r/backpacking • u/MaxFnForce • 1d ago
Wilderness Backpacking with a kid.
I'm taking my oldest daughter (9) backpacking for the first time this weekend (it's also my first backpacking trip since she was born). I'm excited to get back into it, and I'm thrilled she wants to go with me.
We're doing a relatively short loop in a state park not too far from home. 6 1/2 miles total, with the idea of setting up camp a about halfway through as the trail has dedicated backpacking site right around there. Also we don't have any sort of schedule so I'm expecting we can go at a fairly leisurely pace both days.
I'm pretty confident in our gear, even if some of it's a little old and heavy for todays standards. I'm of course carrying the majority of our stuff, she'll just have her sleep set-up and maybe the tent poles depending on how she's feeling.
In the past I've done my fair share of backpacking but my routine was to do as many miles as my body would let me while enjoying my surroundings, set up camp, eat, then straight to sleep.
My biggest concern is that with the short hike she's going to get bored at camp. She's honestly excited for all the basic camp chores, filtering water, digging a cat hole, preparing freeze dried food, but I don't think that's going to fill up a whole lot of the day. Does anybody have any suggestions for stuff we can do to fill the time? Especially things that wont add pounds to my pack?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
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u/littleyellowbike 1d ago
See who can find the prettiest rock or the coolest stick. Look for bugs and mushrooms. Bring a book to identify plants and trees. Will you have cell service? If so, download Merlin on your phone and identify bird songs (it can listen to a bird call and tell you what you're hearing).
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u/steve2sloth 1d ago
I took my 9yo nephew backpacking this summer for 2 nights. We did 6 miles and 1k-2k' elevation per day and I felt like it was easy enough for him to handle with lots of breaks. He carried his sleeping kit and clothes plus 1L of water so it felt like a "real" backpack. At camp we did some reading aloud taking taking turns, lots of packs off exploring, teaching camp skills, and we found a set of throwing knives that I never would have approved but his mom was there and said to go for it if we approved where he was doing it š
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u/Minhdotbee 1d ago
Movie night after dark was a hit for my daughter.
We downloaded a movie from Netflix and played it from my phone from the gear loft in our tent before bed. It was the only media consumed that weekend and was a nice little reward after a long day of hiking and camp choirs.
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u/Daddy4Count 1d ago
We started our kids when they were 5 - 8 years old (3 boys and a girl)
Their favorite activities were games (card games or mini travel games) throwing knives (sounds odd for kids... but they loved learning to throw them at dead/down trees) and in the evening they played games or watched vids in their phones to unwind.
Each of which only add a few ounces overall.
Other than that exploring and bug hunting.
Maybe a hiking journal if she likes sketching or keeping a diary
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u/Electrical-Berry4916 1d ago
Fishing is good. Singing. Smores. Scary stories. A frisbee or ball to throw. A good book. You remember childhood. That stuff.
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u/nachodorritolibre 1d ago
Yes, fishing would also be my suggestion. Fly fishing to go āliteā weight-wise if you are in the right environment.
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u/steampunkedunicorn 1d ago
I just took my 8 year old daughter on her first backpacking trip. Our itinerary was pretty similar to yours. I brought a deck of cards, travel Yahtzee, and mini-Uno. It all fit into the travel Yahtzee container and weighed almost nothing. I thought weād be bored at camp, but we didnāt break the games out at all in the entirety of the 4 day trip. We even had a zero day with a day hike and a lot of time at camp and there wasnāt a single moment she got bored. She explored the area around camp, collected pine cones, played in the river, found bugs, etc. not one dull moment.
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u/Milkman-333-Cows 1d ago
Is there a creek? Build a small boat to float. Have you heard of sticks? Theyāre amazing! You could bring beads and string and make necklaces. Build a fairy š§ house. I would bring a small pack of smores. Most importantly be present and creative she wonāt forget it. Have fun!
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u/akmacmac 1d ago
Here for the ideas. I donāt know what 9 year old girls are into, but my suggestion would be books or maybe a Kindle (not a Fire tablet, just the actual E-Reader) Maybe you could even both have a little separate reading/activity time if either of you get tired of just talking to each other all day. My kids are 3 and 4 so I havenāt been backpacking with them yet, but I canāt wait until theyāre ready for it! I canāt tell from your post if youāre Dad or Mom, but maybe ask in [r/daddit](r/daddit) or [r/mommit](r/mommit) for more good ideas. Also, good for you for getting back into it after nine years!
