BWCA Where I won't go with little ones in the canoe Boundary Waters Group Forum: Canoeing with kids
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      Where I won't go with little ones in the canoe     

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07/01/2009 02:57PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I thought I would post this.

I do not canoe on rivers with small kids. I will canoe with kids on rivers as soon as they are old enough to know how to self rescue on a river. If a canoe flips, they will be able swim to the canoe or the shore.

I do not canoe with kids in early spring or late fall. This is because kids get hypothetic much faster than we do and I'm not willing to risk that.

I do not take the kids winter camping. I will conceder it once they are 12.
 
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07/01/2009 09:37PM  
Regarding rivers...for me it would depend on the river in question. I have gone canoeing on the Namekagon River in northwestern Wisconsin my whole life, and I wouldn't hesitate to go there with a kid, even a baby. It's calm and mostly very shallow and sandy-bottomed. Now the Wisconsin River...I don't think I'm doing that with the kids anytime soon, nor the calm Sugar River near my house (calm but full of down trees). We are going to our cabin this coming weekend, and may take a canoe trip on the Namekagon with the 20-month old along.
 
07/01/2009 11:59PM  
well, slow almost non-moving rivers dont count in my list lol
 
dougroy84
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07/12/2009 02:56PM  
I agree about not taking our kids during times when the water is cold. I tipped over in May one time but was fortunate to be close to a portgage. And that was not a fun experience. We always go in August when water is warmer and very little bugs.
 
06/30/2010 10:21AM  
Sorry for bringing some of these old threads back to the top, but I just found this forum.

I would agree to stay away from fast moving rivers. I have taken my 2 boys on the Kawishiwi river many times, but that is one of those non-moving rivers that I would say is safer than big water simply because wind is rarely an issue.

As for winter camping, I think my 4-year old does as well winter camping as in summer. He stayed out with me twice last winter one night with 0 degree temps. I won't soon forget seeing the little puffs of vapor rise up while he was warmly sleeping.

We do use a Snowtrekker tent and wood stove which really helps to keep him warm, comfortable and happy. We do not venture too far off into the woods, but I am planning to take him into the BWCA next winter.
 
06/30/2010 04:56PM  
cool soledad... If I winter camped (some day?) I'd take my kids. I do take kids spring and fall paddling - both on my own lake and in BWCA. It snowed last year and has sleeted, etc. on trips before too.

I do paddle differently when the water is cold. Even at home on a suburban lake surrounded by homes, I stay near shore - no venturing out to islands, etc. Ditto in BWCA, I assess every single bay before skipping from point to point and often choose to paddle the entire bay to be near shore the entire time. I have let the kids paddle their own canoe in cold water too, but not great distances and only when lake is glass. Obviously plenty of fleece is on hand.

Fast water rivers? not even in summer unless adult paddling the boat. Kids haven't grasped the concept of a "current" fully yet and are not skilled enough with canoe to paddle their own in faster water. Kawishiwi or some parts of St Croix or Zumbro, etc. I don't consider fast water rivers and have no issue with kids on those. Kind of like Canoearoo said "non-moving" rivers are different.
 
06/30/2010 10:56PM  
the winter camping I do is usually -20F with 5+ feet of snow in Feb. With this type of camping I do not think I would feel confortable till my kids were at least 12 years old.
 
07/01/2010 08:55AM  
Maybe this is an impossible topic, because there are just too many variables in our individual decisions. For example, *my* cold water paddling in BWCA is still within a half day's paddle from the car... not talking about arctic paddling, days from civilization or even further into the BWCA. One person's perceived risk while river paddling is different than another's, etc. partly because rivers vary as much as land does.

I think as parents we all try to weigh the risks vs the advantages in getting our kids out and about in nature. To do so we have to consider our own wilderness skills, the skills and temperaments and fitness of our kiddos, the current conditions (which include state of nature as well as resources available in case of emergency), etc. I am guessing we all have made mistakes in this judgement too, and learned from it (hopefully minor mistakes and without permanent consequences). It's part of learning. (The mistakes I talk about can be setting expectations too high or low, mistakes with gear, mistakes with route, with timing, etc.)

I applaud any parent who starts his/her kids out as young as they feel comfortable with and instills that sense of adventure and respect that comes from days in the wild.
 
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