Curious, How old was your little one when you first took him/her into the BWCA? What were your challenges? Any tips/tricks to make things easier?

Thanks in advance

Canyon was 2 when we went on our first dogsled trip into the BWCA. Just a short day trip and he went to sleep all snuggled down in the sled. We did an overnight when he was 3 and then 3 weekend trips at 4. The summer he turned five we did one weeklong trip and two weekend trips. He is 8 and has been on 17 BWCA canoe trips and 4 BWCA dogsledding trips. Diapers seem to be the only real limitation and some do not see that they are a problem. Just remember to make the trips for the kids. You will not make any kind of time and an hour of paddling may be enough for them. Camping is no problem, lots of rocks and sticks to keep them busy. Just remember to not get too wound up making time. It is not going to happen!

My daughter was 9. she needed to be old enough to be a little help. I didn't want to tote all their stuff for them. Car camping was enough for our kids before that. Other than that whiteh20's advise is pretty good. If they are old enough let them decide the itinerary. It helps alot in keeping them interested. Also helps you not look like a slave driver, or the opposite, like you don't think they are good enough to handle the trip they want to go on. Keep it simple.

Our daughters are 5 and 3. This summer we stayed at the Fall Lake campground and did day trips with them at a couple EP's around Ely. Then in Oct. we stayed in a cabin in Grand Marais during MEA weekend and did a day trip at the Duncan Lake EP. We've done other car camping trips with them since they were 3 and 1.



In July we did a long weekend trip with just our 5 year old. She was able to carry her own pack. Her clothes, sleeping pad, stuffed animal, and coloring book. We only had 2 very short portages.

Great advice from the others. Really need to be able to go with the flow. A couple of hours in the canoe on the way to a campsite was more than enough for her. When we were at the campsite she had more than enough to keep her occupied: swimming, fishing, rocks, sticks, playing with the leeches, swinging in the hammock etc.

We really wanted to make sure they were comfortable/good in the canoe before we took them into the BWCA. One important thing that we learned about our kids was that they "need" their own paddle. The first couple times we took them out around home they were climbing around the canoe trying to take our paddles. Would not have been a good thing to find out the first day of a BWCA trip.

People had told me that their kids behave better in the Boundary Waters than at home and I didn't completely believe them. But, I do now. We've found that to be true about our kids.

I took a 3 day BW trip from EP 47 through Rockwood Outfitters this last fall with a 10 month old daughter. She loved it. I double portaged and sometimes tripple portaged while my wife carried our daughter and relaxed. It was really a great experience. If you take a child this young, I would bring extra pacifiers just to be sure they don't get thrown out of the canoe...If you have any questions about that trip, feel free to email at mynewlife04_06@yahoo.com

Hope you enjoy your next trip,

VR,

Joshua

Thank you all for sharing your experiences with me. I am really in denial that I will not be able to venture into the BWCA this next year. Maybe if all goes well I will be able to do an early spring (end of may) trip but I will be 8 months along. I am looking forward to the following year when I will take the new little one with.

My eldest was about 11 months for her first trip. She slept soundly through 10 hours of thunderstorms, crawled around camp in her rain suit happily, laid in the bow looking up and me while I sang to her crossing a windy lake and fed her cheese slices, etc. It can be done, and diapers are sometimes better than when they're out of diapers and HAVE to find a place to go!

I also took a friend once who was 7-8 months pregnant. She was very fit and this was kid number two. She carried a pack, but not the canoe (HEAVY metal thing that trip). All went well for her, but I believe it's got to be mom's decision with doc and dad weighing in... Also, that trip was minimal portages with gear, and mostly day trips with canoe.

Trips will be different than without kids or pregnancy limitations, but that doesn't mean they can't be as good or better!

WhiteH20 - Canyon is a lucky lucky kiddo!!

I think I finally have my spouse open to the prospect of taking the new little one in when it will be 2-3 months old. Doing some research and it is really we (the adults) who have to adjust our ways. I feel it will be easier for us to adjust our routines when we only need to meet the little ones basic needs vs a year later when we will also need to entertain and chase the little one around. We have some friends who have not gone canoe camping together since having children and their kids are now 4 and 6. I refuse to let that happen. Guess we will just have to wait as it will all depend on the wee little ones temperament. Hoping...............

