{"id":1969,"date":"2020-11-16T13:51:01","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T21:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trackersearth.com\/blog\/?p=1969"},"modified":"2020-12-17T12:29:21","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T20:29:21","slug":"backpacking-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackersearth.com\/blog\/backpacking-with-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Backpacking With Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Fall is here! For me, that means it\u2019s our last chance to go camping until next summer! Camping in the fall can be great. The crowds are gone. The bugs are gone. Fall colors are in full swing and the weather is still good. Good enough, anyway.<\/p>

There are two options for camping with kids: car camping or backpacking. Each has pros and cons, and each has different tips for making it fun with kids. This week we\u2019ll focus on backpacking and we\u2019ll cover car camping soon.<\/p>

I know, some of you are saying, \u201cBackpacking with kids? Are you insane?\u201d But I\u2019m here to tell you, it is possible. And it can actually be fun. But it\u2019s not for the faint of heart. I loved backpacking before we had kids. I backpacked through the Canadian Rockies when I was four months pregnant and my husband and I vowed we wouldn\u2019t change our ways once the kids were here. For the most part, we\u2019ve kept that promise. We started taking our kids backpacking before they could walk, and by the time they were three, they could hike several miles carrying their own tiny packs. Now they\u2019re teenagers who love backpacking with their friends. Without us! It hasn\u2019t always been easy and it\u2019s definitely never been perfect, but you can inspire a life-long love of backpacking in your kids, starting at any age. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why Do It?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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My father taught me and my sister to backpack and always told us, \u201cIf you hike 10 minutes away from the parking lot, you leave 99% of people behind.\u201d He\u2019s right. Backpacking brings you to places that are private and quiet, where you can be alone in nature with your kids. The scenery is better away from roads and parking lots, and you\u2019ll see more wildlife away from noisy humans.<\/p>

But backpacking takes planning. You can\u2019t just wing it because you have to carry in everything you\u2019re going to need. If you forget something, too bad. You make due. My husband once forgot the coffee and had to hike out and drive to the nearest store–a 5-hour round-trip–so we wouldn\u2019t kill him! Weather is also a bigger concern. You can still have fun backpacking in the rain, but you have to get creative. That is also the best part of backpacking with your kids–it teaches them to be adaptable and builds grit.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How to Make Backpacking Fun for Kids<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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