Backpacking with baby in the old days!

My second grandchild arrived last week! As a gift to my daughter, I scanned her old baby book and found these old photos. These photos are from 1975-78. In another year I will get to take out the grandchildren! We will certainly take advantage of the much better gear that is now available.

Little was available in store-bought clothing for infants so I bought old cashmere sweaters from the second hand store and cut them down into wool colothing. I sewed a rain suit (the little red suit in the photos) from coated nylon. I added a canopy (with diaper compartment on top), and internal sling seat inside my pack. When the kids got older I cut a slit and put in a zipper so their feet could stick out!

I took my oldest daughter on 10 days of a NOLS instructor course in the Tetons when she was 16 months old, canoed 4 days on the Yellowstone River when she was 6 months old, did a 5-day backpack in the Wind Rivers, did a one-week combination horse drop in camp and family backpack out when she was 3 years and my youngest daughter (who just had her baby) was 1 year old and I also did a trip just with my youngest daughter when she was 5 years old. The last photo is of our unexpected August snowstorm that we had to walk out in for 12 miles! Whenever weather permitted the babies went bare-bottomed to save on diapers. Digging in dirt was a favorite activity. The first photos are of my oldest daughter and the last two of my younger daughter. They are both mothers themselves now!

That is so cool. I hope you get to take your grandkids out too. I am not too likely to take my grandkids out because their mothers and their grandmother are appalled to think that grandpa sleeps on the ground, goes days without a shower and even worse he pees in the woods.

those are awesome, awesome pictures. just... wow. way to go.

Wonderful pictures, Wandering Daisy! And congratulations on the new grandchild! I only car-camped and dayhiked with my kids (their father refused to backpack), but I remember doing a lot of improvising with them. Fortunately my parents gave us one of the earliest Gerry carriers, which was a life-saver.

I was never able to take out my oldest three because they always lived at the other end of the country, although their mom and dad like to dayhike. But I've been taking out two of the younger grandkids, currently 6 and 7. Little "Bear," who just turned three, will start in 2009. Right now he's at the stage where he refuses to ride in a pack any more, but he hasn't enough endurance to do more than a mile, so he needs a little more time to be ready.

That is just soooo awesome <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Those are awesome photos Daisy.. Thanks so much for sharing!

Very Sixties looking (or early seventies)...

W. Daisy, Fabulous photos <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I especially love the photo of your oldest daughter peeking out from the backpack/baby carrier! Your daughters are the luckiest girls in the world to have you as their mom. Carol

Theese photos are awesome! The first black and white one is my favorite.

1975-78 huh. That is when I was born. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Great pics.

WD, congratulations!!! And wonderful, lovely pictures, I hope your daughters appreciate them even more than we do (which is saying a lot!). Loved seeing the look of you, dad, and the "vintage" gear - really brings back some memories of those years.

Cute girl in the B&W pic! The one in the backpack is cute, too. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Can't say that my youngest was a happy camper when we got this surprise snowstorm! They are now both grown up and producing grandchildren but like most parents nowadays, so busy with work that they have little time to backpack with the little ones. I guess grandma will have to take the kids out herself in a few years!