8 y/o for a one night backpacking trip. A warm-up for bigger longer trips. Scoped out a place on private land, far enough to be in the middle of no where to the kids and get the full outdoor experience, but close enough that if any serious issues arise we can take appropriate actions in a timely manner.

In my opinion, at 8 & 11 it's a few years overdue. Better late than never.

ETA:
Even with a 60% chance of thunderstorms, we only had a few moments of sprinkles. The boys had a blast, the older boys did too !!!! Even brought the 4-legged friends. I think the hardest part is trying to teach them as much as you can when they are just excited to be "out there". The boys kept asking when we are going again. It won't be long...

Posted: 12/8/2013 2:56:16 PM EDT

[#29]

My dad has pics of him taking me camping and fishing while I was in diapers. Planning to do some moderate backpack trips next summer with the wife and 8 year old daughter. Hopefully will have two goats pack trained by then as well.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 12/9/2013 3:43:49 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
This board has given me the camping bug again - bad. I have a 19 month old and I can't wait to get him out in the woods. So my question is, when can I get him out in the woods? And when I do go camping with him, are there any special considerations I need to keep in mind?

View Quote

I've got 4 kids, the older 2 didn't go camping until they were 2 and 3. Then we started camping when the younger 2 came along they were with us as
nfants.

There is no minimum age to take kids camping.

Posted: 12/9/2013 4:47:21 AM EDT

[#31]

I was car camping with my son when he was six months old. You just have to take all their gear is all, play pen, stroller, etc. Make a few special considerations like mosquito net for the play pen etc. I will warn you though. Mine took to it like a duck to water. He kept me going either pushing that stroller or in his backpack carry (on my back) till he dropped tired. It exhausted me.

Hike camping? Probably about kindergarten age just old enough to walk farther than there to the wall before they say "Carry Me" and you best be ready to do just that carry them. Don't get carried away with kiddie packs that you'll just end up carrying yourself. Go short and light, 1-1.5 miles to a camp spot is half way around the world to a four or five year old.

By the time my kid was eight or so, he gave no more thought to sleeping in the woods than changing bedrooms at home. I can't even count the AR15.com SF camps he's been on. A lot of the guys hear on the forum know him.

Tj

Posted: 12/9/2013 6:18:40 AM EDT

[#32]

In utero.
Hell, we may have made a couple of them while camping!

Posted: 12/9/2013 7:50:45 PM EDT

[#33]

Started the boy camping at 11 months. Took him on his first raft trip (27 miles, 3 days/2 nights) for his first birthday. Now, seven years later, he has ~480 river miles under his belt in 56 nights on the river. He probably has another 40-50 nights camping in a variety of situations from backpacking to car camping. He's into fly fishing, skiing, rafting, kayaking, shooting, etc.

My advice - make sure they're having fun, and make sure their warm, dry and well fed. Everything else will sort itself out. Having the right gear is helpful but you can wing it with whatever you have so long as you don't push into conditions that your gear won't handle.

Some pics from various trips over the years…

First raft trip at 1 year.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/ScreenShot2013-12-09at90643PM.png

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/of50332442.jpg

A few years later on Deso/Gray in Utah. Just taking a nap on the rig.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMG_8215.jpg

Fishing in the San Juans.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMGP1288.jpg

Hiking/camping in San Dunes NP.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMGP8984.jpg

Rafting on the San Juan.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/Screenshot2011-08-12at85841AM.png

First backpacking trip for 5th birthday.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMGP2587.jpg

Kayaking on at the local.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMG_0828.jpg

Powder day at Taos.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMGP1418.jpg

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMGP1415.jpg

Rafting in northern New Mexico - 3 day trip.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMGP0956.jpg

Fishing the local.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMG_1437-1.jpg

Fishing Rocky Mountain NP.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMG_1659.jpg

From an 80 mile trip on the Main Salmon in Idaho last summer.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/DSC_0044.jpg

Typical river campsites.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/DSC_0349.jpg

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/DSC_0384.jpg

Last rapid of the trip. A big class IV just a few miles from the take-out.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/tonytelemark/IMGP2224.jpg

Bottom line - just get them outside and have fun.

Posted: 12/11/2013 7:11:15 PM EDT

[#34]

I've been taking my daughter to the outdoors since she was able to walk, hiking climbing etc. At the age of 4 (almost 5) she climbed up to Emmonds Glacier (9 mi hike rt) , the last 1.5 mi were slow, but she made it like a boss. We've been camping camping for the last 2-3 years and she has loved it and had no problems. Getting her used to no real toilets was the hard part. But she loves the camp fire, tent and outdoors.

Posted: 12/14/2013 10:34:03 AM EDT

[#35]

Our first was born in January (almost 6 yo), so she started right around 6 months old when the weather got a little better.

The other 2 were born in August (now 3 yo) and June (now ~18 mo), so they started camping both around a month old.

Very easy to do, especially at state parks with showers, improved trails for hikes, and really clean camp sites. Started the first kiddo tent camping, the others are now in a camper we picked up for the growing family.

Camping with kids will be as easy or as hard as your attitude makes it. If little inconveniences bother you, it's not for you. If you can handle little things popping up here and there that are slightly more difficult (diaper changes and the inevitable dirty hands in mouth come to mind) then it's really fun for the family.

