Hi, my name is Jenna Halfacre and this is Ryan Halfacre. Today we're going to talk
about techniques and gear you need for backpacking with your baby.
The first thing we're going to talk about is carrying options. The two carrying
options we use most are a backpack carrier or a Moby style wrap carrier
The benefits of a backpack style carrier are: It's easier to get the child in and out of the
pack. It's free standing so you can leave the child in the pack while your getting camp
ready. It has it's own built in storage area, and its own built in sun shade with optional rain
cover which negates the use of an oversize rain jacket. The downsides of the backpack
style carrier are: It's heavy; over six pounds. In my opinion it's less comfortable than the
wrap style carrier and it doesn't allow you to use a backpack like the wrap does.
This is a wrap style carrier and it's benefits are: It's much lighter than the backpack style carrier
and it allows me to carry a backpack which makes it much easier and more comfortable to
carry more gear. The main downside of the wrap style carry is if it rains you have to wear
an oversize rain jacket which is an extra expense and to keep the baby dry you have to
completely zip them up, which could make them feel claustrophobic. The next thing we're
going to talk about are diapers. Your main two options are regular disposable or biodegradable.
The benefit of disposable diapers is you already have them around. However, the downside is
You have to carry the heavy used diapers out with you, for which I suggest you have plenty
of extra plastic bags. My favorite option is biodegradable diapers. You have a
biodegradable insert with a waterproof cover. These are awesome because you can just
bury the inserts when you're done with them. However, the downside to them is they are a
little bit expensive. For either option I suggest bringing a dry bag because once wet, the diapers
are worthless. It also doubles as a nice changing mat.
The next thing we're going to talk about is baby clothes. First we're going to talk about what to
put baby in when it's cold. Since cotton is not an ideal outdoor fabric and most baby clothes are
made out of it, the easiest option is to go for fleece PJs. However, if it's really cold you might
have to invest in a snowsuit for baby. On Ryan's we've taken a fur ruff and sewn it around the edge
to keep him from getting wind burn or frost nip on his cheeks. The most important part of keeping
baby warm though is a good hat as they lose most of their heat through their head. For hot weather
synthetic socks, pants and shirt are a must as well as a good sun hot and sunscreen. However, the
clothing might be hard to find unless you go to an outdoor retailer.
Now we're going to talk about food for baby. The only method we've used so far is breast feeding
because I have to carry it with me anyways. However, if breast feeding is not an option, a
powdered formula will work just fine because you don't have to carry the water weight of the
prepared ones. Some other options are Cheerios or your child's favorite cereal or pouch foods.
One thing though, about pouch foods that is not ideal is that you are carrying the extra water weight.
But they are lighter than traditional jarred baby foods because there is less packaging. A very
To keep baby entertained, some light toys that can clip to the backpack are really nice. However,
anything in your backpack can become a toy, such as a spark or a headlamp. Also, rocks on the
trail are perfect toys too. For Mom's comfort a pair of trekking poles is nice because they help with
balance, they put some of the weight on your arms, and they lower fatigue over long distances
while carrying weight. For sleeping with baby some things may have to change. if your bag
is large enough, your baby may fit in just fine with you. If that's not the case, you can look into
a nice big doublewide bag, the whole family can fit in. Because of all the extra things you need for
baby, it's important to eliminate any extras for yourself in order to keep pack weight low.
Considering that increased pack weight it's also a good idea to keep your mileage low on the first few
tries, just so that everyone is still enjoying themselves. We hope that you take these tips that
we've given you and get out and enjoy the wilderness with your baby.
Until next time, Happy Hiking!