momma aimee Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 We are getting more and more into hiking with the boys (5.5 and 7.5 right now). DH and I were talking about setting some family goals of "more serious hikes" to give us something to work towards. first the maybe not so stupid question -- if you have done this as a family -- how did you do it? did you just set mile marks you wanted to make it to, did you pick famous places to hike and worked up to being able to hike the distance you needed -- ?? ok here is the stupid question. i have vaguely heard people really in to backpacking talking about hiking the Appalachian Mountains -- and that there are places you can hike the trail for days. soooooooooooo do you carry everything you need the whole time and camp each night (carrying all the food and water and so on you'll need for however many days you will be going?)...and if you start at point A and hike for 3 days -- how do you get back to your car? Sorry but i am really clueless about serious hiking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Regarding the Appalachian Trail, a great book to read is "A Walk in the Woods" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dahliarw Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Yes, you carry everything. Everyone will need a good frame pack and good quality lightweight sleeping bags, lightweight tent(s) to sleep everyone, ground pads like a thermarest for everyone, lightweight cooking pans, small camp stove/fuel, water purifier, etc. It is an investment in equiptment. Some places do rent things. I do suggest some day hikes with loaded packs to get used to using them and figure out how to best adjust them to your body. And I would start out with 1-2 nights and then go on longer trips as you get more experienced packing adn hiking. There is quite an art to packing a frame pack, as far as distributing weight, making sure it's not too heavy, etc. As for 3 day hikes from point a to point b, usually someone picks you up for you park your car at the end and someone drives you to the start. Otherwise you hike a loop or hike in and back out. I don't have experience in the Appalacians, but do in the mountains in WA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 watch some YouTube videos on backpacking. There is a lot of info out there. You can do it as cheap or as expensive as you wish, but with two very young children, you and your DH will have the bulk of the weight. You should plan to carry about 1/3 your body weight. It will be MUCH more comfortable if you go to REI and get fitted for the proper size backpack too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I would start with short family hikes to see how everyone likes it. Have at least one adult bring a backpack with snacks and drinks, so you can stop and munch along the way. Over time, the boys can start carrying their own little backpacks with their own water and snacks. Build up gradually. Personally, I wouldn't attempt an overnight backpack until the boys are much older, unless you and dh are very comfortable carrying most of the equipment you'll need (tent, cooking gear, all the sleeping bags, underpads). There is a lot to carry and it's heavy, unless you can hike to cabins with cooking facilities and bedding. Then you just need food and clothing. Also, it's good to have experience with reading maps, outdoor first aid and safety, animal safety if there are bears, and weather safety. It's a wonderful activity, though, so definitely go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 have you done much free camping yet? we started the switch from campgrounds to backpacking by dry camping one night each weekend camping trip. (we went one weekend a month at this point). when we day-hiked, everyone carried a pack with a water bottle in it, starting at age 3. then we moved on to hiking in to a stationary campsite. eg. full packs, bear canisters, etc, etc.... but only about a 3 mile hike in, set up base camp, and daytrip from there each day for three days... and then four days.... and then five days..... only after that did we talk about moving camp each day. i actually like the hiking in and having a base camp option best, because then all my other hiking (up until the hike out) is with only a day pack :) it is a treasured part of our family life together..... enjoy! ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 It is not just the stamina to cover the distance but also the difficulty of the terrain. Hiking is one of my favorite pastime and being short, some terrians involve climbing up vertical rock walls taller than me or going by a much longer route. I hike as a group so it was easy to get a leg up on tough spots. Hiking with a full day pack is also more tiring than just carrying water and rations. My 7 year old has asked for a hiking stick because we hike and geocache at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 thanks everyone we know we have a loooong ways to go -- just thinking about it at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 re getting back to the car.... we've done it different ways. way #1: dh drops us, takes the car to where we'll be coming out, then has a friend/colleague/fellow camper/stranger drive him back to the start point OR in national parks, takes the public transit. way# 2: either take the car to the end and have a friend drive us to the beginning or take the car to the beginning and have a friend pick us up at the end. (i find it more peaceful/less stressful to do it with our car at the end when we start.) way#3: have someone drop you AND pick you up. and there are variations on the theme.... hth, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 My husband has been taking our boys on short hikes up to stay in the mountain huts (rustic bunks) run by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). They feed