A few weeks ago, Theo mentioned that he would love to go backpacking. While I love backpacking, the logistics of it with three small children (one who can’t walk at all) was not at all appealing to me. Plus, we only have one small two-person tent and aren’t quite ready to invest in one larger one or two smaller ones at this point in our family dynamics.
Theo suggested that he just take the two big kids backpacking while I stay at home with Ezra. EVERYBODY was happy with this plan, so off they went for a one night backpacking trip with Daddy!
Growing up, we would camp every New Year’s Eve in a dried up river basin near our home. We would drive there with all our gear, pitch our tent, cook over a fire and do all the camping things. The first year Theo and I were married, someone invited us to go “camping” with their family. Theo and I brought our tent, but it the family “camped” in an RV. I was so shocked that some people considered this camping. I still chuckle at the fact that “camping” can be in an RV, in a tent with all the supplies readily available, or miles and miles away from anything at all.
For those of you who have never been backpacking, it is essentially camping…but you have to carry ALL of your gear in your backpack to the camp sight. Usually the camp sight is several miles away from the car. The art of backpacking is incredible- there is an entire market for the smallest and most lightweight camping items in order to make a backpacking trip successful!
When we were first married, Theo and I invested in backpacking supplies and enjoyed backpacking together a few times. When Tera was born, we easily brought her along on one of our trips. One summer, while I was pregnant with Kiah and attending a friends bridal shower out of town, Theo took Tera backpacking for the night. Somehow he managed to carry all their gear AND Tera.
But once we started to have more kids, it started to be a bit more challenging. More kids meant more food, water, gear and supplies, which always adds weight to the packs. And of course, that does not include carrying the child!
For the past few years, we have always stuck to small hikes locally. We have learned that our children can hike about a mile per age. So Tera could hike 4 miles, Kiah could hike 2. Of course, these miles would take HOURS, but we have discovered that they are physically able to hike the same amount as their age.
This is the first summer that we have had two kids who are able to hike on their own, so Theo took them on their first trip! The campsite was about two miles from the car, and Tera and Kiah hiked the entire thing with their own packs! I am so so proud of them.
Of course, since I wasn’t there, I can’t explain what was happening in any of these pictures, but I would say that they speak for themselves!
Once they arrived at the campsite, it started to rain…and it rained all night long. Theo said it was a miserable night, but the kids LOVED it.
They hiked the two miles in…
Ate and camped…
Apparently ate some lollipops….
And hiked the two miles back out…
Zaleski State Forest is about 2.5 hours south of us and has free backpacking trails. It is absolutely in the middle of nowhere (no stores for about an hour, no gas, no cell service). It’s such a gem of a hiking place and we love to go there.
I thought these pictures were so fun to compare…
Doesn’t that look like an absolute BLAST?! The kids loved it and I have no doubt that they will be backpacking with Daddy for a long long time to come!
So now I have to hear it from you…when someone says “camping”…what do you think of?
I grew up camping in a pop-up camper, my husband in a tent. We’ve invested in some camping supplies, but only actually gone twice in our three years of marriage – once with a 9mo old. We’d like to go again sometime soon!
I didn’t realize there was such a short trail at Zaleski, that makes it tempting to go sometime with our crew!