Four year old's first overnight backpacking trip on the…
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Four year old's first overnight backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail
My four year old did his first overnight backpacking trip on the AT. A bit over a mile from a road crossing south to Jim and Molly Denton Shelter two weeks ago (just north of Shenandoah NP). Left about 5pm, took just under an hour to get to camp. Back the next morning at crossing before 9am for wife and younger kids to pick us up. He carried his pack about a half mile each way and then I clipped it to my shoulder strap. He has done 5 car camping trips before and hiked but never overnight backpacked. (His pack had the nemo accordion sleeping pad, an 8 oz water bottle, and an extra set of clothing). About 300' of elevation gain with a fun creek crossing and some rocky and rooty sections to cross.
I thruhiked 2020 SOBO and we have built many of our family vacations around places in the trail. On this vacation we also did Skyline Drive, Skyline Caverns, Harper's Ferry, Washington DC, and of course many hikes throughout.
Plan was to bring my 2 year old daughter too but she fell asleep on the 15 minute drive to the trail head and was in a poor mood when she woke up so I called it off. I realized when hiking that it probably would have taken is 1.5-2 hours to get to camp had she come and I probably would have had to carry her some of the way like I end up doing on most hikes. Also I was glad to have had his first experience be just me and him. Daughter spent night at the airbnb with my wife and the baby.
#activity #nature
source
My four year old did his first overnight backpacking trip on the AT. A bit over a mile from a road crossing south to Jim and Molly Denton Shelter two weeks ago (just north of Shenandoah NP). Left about 5pm, took just under an hour to get to camp. Back the next morning at crossing before 9am for wife and younger kids to pick us up. He carried his pack about a half mile each way and then I clipped it to my shoulder strap. He has done 5 car camping trips before and hiked but never overnight backpacked. (His pack had the nemo accordion sleeping pad, an 8 oz water bottle, and an extra set of clothing). About 300' of elevation gain with a fun creek crossing and some rocky and rooty sections to cross.
I thruhiked 2020 SOBO and we have built many of our family vacations around places in the trail. On this vacation we also did Skyline Drive, Skyline Caverns, Harper's Ferry, Washington DC, and of course many hikes throughout.
Plan was to bring my 2 year old daughter too but she fell asleep on the 15 minute drive to the trail head and was in a poor mood when she woke up so I called it off. I realized when hiking that it probably would have taken is 1.5-2 hours to get to camp had she come and I probably would have had to carry her some of the way like I end up doing on most hikes. Also I was glad to have had his first experience be just me and him. Daughter spent night at the airbnb with my wife and the baby.
#activity #nature
source
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