you dinner and breakfast for a not so decent price. But, it is a good way of getting up into the mountains with the long term goal when they are older and can handle more equipment to pop a tent in the woods. They did a 2 night hut trip last year and are planning a 3 night hut trip this summer. The AMC has a schedule of pick ups and drop offs to get to different trails - costs money. They have only done it in N.H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Regarding the Appalachian Trail, a great book to read is "A Walk in the Woods" This is a wonderful book about one man's journey on the AT. A must-read, imo. In some areas of the AT, camping is only allowed for through hikers. Personally, I would put off backpacking for now. -- Backpacking means carrying everything! Unless you want to break your backs, you will want lightweight tents, sleeping bags, packs, etc. And lightweight stuff tends to be MUCH more expensive than regular weight stuff. And the longer you backpack for, the more food (heavy) you'll need. -- One point of backpacking is to get away from roads and heavily populated areas. But the further you go into backcountry, the further away you are from emergency help. I think it's wise to have some pretty solid first aid/emergency skills before doing real backpacking; if the weather turns bad, you are out there. Not to mention map kills. Oh, and water treatment. -- Car camping can be fun. Load backpacks with tents and so on, as if you were backpacking and then walk in to the campsite; some campsites are a fair distance from parking lots. But you can go back to get your stove and other heavy items. Make sure to understand about bears and food storage, if you don't already. I think it's great that you are introducing your dc to the outdoors. Two more suggestions. -- Visit a camping store in person and check out the books/maps section. I always find a lot more local guides at my store than I could ever discover on Amazon; and there usually lots of guides for camping/hiking with kids. -- Consider joining a Cub Scout troop. Cub Scouts have family camping, so everyone is welcome. You should get help with setting up a campsite, learn about camp cooking and practice Leave No Trace. If you decide to go this route, check out cub packs -- some do a lot of outdoor activities, some almost none, sadly. Your local Boy Scout Council should be able to help you. Then you can use what you learn to extend your family hiking/camping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I come from a family of serious backpackers and thru hikers. :) Aunt and uncle have done the App Trail (among other distance hikes) multiple times, cousins and I have done portions (our lives don't allow for months off at a time). Yes, you carry what you need. But ... for an occasional treat, for people doing the App Trail, there are trail runners - people who will take your pack and gear (by car) to an established meeting point so you can have a day off from carrying it all. Of course, this takes some trust, since these are strangers, but it's a pretty tight community. I like Ann and Alessandra's takes above, though. Move into this slowly, step by step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 My husband has been taking our boys on short hikes up to stay in the mountain huts (rustic bunks) run by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). They feed you dinner and breakfast for a not so decent price. But, it is a good way of getting up into the mountains with the long term goal when they are older and can handle more equipment to pop a tent in the woods. They did a 2 night hut trip last year and are planning a 3 night hut trip this summer. The AMC has a schedule of pick ups and drop offs to get to different trails - costs money. They have only done it in N.H. :iagree: Going with a group is a great way to start. I would start with short family hikes to see how everyone likes it. Have at least one adult bring a backpack with snacks and drinks, so you can stop and munch along the way. Over time, the boys can start carrying their own little backpacks with their own water and snacks. Build up gradually. Personally, I wouldn't attempt an overnight backpack until the boys are much older, unless you and dh are very comfortable carrying most of the equipment you'll need (tent, cooking gear, all the sleeping bags, underpads). There is a lot to carry and it's heavy, unless you can hike to cabins with cooking facilities and bedding. Then you just need food and clothing. Also, it's good to have experience with reading maps, outdoor first aid and safety, animal safety if there are bears, and weather safety. It's a wonderful activity, though, so definitely go for it! :iagree: Another thing you can do is practice camp cooking at home. Use a basic propane stove, learn dutch oven cooking, etc. Lightweight stoves are relatively expensive, but good to practice at home before you camp. Sounds like a no brainer, but I have been camping and watched people UNWRAP their new equipment at the campsite. have you done much free camping yet? we started the switch from campgrounds to backpacking by dry camping one night each weekend camping trip. (we went one weekend a month at this point). when we day-hiked, everyone carried a pack with a water bottle in it, starting at age 3. then we moved on to hiking in to a stationary campsite. eg. full packs, bear canisters, etc, etc.... but only about a 3 mile hike in, set up base camp, and daytrip from there each day for three days... and then four days.... and then five days..... only after that did we talk about moving camp each day. i actually like the hiking in and having a base camp option best, because then all my other hiking (up until the hike out) is with only a day pack :) it is a treasured part of our family life together..... enjoy! ann :iagree: I love our family hikes. We started