Giddy Up Daddy!

Between the ages of 6 months and 2 you can really do a lot with your youngster. If you are patient and dilligent, there is no reason that you can't do 10 miles of hiking in a day when your child is almost 2. The key is really building on smaller hikes to bigger and bigger until you are there. I would never take a 2 year old up to 4000ft if he had no experience. It would just be no fun for either of you.

Now that you have made the choice to take your child out into the wild, you have to remember that their experience of the hike is not the same as yours. If you want them to be begging for a hike later, you have to make it fun, interesting and comfortable now. This is not always easy with a little one who is ready to get up and move, curious about everything, but immobile.

Keeping them entertained

I often found the best way to have Colden settle down was to have him walk for a bit. This was sometimes a challenge, and pretty much impossible when he was very young. If your little one is whiny, try the big three first (Temperature, Food, Diaper) and if you are having little success it is likely your little on is just bored or overtired. I like to sing songs and talk to them about the surroundings. Sometimes I found myself just gritting and bearing the whining while Colden talked himself to sleep in the pack. Sometimes they just want a break from the pack or just to stop moving for a bit, but getting them back in the pack can be a challenge.

One of the greatest times out hiking was when Colden learned the concept of "the top." By giving them kids about where you are going you can keep their mind off some of the drudgery. Colden would cheer me on telling me to go to the top, and then excited to go back to the car once we reached our destination. It is great to tell Colden that we are going to cross 3 rivers, a bridge, etc. so he could build a map in his minds of where they are going. My son Colden has a fantastic memory, as well as a good sense of direction, which helps because he seems to remember landmarks well.

Things to Bring

If you bring their favourite food, juice, etc it goes a long way. Counting turned out to be a great exercise to pass the time, and Colden learned to count at an early age because of this. Young ones sometimes require a warm bottle. I found it relatively easy to keep a bottle or two warm in a nalgene pouch for a few hour hike.

Especially when little ones are teething it is important to have toys "on board". I made it a practice to put my son's kangaroo "on belay" because she could easily get lost. Make sure their lovey is secure, because if you don't you might find yourself sprinting back 1500ft of elevation when you arrive at the Trailhead Kanga-less. It is great if you can reserve a "new" toy for them because it will keep them occupied longer. Anything you can do to tip the scales in your favor is a benefit.

A note on Packs

A lot of people ask what kind brand of pack they recommended. I have many hours under the packs. I was given a Kelty Kid Carrier as a gift before Colden was even born. It looked great, provided a good amount of padding for daddy, and had adjustable arm straps so that it would fit different sized people. When Colden got old enough I started using the pack, but much to my chagrin the pack left me with devestating bruises on my boney hips and shoulders. Also, the shoulder straps that were supposed to move easily up and down would not stay in the locked position as you hike. Having the straps at their largest configuration was uncomfortable.

Because the pack was a gift, and because they are expensive, I was reluctant to replace it. Finally, after enduring pretty horrendous bruises tackling the Holyoke Range out-and-back I gave up. I bought a Tough Traveler and never looked back. The pack itself weighs 4 pounds which was a good 5 pounds lighter than kelty's offering, and it came with a pouch underneath to boot! I should mention that I am in no way offiliated with TT or Kelty, and I do know that Kelty has re-designed the shoulder straps on their Kid Carrier which should fix the problem. The pack is still as heavy as ever.

Keep in mind that since your little one is not moving around she is not generating the same level of heat that you are. What that means is that while you are motoring up a 4ker with 50 lbs on your back, and you are in a T-shirt, she may need a jacket to keep warm. A hat goes a long way, but for some reason toddlers always want to take them off. Hats with chin straps work well, and when it gets colder a fleece balaclava (even an adult one) is a good way to keep their entire body warm. It is possible to find small mittens for them, but they may be easily lost. I found a nice set of fleece booties that I used for my little one's feet, and I would cover that with a pair of my own wool socks. You can use wool socks for the hands too, but if you have a thumb-sucker like I do, they will be annoyed and whine about it. I found if I kept Colden's core warm, his hands stayed warm automatically.

Training for you and Him

Now that you have a good idea of what the hike is going to be like, it is time to start thinking about how you and your little one are going to train for your little expedition. If you have ever carried a heavy pack before, well, double it. A solid, heavy load has nothing on a shifting whining toddler. And you are going to need stuff. Lots of stuff. Extra layers of clothing for you and them, extra raingear, extra food. You are now responsible for two, so you better make sure your first aid is up to snuff. If you don't hike a lot with weight on your back, don't head out there until you do. You are just going to put yourself at risk for injury, and your little one's health at risk.

Your little one is going to need training too before he is ready for an all-day affair. Local dayhikes are best to get their legs started moving. I really like the short 1 hour hikes we did in early spring after work to a local ridge with a lookout. Colden and I hiked many days on it. I also like to take the boys out to other nearby places for 1-2 hour hikes to get them used to the pack. If you keep the car ride short the hiking is easier. I usually try to keep the car ride less than 1 hour for a 3 hour hike. These dayhikes prepare the little one for being in the pack and prepare you to carry them on longer endeavors.

Set realistic goals for yourself, and keep in mind that your safety is essential to the safety of your loved one. I found myself on Eisenhower one May, with snow up to my hips, struggling to feed my summit fever. Colden was just along for the ride. He was well insulated, content, and I had experienced worse, so I kept going. I saw about 4 people on the trail up. On the summit I was threatened with clouds moving in over Washington, and a brisk wind. Colden fell asleep as I hurried off to Pierce and ultimately our descent. It was hard to enjoy Eisenhower's magnificent summit that day, but I did feel safety on Pierce, which was more protected, more populated, and closer to help. If you do insist on going solo with your little one, keep in mind that your safety is paramount to theirs and choose trails that are well used so that you can get help in the event you should need it.

When possible it is best to bring some friends along with you because your little one will react differently to them. They might know different games or be more interesting to your little one simply because they don't see them every day. Since there is safety in numbers you have a life-line should something go wrong, and are not neccessarily tied down to trade routes

If all goes well, you will arrive at a beautiful alpine summit, no worse for wear, with a happy toddler.

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