Taking your baby on a backpacking trip is a great introduction to outdoor parenting. We took our daughter on her first backpacking trip when she was about 9 months old. It was only one night and just a two mile hike but we loved being able to give her the experience of being in the backcountry with us from an early age. Here are some of our tips on how to make it happen:
Recommended age/weight for these trips:
- Your baby should be small/light enough that you can carry him/her in a baby backpack and ideally with an extra 5 lbs of stuff**
- Minimum age depends on your baby, weather, destination, and the comfort of the parent
Key equipment for parents:
- Frame-pack style baby carrier with space under the baby to strap bulky but light stuff, such as one of the two below (we had an old REI carrier that is no longer made):
- Lightweight backpacking gear (especially tent, sleeping bags, pads)
- Tip: a generous two person tent can work for two + baby and a three person can work for two adults and two kids for a while
- This is where it’s so worth it to spend the extra money for lightweight gear, because you have to carry so much extra stuff!
- Nursing camisole/bra if nursing
Packing tips:
- Have the person carrying the baby carry their water, snacks, and a diaper plus light but bulky stuff, such as sleeping pads, sleeping bags, or the tent
- Strap these items under the baby.
Safety:
- Bring a first aid kid, and make sure to include any baby-specific versions of medicines you might need and fun bandaids
- Consider getting Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder trained
- I am WFR certified. Fortunately I haven’t had to use the training on my family, but it is great peace of mind
Baby’s equipment:
- Something warm for the baby to sleep in, such as a fleece sleep sack (instead of a sleeping bag for small babies)
- Sleeping bags only worked with our kids at about 3 years because our kids moved too much and came out of them, but might work for others sooner
- Other options: have the baby sleep in the parent’s sleeping bag, or bring a crib size quilt
- Fleece top or jacket to wear over the sleep sack
- Hat/mittens if it’s chilly
- Layers and backup clothes in case of diaper explosion
- Diapers
- Something to spread out under the kid during feeding time to catch food spills
Time of year/weather:
- Not too cold
- Not too rainy
Location:
- Plan a short first trip (just 1-3 miles)
- Find a location near water because kids love water, and plan a camping spot with options for side hikes
Tips to find locations:
- Look for good day hikes that are only a few miles that allow backpacking
Hiking tips:
- Take it slow, stop as needed to play and let the baby out
- Bring some small toys attached to the baby carrier
Sleeping tips:
- Be prepared that it might be hard to get your baby to sleep – it’s a different bed and the parents are nearby (if they’re not used to that)
- Remember – it will get easier the more you do it, but it won’t get easier if you don’t do it! (more on this to come in another post)
How to handle multiple kids:
- Have the bigger kids carry something, depending on their age/abilities (more to come about this in a later post)
- At this point it’s even more important to have lightweight gear! (The photo below was a 3 night trip)
What are your tips for going backpacking with babies? Do you have any suggestions on good places to backpack with babies? Please share your feedback so we can make this page more helpful and comprehensive.
**Take your baby backpacking before you hit the “gap year(s)”! This is the time when the baby is too heavy to carry and too young to hike 2 miles a day.
