Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Kids gear (and tips?)
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newguy |
Maybe this is a better discussion outside of the kids thread, but for kids (or adults), why use a framed vs. frameless pack? Some are called internal frame, so what's an external frame? Are framed packs better for kids? Obviously they're not going to be wearing a massive 40-60# pack. |
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mirth |
Why leave the 6yo at home? Last year was my 13yo's 2nd trip and my 6yo's first. Thinking of taking just the now 7yo on a trip since the now 14yo will be entering high school & the dates don't work out. One thing I learned last year was about the only time I had for relaxing was either before the kids got up in the morning or after they went to bed at night. The rest of the time dad was on duty for everything. |
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drnatus |
Youth Frogg Toggs |
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newguy |
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THEGrandRapids |
newguy: "I was able to get Marmot Precip for 50% off a few weeks ago, so basically $20-$25 each for jacket and pants. Got some for myself as well. I would stick to their school backpack. Only reason for a gear backpack is to carry a heavy load and for the pack to support a heavy load. I wouldn't have them carry a heavy load. Maybe a bulky one, but not weight. Framed back has aluminum tubes on the exterior to frame the back- and the bags "hang" from the frame. |
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THEGrandRapids |
Maybe also sneak some 'smores in without them knowing until the second night (or every night) A checklist of items to watch and listen for.... Loon call, eagle, fish jump, wolf howl, shooting star, moose hoof prints, etc. Nice way to recap the day as well. It may even cement some of those memories for years to come. I feel like this is sort of cheating- but it would make them focus on those things. every kid's different. edit: Think of it as a fill in the blank trip journal. Can have spots for lake names- portage distances, etc. |
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muddyfeet |
The 5-yr-old got a nodder 25 sleeping bag from rei, and I wouldn’t hesitate to get another one for the little brother. It is a quality kid-specific bag. The kids used whatever Velcro-type sandals they had and we wet-footed the landings. We brought a few games that ended up getting played when we rode out a thunderstorm under the tarp. I took the hooks off of a few old rappala-type lures and they enjoyed using their Mickey Mouse fishing poles to cast and reel “fish” while in camp. The most entertaining thing by far was a tree stump that was half-fallen into the lake: they spent hours every day just climbing on it. The trip was fantastic and made some good memories, but I’ll echo the warning that it is a lot of work with little kids : you are on active parent duty from sunrise to sunset. |
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newguy |
Tipsy, thanks for the advice as well. Daughter is strong and wants a pack, so I will start looking for one. Good advice on BA system as well. Does that last all the way through the teens in terms of its size? |
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TipsyPaddler |
I think it is worthwhile to get a good quality kid’s size sleeping bag and pad so everyone gets a good night’s sleep. I picked up a Big Agnes Wolverine kids bag and Air Core Ultra 20” x 66” air matress on a nice discount at an online retailer. The bag is synthetic fill so not crazy expensive but smaller than an adult bag so weight and bulk are still reasonable. I like the BA integrated bag and matress system as my 5 year old rolls around a lot and falls off a regular air matress in the middle of the night. Waking up several times a night to push him back onto his pad was not fun for mom and dad! He carries his bag, pad, clothes and a toy of his choice in a CCS Rucksack. I debated getting a kid’s size CCS pack but opted to just let him use my solo tripping ruck and it works great. He a tall kid though...a good head higher than a lot of his class mates..so watch recommended torso sizes. On portages he is in charge of his pack, paddle and fishing pole (which is broken down and stuffed into a cheap plastic poster tube with a sling strap he carries over his shoulder. I make sure he has a good rain coat, rain pants, and hat with a brim. Something reasonably priced from REI or Amazon works fine. I don’t spend a lot as he grows out of stuff well before it wears out. I would plan one extra complete change of clothes more than an adult would bring as kids are more accident prone and will “somehow” walk into a lake up to their knees wearing there camp shoes, fall into a giant puddle, etc. I also learned best to bring synthetic underwear vs cotton as the cotton takes forever to dry. Felt kinda dumb bringing his cotton undies as I don’t bring cotton anything myself but I didn’t think that one through well! He has some kid size Keens for portaging and a pair of crocs for in camp. Crocs dry fast when they get accidentally wet in above scenarios. It is worthwhile getting a kid’s sized paddle so they can help paddle. I used a telescoping, emergency paddle for small boats/rafts ($10-20) that I tied to a seat bar with paracord on the first trip when my son was four. Last year I didn’t bother with the paracord and he never dropped the paddle overboard. This year I am considering a Bending Branches Twig or simlar paddle. |
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TipsyPaddler |
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4keys |
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OCDave |
Also, consider a compact game such as Yatzee or Uno. At least a deck of cards. |
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newguy |
Is there anything extra you've found kids/grandkids enjoy that I might not think of when packing for an adult? |
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goaljohnbill |
muddyfeet: "... I took the hooks off of a few old rappala-type lures and they enjoyed using their Mickey Mouse fishing poles to cast and reel “fish” while in camp. ... " This 1 bit has saved more of our trips than anything I can think of without the worry of pulling hooks out of hair fingers noses or ears. We let them use them in the boats while traveling when they dont want to paddle or just ride. Second decent but inexpensive rain gear. We have passed each one down to the second kid and havnt had any wear out before being out grown by both |
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TipsyPaddler |
Completely agree on a couple family games or books for rainy days and evenings. A hammock or two is also well worth the couple of pounds. We brought an inexpensive ENO hammock two years ago and it was so popular now I bring two to stop the boys fighting over it! We are not a big fishing family but I also started bringing a couple rods and a basic tackle box with some slip bobber rigs and 3-4 lures based on the Fishing forum recommendations and the boys will fish for an hour or two on their own. I also put the kids to work in camp. They help with tent set up and take down, collecting water and filling water bottles, collecting and sawing firewood (I still do all the axe work), cleaning up after meals, and walking the camp site to ensure LNT just before we hop in the canoe. Last year my 14 year old asked for his own map so he can track our progress on travel days and I let him do more and more of the route decisions with a firm “dad veto power” in place. Its kind of fun to occasionally quiz him on where he thinks we are on a given lake. His navigation and map reading skills are developing nicely. In the evenings we spend a few minutes reviewing the day’s route and what’s planned for the next travel day. |