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Posted by Alicia on November 20, 2007 at 9:12:50 pm EST
In reply to Hiking with Children posted by billock on November 20, 2007 at 12:21:16 pm EST

Yes, absolutely take them hiking and backpacking! We've been hiking with our son since he was less than a month and started camping with him at 1 and backpacking by 2.

You already seem to be tackling it the right way--first hikes, then camp in the backyard, next move on to a short backpack and so on.

We actually wrote two articles on this subject this past summer:

Getting Kids Geared Up for Outside
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/guide/gearing-up-kids.html

Hiking and Backpacking with Kids
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/guide/hiking-and-backpacking-with-kids.html

I could go on and on about this, but will just say: keep it simple, be flexible, and have fun. You want to build a lifelong interest and love of the outdoors. You can always work up to more mileage and longer hikes. Often it's better to start small and leave them wanting more. And be prepared to carry all of their stuff, though it's good to have them carry at least some token items.

Good luck and have fun!

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