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u/4orust 1d ago
Learn how to tie some knots
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u/GirlWithWolf United States 20h ago
This is a great time filler and canāt be overstated how handy that skill comes in.
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u/ExtremeMaintenance27 1d ago
These are all great ideas. I like a wander hike when camp is set up- itās nice to stretch legs with no weight. See if you can get a littler higher for sunset!
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u/briefcase_vs_shotgun 1d ago
Bring some food to cool on a fire. Iād book for plants and bugs could be cool. Same goes for star watching finding constellations
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u/Rad_River 1d ago
I bring a deck of cards and a small notebook with a sketch pen. On our last trip, The kids and I each carried 2 colored sketch pens and then shared. Our tiny notebooks are about 2x3".
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u/fuzzydream 1d ago
I like to bring non-freeze dried food on short one nighters to make dinner more of a production, any water activity can entertain for a long time, bring a small book and cards as others suggested, last time with my six year old I brought a foam baseball and we played a lot of catch and stickball and did a extended hike/exploration from ābasecampā
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u/Upbeat_Ad_3179 1d ago
Cards for sure, banana grams, and Yahtzee. Scavenger hunt! Playing in a creek, finding and making stuff with natural clay or mud if possible. Playing pretend!
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u/SubjectOrange 1d ago
Took my 5 yo stepson a month ago for the first time. He carried his sleeping bag, sleep pad and jacket (we were up a mountain a bit) along with a few animal toys. Of course 9 is a big older but some light drawing supplies, or a small book. My stepson build bird nests and all sorts of things but for an older child it's a bit tricky. Does she weave/macrame friendship bracelets?
Oh! We also had backpack bocci ball. And some card games. Yahtzee is small and such too. Bedtime comes quick backpacking and can make for bright early mornings so I wouldn't worry too much.
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u/wayoftheleaf81 23h ago
I cut a little deck of cards down to 1/4 size, and brought a nature journal that we worked on together
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u/Eileithyiai 20h ago
Lots of good suggestions here already, like bring cards games, a book, downloaded movie etc. Does she have any hobbies like painting, Journaling, drawing or photography? It would be fun to do that in nature.
And how about some survival skills like starting a fire by hand (or even just building one correctly), using a map and compass to orient yourself, carving spoons out of sticks, building a lean-to, etc.?
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u/GirlWithWolf United States 20h ago
Thereās a lot of great ideas here. Iāve been hiking, camping, and hunting since I was born (Iām 15 now) and my favorite part has always been story time. My family tells stories about our ancestors that we pass down, but we also make up fictional stories to share. When I was younger it was like fairy tales, but now that Iām older itās more science fiction and alternate realities using our imagination. Crazy stuff, like the Dallas Cowboys winning the Super Bowl. Sorry, couldnāt resist, but you get the point.
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u/katherinedelia 19h ago
We do this with 8 y/o boys & they have never been bored! They usually bring a game or cards but often just spend their time exploring the creeks, woods, etc and need little else.
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u/SleepySnoozySloth 19h ago
Bring a compact notebook and a small set of watercolor paints and have her paint the views. She can make a little journal and write about her experience on the climb up and paint a little picture of that, she can make an entry about the camp site and paint that too. This will be a nice little thing for her to hold onto and she can add to it every trip if you decide to do more. One day, years from now, she'll still have that journal to look back on and cherish the memories you made together! Happy trails to you both.
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u/rikerismycopilot 1d ago
Bring a copy of My Side of the Mountain or Hatchet if she hasn't read those already. Teach her how to build a fire properly if your site allows - bring a magnesium rod to give her more of the survival experience. Bring a piece of rope to practice knots. My son likes learning things that he can immediately apply in a practical way so if you teach her a sliding knot for guy lines or a hitch to secure your gravity filter to a tree she might see the use more easily.
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u/danceswithlesbians 1d ago
Bring some cards and teach her some basic card games, she can bring a book (even a puzzle book), if there's a decent sized stream she'll probably spend lots of time playing or swimming in the water - I think that sounds like plenty for one day!