My sons 4 and pretty much since he could talk we’ve been talking hiking the Appalachian trail together someday.
He doesn’t know what that really means, i probably said i always wanted to at some point and he internalized it deeply.
So this year we’ve been testing the waters with camping.
The first time we went was perfect, we did a 12 mile hike one day, where i only carried him for 4 miles which was incredible. The second time we tried camping there was a very unfortunate incident with a little girl in a lake and it left him (and me) a little traumatized so we went home on the first day.
Now a couple months later, thinking his love for camping had been destroyed before he really found it, he’s off of school this week and begged me to go camping. So naturally i took of work and said hell yeah, booked up a couple nights at the first campground we went to which is much more secluded and my speed anyway, I’m not a fan of the campground with pretty much waterparks (no judgement if you are).
I’m hoping everything goes smoothly and we can plan some winter camping after this!
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I think it’s our responsibility as parents who enjoy the outdoors to pass this type of stuff on and make sure it’s a positive an experience as possible (sorry to hear about that incident on your second trip!). We need future generations to not only care about the environment in a vague sense but to have a personal connection to it.
I took my son for the first time when he was four. The next year, we went three times, in spring, summer, and fall. We didn’t get an opportunity to go away the year after that but our property is nice and wooded so we camped in the backyard a couple of times. These last two years, he’s been more involved with sports and other activities so we’ve taken a break from overnight or multi-night trips and just done hikes. Next year, I have two weekend trips planned for spring and summer. I’m planning on taking my now eight year old son on one and my four year old daughter on the other. If only I could get the missus interested and we could all go at once.
Next, make him into a hammock nerd
There are dozens of us!
That’s a long walk for a 4 years old…
Will you go south to north or the other direction for the AT?
Have you decided on trail names yet?
It is a long walk, and he did the whole thing himself this time! We took a few breaks at the more scenic spots and he did complain a big and ask me to carry him a couple times but ultimately decided to keep walking each time and even started leading the way following the trail markers half way through.
We haven’t decided anything really, we’re very far out from doing it but we’ll probably start in one of our favorite places, Shenandoah VA, and head south from there for as long as we feel comfortable, assuming a couple weeks.
We’re planning a small through hike of a section of our local state forest in the spring, 3 nights at different campsites and about 24 miles of hiking in total, ending where we just camped which he called his favorite place in the whole world and asked if we could live there.
Wait until he is old enough to try wildwater rafting at the Nantala River Outdoor Center on the AT…
I wish you all the best on this great adventure! Maybe there is a through-hiker in the making.
He got school at 4? Let little homie breath :)p
Camping for me as a kid was up in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Paddle a few hours and you are away from most signs of civilization. No planes overhead, no cell towers, no electric motors.
I would love to do that now again at my age, but that kind of camping takes skills I never developed.
Keep at it and hopefully you’ll have a lifetime of adventure with your kids!
I will say you can still do some easy BWCA trips with an outfitter guide or there’s places in Ely that let you just day trip. Don’t let your BWCA dreams die
Always wanted to do the AT. I hope your kid recovers from the trauma, camping was one of my favorite things about childhood!
I can’t quite remember my first camping trip, but still have the lil swiss army knife I was given when I was 6 and “camp” pretty much full-time nowadays. Good for you op, have fun :)
