You may be interesting in taking your kids on backpacking hikes or your kids may interest you in taking them!  Either way, if they are old enough, they should be allowed to carry their own backpack.  Backpacking can be a great outdoor adventure to get more in touch with nature, get fresh air and exercise.  It is probably healthier than most sports in that it is easier on the body yet burns nearly the same amount of calories.  Backpacking will also teach your kids to enjoy and respect nature, some survival skills and how to be prepared for situations.

Having the right backpack and other hiking gear will keep your kids comfortable and safe.  There are a number of items they will need to carry in their backpacks, but don’t over fill them.  The rule of thumb is to pack a kid’s backpack to no more than 15% of their body weight, and 10% is better.  But as for what they should carry in their backpack, it of course depends if it a day trip or overnight.  For day trips they should have sun block, sun glasses, snacks packed in separate Ziploc bags, map, compass or GPS, plastic whistles, flashlight, extra batteries, insect repellent, pocket knife with tools on it, water bottles (with water), matches or lighter, a small first aide kit, a bag for trash, toilet paper, tissues, anti bacterial hand soap and a light rain poncho like you get in amusement parks.  Of course they will have their cell phone as well!  Extra clothes are always helpful too.  On over night trips you are going to have extra stuff of course, but your kid may not be able to carry it all, so a parent may have to.  On overnight trips your kid will need to add toothbrush and paste, tent, tarp, rope, a wash cloth, water purification pills and a sleeping bag.  A camera is nice to have as well, especially if this is your first trip and you want to keep the memories

On your backpack adventure with your kid(s) you may want to plain some activities along the way, if you can think of any.  They may get bored simply walking through the woods for hours.  Get them involved in the planning of the entire affair, so they will get more enthused about it.  If you have room, add binoculars and some paper and pencils or pen to your gear, so they can see things better and record them or keep a journal of their trip.

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There are smaller hiking backpacks available for children of 6 and above.  Below 6 you will not be able to have your child carry too much, since that is a little young.  Hiking backpacks can have an internal or external frame.  Most backpacks are adjustable so they will be good for a few years.  Again, when you fill a Child’s backpack do not make it uncomfortably heavy as that may injury them, tire them quickly or cause a lot of complaining.  A good kid’s backpack will adjust nicely around the waste as well and feel comfortable on the kid’s shoulders.  If you order online don’t be afraid to return the backpack if necessary.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 11:55 am and is filed under Backpacks & Knapsacks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.