Lessons Learned Backpacking With A Baby
Backpacking was huge part of my life before being a mom, and it was something I knew I wanted to share with my one-day children. So, rather than hanging up our backpacks when our daughter came along, we bought a bigger tent. Now, I don't want to give you the wrong idea. These family trips were nothing like my pre-baby days. We weren't doing 9 to 12 mile days with an infant going from one campsite to another day after day. It's much milder than that. Sure, we backpack into camp. It's usually between 1 and 3 miles from the trailhead though. Close enough that we can bail out / resupply if needed, but far enough from civilization that it still feels like an adventure. Then over the next day or two we hit some trails in the surrounding area and hang out around camp. It's true, bringing a little one on the trail introduces all kinds of new challenges, but learning to overcome them has been so rewarding. With all that in mind, here are four of the most valuable lessons my husband and I learned in our first year and a half of backpacking with a baby.
Good Sleep Starts At Home...
"That baby actually sleeps in a tent?!" This is one of the first things people would say when I told them I take my daughter backpacking with me. She did in fact get a good night's sleep in a tent, and I largely credit that to her bedtime routine. Without a structured routine at home, getting your little one off to sleep in the backcountry will be a major challenge. With this in mind (and for our own sanity), my husband and I began implementing a routine for our baby's naps and bedtime around 6 weeks old. It wasn't easy, but it paid off in the long run. Not only did having a structured routine help her get back on track after sleep regressions, it also made her introduction to camping a lot smoother than we expected. By the time we took Wiggle on her first overnight trip around 10 weeks old, she was consistently sleeping halfway through the night. By sticking to her at home routine on the trail, we successfully got her to sleep within half an hour of her usual bedtime. I was also able to get her back to sleep after her 2 a.m. feeding and diaper change without disrupting my husband and the dogs! That first trip was a huge win, and set us up for success with future adventures.
There wasn't anything special about our baby's bedtime routine other than it was consistent and easy to replicate wherever we went. A big part of that was deciding to forgo sleep gadgets like vibrating pillows, glow lights, and sound machines. Not because there's anything wrong with them. We just wanted to avoid a scenario where using one isn't feasible and nobody sleeps as a result. If your baby does, however, rely on a sleep soother that doesn't mean you have to stop or drastically change your routine to take them camping or backpacking. If it works for your family, keep it up! It just means you may need to come up with a way to replicate that part of the routine on the trail. A friend of mine used a sound machine at home to help her son fall asleep. When we took our kids backpacking a couple Summers ago, she downloaded a white noise app on her phone and stowed it in the gear loft of the tent to help him fall asleep. Not the most complex example, but you get the idea.
(These resources were super helpful for us in developing a consistent and sustainable routine for our baby)
There Will Be Dirt...
And sweat, and spit-up, and bug bites, and even some scrapes or scratches. And no matter how hard you try to keep your little one neat and tidy, these things are just an unavoidable part of the outdoor experience. Resistance is futile! This is especially true as babies become more mobile. Try as you might to keep them from making a mess, they will still find a way. It's for this reason sometimes the best thing to do is relinquish control of the situation and let them go for it. As long as whatever it is isn't inherently dangerous of course. My friend J. modeled this with such grace and humour on that trip with the kids a couple Summers ago. By accepting the fact that her 13 month old was going to dig in the dirt and splash in the creek one way or another, she was able to enjoy him playing and exploring rather than stress over trying to prevent it. When my daughter entered that stage just a few months later, I already knew I would have to embrace the mess rather than fight it. Now, I'm not advocating for all out chaos or a lack of hygiene. There are certainly times when letting my daughter cover herself in dirt and debris is not appropriate, so that's when I redirect her with a gear item instead. Like a collapsible bowl or folding spoon.
As for sweat, spit-ups, and other bodily fluids, it's definitely unpleasant to deal with in a trail setting. But clothes can be changed. You're already carrying all the necessary gear to camp with a baby. What's an extra onesie or two? Or four? Other things you can try to prevent, but can't entirely avoid are bug bites and boo-boos. It's completely normal to want to keep your baby from experiencing that. However, it isn't realistic. Which is why having a good first aid kit on hand to disinfect scratches and soothe bites/stings is so essential. The sooner you accept and prepare for it, the sooner you can breathe easy. If I still haven't convinced you, think of it this way - All the above mentioned unpleasantries are an opportunity to practice resilience; a skill you will one day pass on to your kids. What better way than to lead by example? And what better time than now?
