Hiking with 10 mo old

Posted by: Jandroos

Hiking with 10 mo old - 09/13/09 12:37 AM

I'm going to hiking with my 10 mo old, short, easy, afternoon hikes, next spring. Any pointers/advice?
Posted by: Cajun

Re: Hiking with 10 mo old - 09/13/09 12:14 PM

1 Make sure the pack fits BOTH of you well.

2 Dress it warmer than you think it should be.

3 Have fun.
Posted by: Paul

Re: Hiking with 10 mo old - 09/13/09 11:11 PM

a couple of things - let the young adventurer out of the pack occasionally so she/he can crawl around in the dirt some - or toddle if already ambulatory. Also, you have to regulate the kids' temperature for them, as in adjusting clothes to make sure they are comfortable. I found I really had to pay attention to this - it's easy for the kid to be hot when you are cold, or vice versa, since when you are carrying them you are working hard and they are not, and if you stop to let them crawl/toddle around, then they are working hard and you are not. Go slow, and stop often.
Posted by: OregonMouse

Re: Hiking with 10 mo old - 09/14/09 02:48 AM

On the home page of this site, there's an excellent article by Penny S. on backpacking with children here.

From my own experience--feel the kid's body, not feet and hands (which are normally cool). It's as easy to overdress the poor kid as to underdress. But check frequently, especially if the child starts to fuss. After all, riding in a carrier he won't be nearly as warm as you are carrying him!
Posted by: wandering_daisy

Re: Hiking with 10 mo old - 09/19/09 11:38 PM

It has been many years, but I took my kids backpacking when they were just over a year old. It is best to have another adult along. Babies really have to be closely watched - difficult to do when trying to set up camp and cook. I found it really hard to do by myself. I did one trip alone with my 2 year old and 4 year old and it was not fun at all! I did a 5-day trip with a 16-month old with two lady friends and it was a really nice trip. I also did a 3 day trip with a 6 month old, husband and buddy - who both took off fishing the minute we hit camp - and this also was not fun for me. The person you take with you has to really buy into sharing in the child care duties. We did a big family trip - a week with a 16-month old, 3 year old, 5 yr old, and two 8 year olds and six adults. This was a great trip. The kids really entertained each other and we had lots of adult supervision.

The other big thing are bugs - babies have no defense against mosquitoes and I am not keen on slathering a baby with DEET. I always took the babies backpacking well after mosquito season.