Originally Posted By wandering_daisy
Every kid is different. I think a 10 year old has lots of energy and could hike many miles with a light pack, BUT, would get bored to tears. Hiking is pretty boring, compared to competitive sports or a video game. Kids usually do not get into appreciation of hiking until late teens.

You want your kid to continue to backpack so you MUST make it fun at first. How about involving your kid in the planning. Do some day hikes with the pack on so he gets a feel of the miles. Then let HIM decide. This would also start to teach him to read maps, some math skills to calculate rate of travel x miles = time on the trail. Do some car camping - time your set up and take down times for camp. Do you need to plan 2 hours from getting up to getting going? Or three.

In general I would not make a kid hike more than 4 hours then spend the next 4-6 having fun - fishing, exploring, making fires, games, whatever.

And if you are considering elevation gain, go out and try a bit first.
Luckily he has grown up in the mountains and truly loves hiking and camping. He only gets upset when it's time to go home. I totally agree fun is priority #1. He is quite special( I know every kid is special) but he is a A+ student, loves sports, hiking, camping, and especially anything outdoors. I find I rarely have to entertain him. He likes to observe and talk about what he sees. Really most of our hikes is one constant conversation between the two of us. He takes after his mother and can find a lengthy conversation on just about any subject. Really I couldn't be more proud of him. I can't even remember ever being slightly upset with him. He likes to fish and can work a creek quietly for hours, or watch a sun set and count the stars that follow. I'm very lucky. I wouldn't trade him for a thousand other sons!
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