One Size Fits Most...
...but not all. There are definitely universal rules for bringing a little one on the trail, but when it comes non-safety related practices what works for most families may not work for yours. And that is okay! The biggest example that comes to mind is feeding. I wasn't able to breastfeed. Which if you've been there you know how frustrating and disheartening that can be. It wasn't my first choice, but after countless complications with pumping we made the decision to formula feed. It would have been so much simpler to breastfeed on the trail, but since that wasn't an option I had to come up with a formula feeding system that worked for me. It was a little cumbersome at first. Over time, though, I got my system all figured out and it eventually became like second nature. Heating up water in a kettle for pre-measured formula became a regular part of my mornings (and midnights) at camp. Playtex Nurser bottles with their disposable liners were an absolute lifesaver! Another trick I used was jerry-rigging a self feeding tube to these bottles so I could feed her from the carrier on longer hikes where stopping to sit down wasn't an option.
Another example of coming up with your own solutions is our "baby camp chair." I talked about this a couple of times in trail journals and a video on my channel. For us, this was one of the best ideas we came up with for very real problem - How do we keep our wiggly little baby safe and contained when taking care of camp chores? I wouldn't really work to lay her in the tent while trying to set up gear inside it, and due to back problems postpartum wearing her in a carrier the whole time wasn't an option either. So, we took an inflatable bath aid and turned into a lightweight portable baby chair. It went into storage shortly after our daughter learned to walk, but now that she's a toddler it's gotten a second life.
The last (and often controversial ) example is co-sleeping. For some it works, and for others it doesn't. For us the answer was somewhere in between. A really common sleep system I've talked to other backpacking parents about is using a PeaPod or pop-up baby tent over top of a firm closed cell foam pad. Similar to the Sea-to-Summit self inflating pad we used for our daughter when she was younger. I've also heard of turning a laundry basket into a camping crib! A major part of hiking and backpacking with a baby is finding what works best for you. That may mean doing things like setting up a tiny tent inside a bigger tent. Sometimes you luck out and borrow an idea or hack from another parent. Other times you have to get creative and come up with your own solution. All of this to say, one size fits most but it may not fit your family.
There Will Always Be Something...
Sleep regression, teething, separation anxiety, another sleep regression, still teething... and the list goes on. There will always be some reason, some circumstance that makes you think twice about taking your little one on the trail. And if you let the challenges that come with each developmental stage intimidate you, you'll never get out there. Will it be harder and require more patience at certain times? Absolutely, but whatever the stage these obstacles are overcomable. In cases like teething that may mean keeping items like gum swabs or a textured pacifier in your toiletry kit and packing softer easily dissolved snacks in your food bag. In other cases it may mean taking a deep breath, embracing a circumstance you can't change, and going anyway.
Between 3 and 6 months old, solo car rides with my baby were almost unbearable. Whether it was 10 minutes down the road or 2 hours out of town, she would scream uncontrollably the entire time. I'm sure you can imagine the amount of stress that added to getting out on hikes together. While it would have been a lot easier to only leave the house when me or my husband could sit in the backseat to console her, but I knew that wasn't realistic. At some point, I would have to overcome the anxiety I felt driving a crying infant around by myself. I can't tell you how comforting it was talking to a friend who had just gone through the same thing months earlier. Her advice was simple - "Just remind yourself she's safe." So, that's what I did. As we made a grueling trip up to the mountains, I reminded myself that although my baby was screaming her head off for no apparent reason, she was safe. It may sound silly, but it made those stretches between stopping for feedings and diaper changes surprisingly easier. Eventually, car rides as a whole got easier. Looking back, I'm so glad I didn't let that difficult phase scare me out of taking my daughter on trips. I would have missed out on so many sweet memories!
There will always be some developmental change to adjust to or accommodate for, but you are making an investment! One that may not pay off immediately. In fact, it will likely take years to see the fruits of it. Take it from someone who is currently experiencing the thrills and terrors of toddlerhood. It is so rewarding watching your child go from just being along for the ride to an active participant in outdoor adventures. It's even more rewarding knowing by choosing to adapt rather than quit, you are modeling that very valuable skill your child will one day need - resilience. I'll wrap this post up by leaving you with one of my favorite verses in Ecclesiastes (11:4) "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap."
I'm sure there's more things I could come up with, but these are the top four. Be sure to let me know in the comments if you want to see a post about lessons in the toddler phase! For even more content on this topic be sure to check out the videos or posts suggested below.
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