Vickie, one other thing to consider is a kinda/sorta BW trip. This past summer, we stayed at the Fenske Lake Camground near Ely. We had a primo site that was "almost" like being in the BW itself. We went on some day trips, as well as saw the Ely sights. (Day trips: canoeing on Fenske, and a trip to the Hegman pictos.) We would have done more, but I ended up being sick that week. My kids were 2 and 11 at the time.

Our oldest was 6 weeks old, our second was 6 weeks old, and our last was 6 months old (he was born in the winter)

Babies are way easier than toddlers

Thanks for the info. I have always gone in on the east side, sounds like the campground you went to would be ideal. If we go we will be taking my older 2 children(13 & 15) along with 2 other teens and 2 other adults. Group size would be 9 including the wee little one.
We have talked about camping on the edge as well. We will definatley do that the night before we go in. If the weather is agreeable in the am we go in, if not we would just stay put. Hoping that the the wee little one has my temperment..lol

One thing to consider for babe that small (Canoearoo, what did you do for your teeny ones) would be a folding bouncy seat - that they are NOT strapped into, but can rest snuggled in on floor of canoe. Could come in handy in camp too so babe can sit on ground and look around a bit while you are otherwise occupied. I had one that folded up flat (not the wire ones that don't fold) and used it on early camping trips for years.

Maybe with that many people, you can duff and hold babe yourself...?

Kid temperaments are definitely to be considered. My 11 month old was not at all anxious about the whole trip. She took it all in stride. Another child didn't go until she had just turned 3 years old. She freaked out and kind of whimpered and whined that first day. It was all too much for her to leave the car behind and take off into the unknown. After Day 1, she was fine, but if I had remembered her reaction to her first plane trip (similar behavior) I would have been more prepared and helped her be better prepared for her first BW trip.

Sounds like you'll have tons of helpers Vickie, that's a good thing.

quote BWPaddler: "One thing to consider for babe that small (Canoearoo, what did you do for your teeny ones) would be a folding bouncy seat - that they are NOT strapped into, but can rest snuggled in on floor of canoe. Could come in handy in camp too so babe can sit on ground and look around a bit while you are otherwise occupied. I had one that folded up flat (not the wire ones that don't fold) and used it on early camping trips for years."

Great idea...I have been thinking about sleeping arrangements at night time as I do not feel comfortable having the babe sleep in my bag (I am a heavy sleeper who moves a lot). Of course we would have to make sure to swaddle the bouncy seat. :)

I was 4 months old when my parents took me in. I waited until my oldest was 3 he now has two trips to Warrior Hill on LLC under his belt and will take my youngest on his first trip this summer (he is now 3).

I always told both boys that they had to learn to pee on trees before they could go camping. I didn't want to have to deal with diapers and it made potty training a little easier.

My biggest challenge was to make sure that Evan got enough sleep. We tend to travel most days, and that makes napping tough. It is also tougher to get him in the tent before sundown, and I cannot go to sleep that early, so I would have to work with him to fall asleep by himself. Some nights were better than others.

Having a mother and father team would make things a lot easier. Maybe this year with two boys, my wife will join us. She is missing out on a lot!

quote BWPaddler: "One thing to consider for babe that small (Canoearoo, what did you do for your teeny ones) would be a folding bouncy seat - that they are NOT strapped into, but can rest snuggled in on floor of canoe. Could come in handy in camp too so babe can sit on ground and look around a bit while you are otherwise occupied. I had one that folded up flat (not the wire ones that don't fold) and used it on early camping trips for years.

."

we had a folding bouncy seat with a lid that zipped up into a tinny coocoon made of misquote netting. This kept bugs off the baby outside the tent and inside the tent. If folded flat and fit right into a duluth pack (sold it for $20)
I brought a snow suit for the babies to sleep in. They can't get out of it and it keeps them warm (easy to buckly in the bouncy seat)

it looked something like this

http://images.canadianlisted.com/nlarge/eddie-bauer-soothing-comfort-bouncette-bouncer_4840242.jpg

for the canoe the baby was laid on top of some thick foam and a waterproof blacket was attached to the top of the canoe and draped over the sides so it made a sun shade for baby (but careful so if the canoe fliped baby wouldn't be traped

mosquito netting good idea if babe along during bug times - late September not usually an issue.

I have a bug net that was originally to toss over a stroller and I've thought it would fit over bouncy seat or child carrier or anything...

The worst bug trip with kids was one May... head nets were required, I had no infants at the time, youngest was 3. The kids got eaten a lot more than the adults. I've also used the Vitamin B patches (or vitamin B itself) to minimize the bites for kids.