Good luck!

Posted: 12/14/2013 12:50:33 PM EDT

[#36]

at the time = mine were 3 and 1 1/2 yrs old - family car camping

Posted: 12/16/2013 7:35:51 PM EDT

[#37]

I started my son at about 13-14 months. Both my kids love camping. If they don't like camping, they will be become part of the Zombie apocalypse someday.

Posted: 12/17/2013 7:38:26 PM EDT

[#38]

9 months.

Although that was in a pop-up with a furnace.

Posted: 12/23/2013 1:34:41 AM EDT

[#39]

Mine was only a few months old when I took him!

Posted: 12/27/2013 10:45:34 AM EDT

[#40]

We spent time in the woods at an early age but the first major wilderness canoe trip happened the summer my youngest was 4 and my oldest was 6:

Their first backpacking outing was at 9 & 11 when we hiked a couple miles into camp on an easy path and then day hiked from base camp:

Now at 12 & 14 they still love backpacking and canoeing and they have no trouble with anything their parents can handle:

Posted: 1/2/2014 9:18:16 AM EDT

[#41]

They all started camping when they were still in diapers (which sucked for my wife and I

--the diapers, I mean).

My wife used to carry whichever child was youngest in a baby carrier with whatever would fit in the compartment under the seat. I used to carry everything else in a giant Kelty external frame pack, but the kids started carrying some of their own gear as soon as they could carry a pack (starting with their sleeping bag). Really, aside from the diapers, I don't remember the bad parts. I have LOTs of great memories of hiking with my kids when they were babies and toddlers. We car camped with them, too, and that's way easier.

Posted: 1/3/2014 3:48:11 PM EDT

[#42]

Awesome photos Ty! My wife and took our kids 3 & 18 months at the time tent camping at a local park this past year. My wife is not into tent camping but she " roughed" it for a night. In the end we all had a good time.

Posted: 4/6/2014 6:04:45 PM EDT

[#43]

All of mine were 3 years old when I started taking them camping regularly. Went camping with friends this weekend and there were two 6 & 7 months in tow.

Posted: 4/6/2014 6:32:41 PM EDT

[#44]

We started them tent camping around 3.

Posted: 4/6/2014 6:56:12 PM EDT

[#45]

Damn Ty_webb, will you adopt me?

Great pictures everyone, I started both of mine car camping when they were able to walk really well on their own.

My son is 4, we are planning his first backpacking trip for this fall. He would go camping every day, like me.

Posted: 4/7/2014 9:00:16 AM EDT

[#46]

Quote History

Quoted:
I just got my 4 year old to "camp out" with me in the back yard this past weekend. She spent the whole night in the tent, had a great time. She enjoyed it enough next trip is to the "woods".

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Going to do that when it warms up.

Posted: 4/7/2014 10:47:55 AM EDT

[#47]

I think it depends on the type of camping you want to do. If you are talking camper/car camping well then I think any age works as along as they stay hydrated/fed, cool/warm and you can deal with the diapers. If you are talking backpacking that is a different story. With that if you are not carrying the kid then you have to be really realistic on the distance they can travel. I started taking my son backpacking when he was 5 but before that we would go on some short day hikes to get him better conditioned for walking more. Our trips were short and we stayed close to the trail and only stayed out for a night. Now that he is a little older he can walk father, carry more of his own stuff and last year we did two nights three days.

This year he will be able to handle a long weekend or longer and carry even more of his own stuff.

Posted: 4/7/2014 5:57:40 PM EDT

[#48]

Lots of kids in Rural AK go out camping when they are just a few weeks old.

My kids were born in late fall and middle of winter so they went camping in the spring by boat around 3-5 months old.

Raise them tough up here.

Posted: 4/7/2014 6:10:54 PM EDT

[#49]

We started taking our kids when they were infants. Diapers are a pain in the ass backpacking, but we dealt with it. Large plastic pickle jars lined with a garbage bag are a good way to pack out the dirty ones, FWIW

Until the kids could carry their share, I carried just about everything. My wife carried the baby in a baby pack with some stuff under the baby's seat. As soon as the kids could carry a pack, we started them off with some clothes or their sleeping bag and worked up from there. There was one trip when they were all small--five, three and one years old--when I had three big duffle bags strapped to a Kelty frame and a couple bear cans full of food on top of that because our stuff wouldn't fit in by big ass Kelty frame pack. Good times...

In short - IMO they are never too young.

Posted: 4/8/2014 6:59:56 AM EDT

[#50]

Quote History

Quoted:
We started taking our kids when they were infants. Diapers are a pain in the ass backpacking, but we dealt with it. Large plastic pickle jars lined with a garbage bag are a good way to pack out the dirty ones, FWIW

Until the kids could carry their share, I carried just about everything. My wife carried the baby in a baby pack with some stuff under the baby's seat. As soon as the kids could carry a pack, we started them off with some clothes or their sleeping bag and worked up from there. There was one trip when they were all small--five, three and one years old--when I had three big duffle bags strapped to a Kelty frame and a couple bear cans full of food on top of that because our stuff wouldn't fit in by big ass Kelty frame pack. Good times...

In short - IMO they are never too young.

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The more I read these post the more Essayons is right!
I'm not sure, history is not my best subject,(neather is spelling)