Family Backpacking Trip

This summer we decided it was time to take the entire family on a backpacking trip. With four kids and two of them under 5-years-old we had to get creative with the packing and the transportation if their little legs gave out.

We decided to pick a familiar trail that we knew our jogging stroller could go on so #1 the stroller could help hold gear and #2 if the little ones got tired they could hitch a ride for a bit. The trail we chose has moderate elevation gain, low mileage (only 5 miles round-trip), and bonus hot springs at the end. It’s called Fifth Water Hot Springs.



video

We had to take:

  • 6 sleeping bags/sleeping pads
  • cooking gear
  • food and water for two days
  • 6-man tent
  • first aid kit
  • swimsuits

The three older kids each carried a 1/4 of their body weight. Here’s the breakdown…

Scout: (age 4) weighs 39 lbs / carried 9 lbs (water and food)

Kronk: (age 7) weighs 50 lbs/ carried 12 lbs (water and food)

Doober: (age 9) weighs 90 lbs / carried 15 lbs (water, food and sleeping bag)

I carried Hiccup in our Kelty Child Carrier along with water, sleeping bag, diapers, clothes and the cooking gear. Damon took care of the rest between his pack and the jogging stroller.

Favorite Food Of The Trip: Idahoan Instant Mashed Potatoes

The entire family gave them 5 STARS (they were so warm and yummy and all we had to do was add 2 cups of boiling water and stir)

what we also ate:

Couscous – this is warm too and doesn’t take long to prepare, unlike noodles or rice. Just pour boiling water over it and cover for 5 minutes. We added some sun dried tomatoes to it. Yummers! (they pack tight too)

Spam – I don’t like eating this at home but on the trail it’s delicious fried up. It now comes packaged in foil packets rather than just cans so it’s backpacker friendly.

Tuna – Like the spam it comes in foil packaging now too. We made it tasty using little mayonnaise, mustard and relish packets from the deli. We ate it on flat bread.

Trailmix – We like to mix cashews, almonds, dried fruit and yogurt raisins together.

Oatmeal - You can never go wrong with this. Plus it’s easy to beef up with a little bit of dried fruit.

We also brought the GoGirl along for this trip. Scout always has to go, shall we say tinkle, when we’re outdoors. No joke, at least three times while on a short hike. And part of it always ends up on the cuff of her pants. So we thought we’d give it a try. It allows girls to stand up while going pee. It was effective but awkward…I think it’s going to take some practice.

Doober also used his Deuter Fox 30 youth backpack. Which is proving to not disappoint with each outing we go on. The pack is meant to grow with him. It’s compact enough now to hold smaller loads and as he grows it has the ability to hold a lot more and adjust to fit his torso. I didn’t hear Doober complain about the pack at all during our trip so I’m guessing the fit must have been right. You’ll be seeing this more in the future at Nature For Kids I’m sure.

So overall what are my thoughts on our first family backpacking trip? Well we all managed to survive and had some fun along the way so that’s a SUCESS in my book.

 

 

 

The Boys’ First Backpacking Trip

Damon took the boys on their first backpacking trip last weekend. They went to the Wellsville Mountains beginning at Rattle Snake Canyon near Logan, Utah.

Kronk is 7-years-old and carried 14 lbs. in his pack. Doober is 9 and he carried 24lbs in his new Deuter Fox 30 backpack. Once they set out on the trail they lasted a good mile before the grunts and groans began, then some of their gear got transferred to Damon’s pack.

They eventually set up camp and continued on with just a daypack to get some more mileage in and to get a great view of the Cache Valley.

Damon admits he was a little too zealous and picked a trail that had too much elevation gain for the kiddos, at least for the weight they were carrying. But for a first time backpacking trip they had a lot of fun and learned a lot… 

  • reduce weight of packs
  • pick a trail with less elevation gain
  • get rain gear that fits the kids
  • get Dad a pack goat for Fathers Day

Here’s a video recap of their experience…p.s. keep an eye out for the tusken raiders. And also Doober will be using his Deuter Fox 30 backpack throughout the summer. A full review on it will be coming soon.

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Great American Backyard Campout

Hooo Hooo… Did you hear that?

Yes, it’s nature calling you to the backyard this weekend! The National Wildlife Federation is holding it’s yearly Great American Backyard Campout in your backyard on June 25th. Don’t worry, no need to run to the store, the only visitors will be the owls and crickets.

Nature For Kids will be taking part will you?

I’m also taking the kids to do a little of this

and this over the weekend.

What is your family going to be up to?


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Mosquito Heaven

I failed to pass on this valuable piece of advice I learned this summer. I posted it on my personal blog but hadn’t yet here at Nature For Kids.

Overall I learned that a tent next to the river, with a small opening in the door equals mosquito heaven. Unfortunately my son Corbin was the topic of conversation at the mosquito dinner table the night we slept by the Colorado River in mid June.

mosquito bites

He and his friends slept in their own tent and after several potty breaks didn’t close their tent completely. The result was a thanksgiving feast for any mosquito that made it in. Corbin woke up looking like he was in junior high school going through puberty at the ripe age of 5.

Although it was somewhat humorous it also brought to my attention how easily he could have gotten very sick, specifically speaking of the Westnile Virus.

Luckily the bites quickly turned into small scabs and he didn’t show any signs of the virus.

  • Back pain
  • Abdominal Pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Lack of appetite
  • Muscle aches
  • Nausea
  • Sore throat
  • Vomiting

Although the West Nile virus is somewhat rare it still occurs. Here are the statistical results for the West Nile virus thus far in 2009. These results were posted September 1st for the United States.

Overall, I would hope that you learn from my mistake. I would hate to hear of any small child getting severely sick from accidently creating a mosquito heaven by leaving the tent door open during the night.
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Get Organized With A Labeler

Here at Nature For Kids we realize it’s sometimes challenging to keep things organized when it comes to outdoor gear, especially when you have a family.

I’ve found something that helps…a simple labeler. I strived to keep things in order by trying to make my own labels.

ugly label

They consisted of clear tape and construction paper. Needless to say the tape didn’t last long, collecting a lot of dirt and the writing faded fast.

I’ve been using a real labeler lately, the Brother P-Touch 1280. It’s label cartridges consist of laminated tape that is:

  • UV resistant
  • Perfect for outdoor use
  • Water resistant
  • Abrasion resistant

I used it this spring when planting seeds in our garden box.
labeler 3

I’ve also used it to label our recreation gear totes in the garage.
labeler 2

It’s been great to read the labels and know what’s inside without having to pull it off the shelf and take the lid off.
labeler

I’ve also used it to put our name and phone number on rakes, brooms and shovels for when we do service projects with large groups. It’s come in handy to also use on dishes I use for large get togethers as well.

Overall I’ve really enjoyed having the labeler around. It’s very easy and quick to use and to tell you the truth somewhat addicting. I found myself walking around the house trying to find something that needed labeled. Don’t worry the dog escaped me. :)

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