half-day hikes when dc were in diapers. One of my favorite things is browsing through my BIG collection of park/trail guides, exploring on the internet, and then visiting a new place. Sometimes we have an informal theme, like geology or birds or history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Don't forget to educate the family on what snakes are know in the area you are hiking. If your kids have never seen poison ivy or oak, you need to educate them about it. Look around for some nice local day hikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 When I married, my dh was a serious backpacker. When we had very young kids and babies, we started with short backpacking trips where we carried everything we needed, hiked several miles into the woods, camped for the night and then hiked back out. Yes, you do need to carry everything you need, but you have to be *very* selective about what you need and find lightweight supplies. As for water, we all take a Nalgene bottle or two and one person carries a water purifier or purifying tablets to use when we find running water. It's almost impossible to carry in enough water for a longer backpacking trip and we've never gotten sick from drinking purified stream water. For you car, as others have said, you need to either have someone move it or you need to hike a loop. Going with a group helps the car problem. We go to the trailhead and let everyone out, then have two people drive to the end of the trail and leave one of their cars. When we get to the end of the trail, a few people take that car back to get the other cars from the trailhead. One way to make food prep and carrying easier is to cook some of the food ahead of time ( Example: ground beef for tacos the first night) and freeze it in plastic bags and and have the other things already chopped and bagged (lettuce, tomatos, cheese) so you only need to heat up the meat for the evening meal. Lunches can be simple things like crackers, salami and hard cheese, or instant soups that only require boiling water. Backpacking can be really fun with kids if you are prepared. How fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 thanks everyone so much to think about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 A good friend hiked the entire trail with her sister several years ago. They would carry a week or two of supplies and had designated places to come off-trail to restock, either being met by their husbands or by mail drop. They'd also take that opportunity to get a hotel room - a real bed and a shower! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 here is the stupid question. i have vaguely heard people really in to backpacking talking about hiking the Appalachian Mountains -- and that there are places you can hike the trail for days. soooooooooooo do you carry everything you need the whole time and camp each night (carrying all the food and water and so on you'll need for however many days you will be going?)...and if you start at point A and hike for 3 days -- how do you get back to your car? Sorry but i am really clueless about serious hiking Do you have Netflix? There are a couple of documentaries on the AT that explain about how people hike it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aura Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 Here's a question about hiking I've been wondering: what about water? Do you carry your all your own or plan to find a water source? Seems like it would be HEAVY to carry all your own water, but...not doing so opens up a lot more questions. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 Here's a question about hiking I've been wondering: what about water? Do you carry your all your own or plan to find a water source? Seems like it would be HEAVY to carry all your own water, but...not doing so opens up a lot more questions. :) We usually carry a water filter. You can get them at REI or other camping stores. Ours is a hand pump with a hose and a bulb attached to the end. The bulb rests in the water and the pump attaches to a nalgene bottle. As you pump the water is drawn through the bulb, then the hose, and deposited into the bottle. There are also tablets that can be dissolved into water, but I dislike the taste so we stick with the purifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 You might get a kick from reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. She hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (California to Canada...although she stopped in Oregon) and she did it mostly solo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 We're not hard-core, but Dh did a lot of backpacking before we were married and after we met we used to do a lot of day hiking (we live at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains). For kids your age, I'd suggest starting out slow do some day hikes and try to always have a destination, not just a loop. When we hike we either hike to a lake and one of our favorite easy day hikes is one called Big Baldy and it's a hike to a huge rocky outcropping with a fantastic 360 degree view, sometimes we can even see all the way to the coast if the day is clear. A good destination is essential. It's your reward. Last week dh and I took a day hike (without the kids) and it was a pretty good hike (8.2 miles, couple thousand feet climb) and on our way up (to a gorgeous glacial lake) we passed a father and young son backpacking. So, we passed them, made our destination, ate lunch and headed down and they were still trudging up and had quite a ways to go. The dad seemed pretty patient, but I can't imagine that poor kid was having much fun. Your kids are pretty young, I'd suggest day hikes, or one night stays, if you can, to get them to really enjoy the sport first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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