They tell you that a baby changes everything.
Well, what about two?
Backpacking with Toddler Twins
Our first kids were twins. Two little, adorable, loud, and intense bundles of joy. While I’ve always been of the opinion that having a baby shouldn’t keep you from engaging in outdoor activities and travel, there was one type of outdoor recreation that now seemed out of our reach – backpacking. I was more than a little hesitant to haul those babies, all their required supplies, and four man tent up a mountain.
When you backpack, you carry everything with you. And, in case you didn’t know, babies need a lot of everything. Oh, and they are part of that everything because they have to be carried too! The thought of trudging up the mountain with all that extra weight didn’t appeal to me at all.
It seemed our backpacking days were on hold until sometime in the distant future.
We continued hiking, with each of us putting a baby in a baby backpack and hitting various trails. As long as those little girls could get out and waddle around every hour or so, they were well behaved and enjoyed the excursions. Still, an overnight backpacking trip seemed too intensive.
Finally, my husband Paul had enough, saying, “We can do this!” When he basically volunteered to carry as much as his pack could handle, I could buy into the dream too. Just one toddler was already heavier than I was used to carrying so his sacrifice was the only way this was going to happen.
Venturing into the Wilderness with Two Babies in Tow
We filled those backpacks to the brim with the lightest versions of what our family of four would need for a night in the woods. Since baby carrier backpacks don’t have much storage space, our tent, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads had to be tied on the outside. Then we loaded up our heavily sunscreened kids and headed towards the mountains.
We hiked about 2.5 miles into the canyon, at a pace of about half of what we were used to, and found a nice flat area near a little stream. The kids discovered abundant playthings including rocks to throw in the stream and pine cones to throw at each other.
After dark, Paul read them a story until they fell asleep and they were, thankfully, out for the night. Our night was not as carefree though, with us constantly waking up to be sure they were covered (but not too covered) and Paul at maximum alert for every forest sound, of which there were quite a few.
We survived (and maybe even prospered)!
The next morning the girls played as we packed up. Then we headed back towards civilization.
Was it easy? No. Would I trade the pictures and memories for anything? Not a chance.
You’ll constantly hear that they are only young once. And, during that time, you are so dang exhausted that the phrase is cause for celebration. Even now, if I’m honest, I still find it cause for celebration.
But, even through that fatigue, you can make memories and help form their little lives. Kids can go with you on any non-risky adventure in the outdoors. You will need to go slower, you will need more supplies, and you probably won’t get to go out quite as often as you used to, but kids do not have to be an impediment to doing what you love. Start them young, make it fun & exciting, and they’ll grow up to love it.
While not every trip will be a success (we had one campout where we didn’t even stay the night), every trip will make an impression and those memories and feelings are what strengthens a family.
Our Abbreviated Toddler Backpacking Supply List:
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