Taking kids backpacking

[Soj51hopeful]

Hey guys, I'm wondering how old you start taking kids overnight backpacking? I have 3 boys ages 5, 3, and almost 2. The type of hunting I do is usually a few miles and a few thousand foot gain (give or take) from the road. I didn't grow up doing this type of hunting. I know I'll have to start out slow and easy but what has your kids been capable of at what age? Thanks.
Bob

 

[elks96]

>Hey guys, I'm wondering how old
>you start taking kids overnight
>backpacking? I have 3 boys
>ages 5, 3, and almost
>2. The type of hunting
>I do is usually a
>few miles and a few
>thousand foot gain (give or
>take) from the road. I
>didn't grow up doing this
>type of hunting. I know
>I'll have to start out
>slow and easy but what
>has your kids been capable
>of at what age? Thanks.
>
>Bob

It depends, how far can you carry all the gear for both you and the kid? My daughter goes with me at age 9, but I am always prepared to carry everything and let her hike! I have taken my son as early as 4 on a spring trip just a little ways! As long as they feel like they can hike!

 

[Soj51hopeful]

My 5 year old has gone turkey hunting with me a few times covering some impressive distance for him. I wonder about when a kid could shoulder a pack with sleeping bag and a few of their own stuff for say 2 miles while I carry tent and all food/ preparation stuff with all deer hunting equipment.

 

[Weiserbucks]

One thing to consider is keeping it fun . Kids will give it all they got if they're having fun . Once they lose interest they will run out of gas .

 

[Soj51hopeful]

>One thing to consider is keeping
>it fun . Kids will
>give it all they got
>if they're having fun .
>Once they lose interest they
>will run out of gas
>.


Ya I remember you did good with Boone.

 

[BillyBoB]

My boy and I did a 7-8 mile hike back into the Uintah mountains for a weekend. I believe my son was 11 or 12 at the time.
What motivated him was the light pack he carried and mostly was the non stop fishing he was able to do.
He mainly packed his clothes, food, fishing pole and sleeping bag. I carried the rest.
He had a blast and caught more fish than I could count. The lake was full of Arctic grayling between the smile on his face and the scenery....I was in heaven

About that same year, in the fall, I took him hunting with me for the first time.




"Wildlife and its habitat cannot speak. So
we must and we will."
Theadore Roosevelt

 

[Sherlock]

Varies with the kid.

My oldest daughter went on her 1st overnight Uinta backpack trip when she was 8. Only went a couple of miles and she absolutely loved it. Has done wonderfully ever since. Early fun foundation has carried over.

Took my twins (boy/girl) when they were 5 y/o on their 1st backpack trip. Five miles to camp in the Uintas. They did ok, the boy did better. Went the following year in July. His twin sister, is a mosquito magnet and has almost all but lost interest after that trip.

Then took the boy when he was 6 y/o on my backcountry archery elk hunt. Six miles to base camp. Did amazing for 5 days and was right there with me when I harvested my bull. Wonderful trip and he was a pleasure to be with.

Mistakes made:
-Should've avoided mosquito season(s).
-Might have been a little long on the 2nd year hike (14 mi. round trip).
-Had a bad/leaky tent and got too much rain.

Keys to success:
-Made sure the kids carried packs with a few light items so they could feel like they were helping, even though I had to carry more stuff and had heavier pack and theirs was quite light.
-Brought treats.
-Kept schedule relaxed and flexible.
-Made sure we went where they would be successful catching fish.
-Got pictures of good memories for them to remember the trips.
-If they can bring a friend(s), they have a lot more fun and don't tend to complain.

 

[Wapitiwilly]

I started taking my boys when there were 2. It was a pain in the butt at first. They learned to enjoy the outdoors and learned to hunt/fish along the way. Fast forward 25 years. Now I follow them around the mts. The best thing I ever did!

 

[Squirrel]

rent a couple of these, they make a huge difference and not a kid on earth won't think they are 'cool"

l]

[/URL]

 

[Founder]

I think by 5 years old, you could take them as far as they can walk. You can carry all the gear. Just take them when weather is good so they don't get soaked and they'll have fun.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
LIKE MonsterMuleys.com on Facebook!

 

[dz]

+1 on that each one is different. When I was younger I was about a 20 mile a day guy. I had a hard time slowing down for the kids. Mostly because I was one too. But my oldest son was 12 when he could keep up. We did 56 miles in three days, in Idaho back country. He was rewarded with a nice 28 inch drop tine buck (96). The next one was keeping up with me when he was 6. At nine he carried a 1/3 of a calf off the mountain about three miles. He was asleep at the car when me and my buddy got there. At 10 he carried a front shoulder of a bull six miles in tough country. My youngest now has been going with me on day cow hunts that we go 6 to 10 miles. He is 6. But I have pushed all of them probably more then I should have. Last year I took 9 of the 12 camping, hiking and fishing in Wy. All of them loved it except the Horse flies. Don't know if a few of them will recover from that trip. What ever you do, just do something!!!!

DZ

 

[trophyhunter]

Soj51 I would consider starting them out slowly at that age....especially the two little ones....maybe a short distance from the vehicle and keep to a flat trail.....keep it fun kids that age do not hold fucus very long......even with all the new experiences at 2, 3, short span...have them take a couple small toys and short walk back to the truck until they get several years older to keep'm safe...at 4 years old on long walks and climbing trails my Grandson spent many hours with me in the backcountry but alot of it was packing him on my shoulders...you have three so you need a couple more sets of shoulders...good luck

))))------->

 

[Soj51hopeful]

Thanks everyone for the stories and suggestions. All 3 boys so far love the outdoors. We go camping often and they always have fun. I have fortunately been able to have my oldest with me on one deer kill and one turkey kill. I think he is ready for a short overnight backpack trip this fall.

 

[nripepi]

I would say at 2, keep it under 1 mile and relatively flat. At 3, under 1.5 miles. At 4, maybe 2 miles max. At 5, you can probably make it 2-3 miles. 6-7 will depend on the kid, but they are in pretty good shape to go pretty far and keep up with you (assuming they are just carrying their sleeping bag and clothes and you have the kitchen sink!). It probably depends a lot on the kid, just make sure to keep it fun for them! Daniel Boone killed a bear when he was only 3, so if your kid is Daniel Boone, go for it!

 

[bugleb]

The age depends on the kid's abilities and the distance. I took my oldest boy with a small, light pack on a couple of short (4-6 miles) trips when he was 6. My middle boy went on a 14 miles each way when he was 8, again with a light pack, but his brothers couldn't handle a trip like that until they were 11 or 12. By the time they were 16, they could pack a full pack for up to 15 miles per day. I went on a 20 miles each way trip in the Uintas when I was 11, but we had horses to pack the gear on that one back before backpacks and light gear became common.