When Should Kids Start Backpacking?

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Like any other activity involving the little ones, backpacking with kids requires a lot of consideration. There’ll be a lot of planning to be done, a lot of stuff to carry, and the pressure of horror stories where the grown-ups end up carrying the kids’ stuff and the kids themselves. That’s why wondering when kids can start backpacking is such a dilemma.

Kids should start backpacking as early as 3 years old, but only for short distances and with packs no more than 5% of their body weight. From the age of 6, they can begin to carry their packs for longer, though they may need some help after the first few miles.

This article will cover how to prepare for backpacking with kids and how to put their backpacks together, and tips for encouraging them to hike further. Keep reading!

How To Prepare for Backpacking With Kids

If you love the outdoors and you have small children, it’s inevitable that they’ll want to start carrying their own things eventually while going hiking, even if it’s their favorite toy. But you don’t want to start them out with a heavy pack, especially if they are very young.

Let’s talk about how you can prepare your child for backpacking, so your future trips will be successful.

Try Backpacking Solo First

If you haven’t gone backpacking on your own before, taking your first trip with kids tagging along can be super uncomfortable.

To make things easier, you should consider taking a trip without them first. You don’t necessarily have to go alone, and in fact, it’s often easier to learn the ropes of hiking when you take your trip with more experienced backpackers.

The knowledge you’ll get from your solo backpacking will make it much easier to plan out the intricate details of backpacking with your kids.

You can learn skills like:

Using trekking poles properly.
Cover more ground during your adventure with the kids.
Spotting trailheads when camping for the night.

Prepare Your Child’s Body Ahead of Time

Hiking is pretty strenuous, but it can get downright unbearable if your child isn’t accustomed to walking fairly long distances first. At least one month before your backpacking trip with your kids, make out time to take walks through your neighborhood.

You could start by taking one to two-hour walks on level ground, then walks on upward slopes before launching out with proper half-day or full-day hikes. You can help them get used to carrying some weight by buying lightweight packs for them to carry during the walks and slightly heavier backpacks for the hikes.

Practice putting together your kid’s backpacks for the longer hikes with them.

Along the way, you could also get some practice for setting up camp and packing up efficiently. It’s best if your child carries their backpack themselves for all or most of your hike. This helps teach them discipline, so they don’t expect you to always help them out.

Keep Them Engaged and Active

If you’re excited about your backpacking trip and your kids aren’t, it’s a lot more likely that they’ll become a burden. That’s why it’s so important to get them prepared by involving them in preparing for the trip.

One way to do that is to talk to them while planning your backpacking. You could assign them tasks to make them feel special, responsible, and more motivated to walk on the hike.

Allow them to help you with packing the bags and share stories of your previous backpacking trips to get their curiosity piqued. Or, you might tell them about significant or exciting places along your route so they look forward to seeing them.

Get Your Kids Used to the Sleeping Arrangements

It’s pretty easy for adults to get used to an unfamiliar environment, but feeling rested in a strange sleeping arrangement is a challenge for many kids. During your backpacking trip, you’ll be setting up a tent to camp in a different place each night, so getting the kids used to that arrangement can help a lot.

While you’re home, you could set up “camping nights” where you set up a tent in the backyard with the kids and spend the night there. It may not always be realistic, but enforcing rules like using the bathroom outdoors and not going indoors until the next day can help simulate the camping experience.

Know How Far Your Kids Can Go

Every kid is different, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all hiking limit for children of an age group. It’s up to you to find out how far your kids can walk and how to tell when they’re genuinely exhausted.

If you are taking practice hikes before your backpacking trip, those can be an excellent opportunity to know how far each child can comfortably hike.

Figuring out your kids’ hiking limits can come in handy while planning your backpacking route. You can roughly guess how far you’ll be hiking every day and map out a realistic plan for the stop points, start points, and camping points for each day of your trip.

How To Pack a Backpack for Kids

Packing for a backpacking trip can be pretty daunting. On the one hand, you’re away from your home, car, and any form of storage, so you have to get everything you need to survive in one pack.

On the other, you’ll be carrying everything on your back, so you have to pack as minimally as possible.

When you’re taking your trip with kids, packing gets even more challenging. The younger they are, the more likely it is that you’ll end up carrying their backpacks yourself at some point. To stay prepared, you have to put together your backpacks and theirs very carefully.

Here are some tips to keep your child’s backpack and yours easier to carry:

Make your kid’s backpacks light. To stay prepared for the possibility of ending up with your child’s pack, you should restrict the content of their backpacks. Keep their packs light enough that you can comfortably carry them in addition to yours.
Get snacks. You might need some motivation to keep your kids going during the hike or “bribe” them to continue carrying their backpacks. Snacks are excellent for the job, so you should pack them and keep some handy.
Get some cleaning essentials. These are especially important for children. Your cleaning supplies should include hand sanitizer, baby wipes, a wet bag, and fresh clothes.
Pack some fun stuff. Don’t forget to include things like a lightweight game or your kid’s favorite stuffed toy.
Check off the essentials for your adult backpack. Heavier stuff like the tent, sleeping bags, mats, and stoves can’t fit in your kid’s backpack, but they’re super important. Make it a point to tick them off the checklist for your pack.

Conclusion

Don’t get too caught up in planning your backpacking to have fun! Remember to make your schedule flexible enough to accommodate time for games, snack breaks, enjoying the scenery, or checking out rocks and bugs.