backpacking – The Outdoor Kid Handbook

Interview: Penny Hutchinson (camping, backpacking skiing, hiking, cycling, paddling)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, biking, camping, hiking, skiing

I am excited to share an interview with my friend Penny this week. What has impressed me the most about the outdoor adventures she goes on with her family are all the trips she takes in the winter. I haven't taken our kids snow camping yet, but hopefully we will try it this winter and I will be asking her for advice. I hope you enjoy the interview! Name: Penny HutchinsonLocation: Bay Area, CA, USAFamily Activities: Camping (including snow camping), backpacking. skiing (backcountry/alpine/telemark), hiking, cycling (road and mtn bike), some paddling Kids: 11 & 13Work Schedule: Before COVID I worked part time…

Interview: Scott Turner (Orienteering, Hiking, Skiing, Camping, Biking, Backpacking )

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, biking, camping, orienteering, skiing

This week we have an interview with an outdoor parent whose children are grown up, so he has the perspective of taking them outdoors through all the stages of childhood. He is also a very experienced at orienteering, which I think is a great way to get kids outside that I haven't tried yet with my kids. He also happens to be my uncle, and when I was a kid I got to go orienteering with them. Enjoy! Name: Scott TurnerLocation: Suburban Boston, MA, USAFamily Activities: hiking, orienteering, cross-country skiing (and a little downhill), car camping, swimming less regularly canoeing, bicycling on dedicated…

Interview: Corbin Dunn (Mountain biker, skier/snowboarder, backpacker)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, biking, skiing, snowboarding

I have known Corbin for almost 15 years, most of it before he had his son. I have watched him go on many adventures and use his creativity, engineering talent, and mechanical skills to modify equipment and test out new ideas (which you can read about on his website Corbin's Treehouse). So I was excited to learn more about his approach to outdoor parenting and I'm even more excited to see what he and his family do as his son gets older. I hope you enjoy this interview also! Name: Corbin DunnLocation: Santa Cruz, CA, USAFamily Activities: mountain bike, ski, snowboard, camp, hike, backpackKid: 1.6…

Interview: Shannon (Skier and Backpacker)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, camping, hiking, skiing

This week I'm excited to introduce our friend Shannon. She and her wife are masters of organizing group camping trips, which we have been lucky to be part of for many years now. (They created the camping spreadsheet I shared last week). They have also started taking their kids backpacking and skiing, while impressively managing sports and activity schedules. She is right about how friends help kids hike more - when my kids hike with them they go much farther! Name: ShannonLocation: Bay Area, CA, USAFamily Activities: hike, camp, backpack, cross country ski, downhill skiKids: 5 and 9Work Schedule: 1 full time, 1 newly self…

Interview: Karl Klemmick (Skier, snowboarder, backpacker, canoist, climber, biker)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, biking, camping, canoeing, climbing, hiking, skiing, snowboarding

For our second interview we are excited to share Karl's experience as an outdoor dad. We have known him and his family for a few years. They are part of a group of families we go on group camping trips with a few times a year, until they moved back to Colorado. I have always been impressed with how they find the time to get into the mountains so often while they both worked full time jobs and also with the impressive hiking stamina of their daughter. Name: Karl Klemmick Location: Boulder, Co, USA Family Activities: Mostly downhill skiing, snowboarding, hiking, backpacking, camping,…

Interview: Emily F. (Climber and Backpacker)

Parent Interviewsbackpacking, camping, climbing, hiking

We are so excited to introduce our first interview of an Outdoor Parent! We are hoping to do about two of these each month and use this information to improve our information pages. If you're interested in being interviewed, please contact us. Name: Emily F. Location: Bay Area, California, USA Family Activities: Hiking, camping, backpacking, climbing Kids: 6 and 2 years old Work Schedule: Both parents are full time with some flexibility. I have large chunks of time off because I'm a teacher. Steve is self-employed in event production so can set his schedule somewhat. Transitioning to parenthood: What outdoor activities did…

First Aid Planning

Tips & How-Tobackpacking, first aid, hiking

This week we have an update to our General Advice section: first aid planning. This list is based on my experience and my wilderness medicine training that I take every 2-3 years and I updated it based on the course I just took in January. As always, we love hearing feedback from readers so we can make this page as helpful as possible. First aid planning is more than just building a good first aid kit. Our recommendation is for at least one and preferably both parents to take first aid and wilderness medical training to match what you would…

How to keep your kid moving down the trail

Tips & How-Toall ages, babies, backpacking, hiking, small kids

The biggest challenge to hiking or backpacking with kids is keeping them moving. It's so important, because we all need to be able to count on completing our hikes before dark or making it to our campsites in time for dinner. Here are the tips we have compiled over the years of hiking with our kids and with our friends:Get the right pacing and timing of breaks: Take enough breaks: Try to time breaks to milestones based on distance or time Plan for longer breaks to play/play cards every certain time/distance But don’t take too many breaks - experiment to find…

How to go backpacking with small kids

Tips & How-Tobackpacking, small kids

Backpacking with small children can try your patience, but keep getting out there because each year gets easier! We started with our kids when they were able to hike a mile or two. This meant that for us we had a “gap year” in our family backpacking journey, between when we couldn’t carry them any more and when they could walk on their own. Here are our tips to make it work:What can your kid carry: (Note: these are rough suggestions, adapt them to your kid’s size and ability levels and consider starting with less stuff when they’re older if…

How to take your baby backpacking

Tips & How-Tobabies, backpacking

Taking your baby on a backpacking trip is a great introduction to outdoor parenting. We took our daughter on her first backpacking trip when she was about 9 months old. It was only one night and just a two mile hike but we loved being able to give her the experience of being in the backcountry with us from an early age. Here are some of our tips on how to make it happen: Recommended age/weight for these trips: Your baby should be small/light enough that you can carry him/her in a baby backpack and ideally with an extra 5…