Last year, we wrote a guide to how to take your first backpacking trip, offering a complete primer for getting out there, even if you’re a little intimidated by the idea.
If going backpacking seems daunting when it will just be adults, the thought of bringing kids along can make it feel doubly so.
How far are the kids capable of hiking?
Are they just going to whine and ask “How much further?” the entire time?
How do you pack in a bunch of gear for humans who might not be able to carry their own stuff?
To get the lowdown on how to successfully execute a family backpacking trip with the smaller set in tow, I talked to our friend McKenzie Smith. McKenzie and her husband take their six kids — who currently range in age from 5 to 14 — on half a dozen backpacking trips a year. They’ve successfully executed a 40-mile backpacking trip with all their kids with nary a complaint. McKenzie has even taken all six of her children backpacking by herself, including when her youngest was two and her oldest was eleven. To say that she’s a pro at backpacking with kids is an understatement.
If you’ve ever wanted to try backpacking with your children — or have tried but it felt chaotic or overwhelming — this guide will walk you through what to know before the hike, with advice straight from a seasoned trail parent who’s logged hundreds of family miles.
Why Take Your Kids Backpacking?
Modern parenting tends to err on the side of bubble-wrapped safety and optimized schedules. But deep in the backcountry, both parents and kids discover qualities in themselves they wouldn’t otherwise get acquainted with.
“I just really believe in it,” McKenzie said of backpacking. “Backpacking really builds character. We’ve been on some very challenging trips, and our kids reference them whenever they’re doing something really hard. They’ll say, ‘We did that 40-miler, Mom. We can do this!’ It’s such a confidence-builder for them.”
Beyond building strength and character, McKenzie sees backpacking as one of the most powerful ways to connect as a family.“Some of our very best memories have come from backpacking. The kids remember these trips more than anything else we do.”When to Start
McKenzie advocates for not putting your outdoor adventures on hold while your kids are babies, and the Smiths have taken all of their kids hiking while they were still infants. “Our youngest went on his first trip at four months,” she related. “We used the Osprey Poco Plus. It’s a baby carrier that has storage space so you can pack some gear. We just carried him. It was simple.” (If you’re looking for advice on backpacking with a baby, check out this guide.)
That said, it’s understandable that many might find the idea of taking a baby backpacking intimidating. In which case, wait to take your children along until the youngest can walk most of the way or until the age they seem ready, realizing that it might be a lot earlier than you’d think.
Something McKenzie emphasized is that kids can hike longer than you’d expect.
“Our four-year-old hiked 40 miles the year I turned 40,” she said. “Kids are so much more capable than we give them credit for.”
If you’re nervous about sleeping on the ground with your little kids, McKenzie suggests easing into it. “There are places out West with hike-in cabins and fire lookouts. You still carry your gear, but you get four walls and a roof. It’s a great way to start.”
From my experience, if you’re new to backpacking yourselves, it’s best for Mom and Dad to get a few trips under their own belts, before they bring their kids along. There’s a learning curve to backpacking, and you don’t want to be figuring it out while the complexities are compounded by your children. Gain some confidence in your own backpacking skills first, and then have your kids join you.
Choosing the Right Trail
If it’s your first time going backpacking with your kids, McKenzie suggests being thoughtful about the trail you pick.
A first backpacking route in the 3–5 mile range is a sweet spot. “You want it to be a challenge,” she said. “Enough that they feel like they accomplished something.”
You can scale things up or down, depending on how old your kids are. We took our kids on their first backpacking trip when they were
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