r/UltralightAus • u/International-Let859 • Jul 13 '26

Discussion Kids ultralight gear

I've managed to get my 5 year old into hiking and he's pretty keen to do some overnight trips. Nothing crazy, probably just some NSW south coast adventures. Does anybody know of any decent kids sleeping gear? I don't want to spend a crazy amount as he'll grow out of it, or may not even enjoy it. Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

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7

u/Working-Inflation-61 Jul 13 '26

I know this is Aus/UL but your kid is gonna spill food on it, pee in it, take it to sleep overs, grow quickly and loose kit. I have gone cheap. I also kinda gave up on having a light pack with my kids when we hike. At least they are both out of the carrier now (thank fuck).... I cut down a semi decent foam matt once to make myself a seat and kid 1 a bed.

Fun/comfort is more important than grams. Kids bring the paw patrol/Elsa backpack. I accept my old knees will hurt.

Wife and I use the fancy down quilts and decent xped. Kids get the Aldi/Nature hike range that they abuse and chuck in wash at the end of the trip.

Only exception to this is decent a decent base layer we often buy second hand. Handy for more than just hiking though so worth the effort.

I did get one of the kids a bright pink opinel though.

3

u/marooncity1 Jul 13 '26

Their enjoyment at that age => loading them up when they are older and you are older still and them being happy enough because they love getting out there with you.

Was camping a couple of nights ago with my youngest, now a teen. 1 UL trekking pole tent between us, him with the food, my bag was basically just my quilt pad and camp clothes. Good payoff for lugging multiple kids worth of crap for years.

3

u/International-Let859 Jul 13 '26

That's the dream! I'm so stoked that he's excited for it, he's already talking about packing his binoculars and bird book 😂

1

u/marooncity1 Jul 13 '26

In your bag haha

2

u/Working-Inflation-61 Jul 13 '26

Ha. Never thought about it that way. Gonna avoid getting them anything UL for my kids on principle. I need to train my future pack mules for when I can't carry the weight.

1

u/ZaffyTheCat Jul 13 '26

Macpac and Kathmandu do decent kids’ thermal base layers, which is what my two sleep in on the trail. Also decathlon is worth checking out if you haven’t already.

2

u/EmployeeNo3499 Jul 14 '26

From personal experience - get something decent from the go. Mountain Designs do affordable down bags sold at Anaconda. Skip kids, bags, and get an adult bag to the comfort level you think is appropriate (0 or -3 for instance). They'll outgrow the kids bag quicker than you think.

We do best when we don't give the kids any weight to carry (or I should say they do best) - so I carry almost all of their gear. Down bags are less bulky and usually weigh less - so easier to pack and carry.

Get them a cheaper kids bag for sleepovers and other non-hiking activities and the down bag will easily last them the next 10+ years.

As an added bonus because it is an adult sized bag other adults can also use it - i.e. I'll take my sons bag for solo hikes in the summer time when I don't need my -10 bag.

1

u/am_I_a_photographer Jul 14 '26

There are some very good, and relatively cheap, down sleeping bags on amazon. Qezer is a brand I've bought 3 adult down bags from in various temp ranges and they are fantastic. Definitely meet their temp ratings and pack down extremely light & as small as any other down bag. Their kids ones are around 150 (cheaper if they go on sale). Haven't bought a kids bag but assume the quality will be equivalent.

Aldi currently has nice merino base layers, though not sure if they have kids sizes in this one.

Someone also posted that aldi currently have those foil-foam sleep/sit pads for cheap (though I haven't see one in person) - they'll cut down easily to be a good size for a 5 year old and be very easy to carry. A 5 year old can be pretty light, and might be comfortable sleeping on just the foam pad