Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Kids
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ducks |
I usually do a 4 day/3 night trip and we basecamp. I stick to entry points with small lakes so there is less of a chance for wind to cause problems with a small kid in the bow. Make it their trip. My girls are always involved in the planning. They help pick the EP and which lake we plan to camp on. They also help plan the food etc. During the trip they make most of the decisions as far as which campsite, when to fish, when to eat, what to do around camp etc. Pretty much the only time I overrule them is when safety is involved. With kids along you definitely need to be flexible and go with the flow. |
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straighthairedcurly |
So start easy, make it fun, get them hooked, and then the skies the limit. |
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Bannock |
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Bdubr |
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mirth |
Oldest's only time so far was with Boy Scouts a couple years ago at 12. Hoping to get him back for another trip after he graduates HS next year. We did a 40+ mile loop. The Scouts did great. Middle has been there twice. 11 and 13 at the time of the trips. 2016 was a trip down the Granite River. We took our time, had a week and camped at 3 different sites along the way. 2018 was a loop from Sea Gull to Sag via Alpine & Red Rock. Youngest has been there once, on the 2018 trip, and was 6 at the time. Yes, the two trips where it was just me and my kids the trip expectations were modified to ensure ample playtime. However, too much time at camp can also get boring and traveling can be interesting. The only real things I did was plan a route with less mileage to cover and a rest day at the end of the trip before heading home. If I had multiple drivers the latter is less important. Given the round trip distance of about 1200 miles for me, all my trips are generally a week away from home. All have done other canoe trips as well, like on the WI River, Turtle Flambeau Flowage, or Sylvania Wilderness. |
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schuetpa |
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schuetpa |
I think a few key things for us is be prepared for everything and malleable. This last trip we had rain every day but had a blast. Brought paperback books (boxcar children, huck finn) card games, toy tractors, etc. There was time spent under the rain tarp but that can be fun as well. Myself and Dean were probably the most restless and hardest to keep contained to the tarp. We didn't make it to Iron our plan but found a ton of peacefulness on Stuart. Did a great deal of fishing and it was nice the boys caught a lot of fish right from camp. Did a short hike to a falls. The year before we had two extra adults for our two kids which was nice. (sister and brother-in-law) That year we brought a hiking pack to carry the 3 year old when hiking (not portaging) she had to portage. Little things went along way things like keeping a journal or count of all the critters we saw was a ton of fun. The kids loved it and now can go back and read which critters we saw. A rule for us is must be potty trained but that is more incentive to become potty trained. We used to drive up through the night but started to rent a cabin or bunkhouse the night before. A bit easier on the adults... the kids sleep through the night anyway on the drive. Dean and Steph this past year the boys were about 9 and 7. |
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timatkn |
My youngest went when he was five. They both have been going ever since. Will be 9 and twelve this summer. Just know your kids. I’d say be flexible and adapt based on how the trip is going. A lazy camp day is a killer. You need to swim, fish, explore, or have a travel day is my advice. But a balance of not too ambitious vs. some action works best. We find 6 days 5 nights is a good amount for the family but every family is different of course. T |
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A1t2o |
If the kids can sit still for long periods of time, don't wander off, and can be trusted to listen to directions like gathering firewood without getting lost, then they can go a lot younger. Really the decision maker on ages is how much you trust them and how well they follow directions. My plan when my son is ready, is to take him to Burnt from Sawbill. It is a place I have wanted to go, close to the campground in case anything goes wrong, and an easy trip in. I'm just waiting for him to be responsible enough for me to trust him not to jump in the lake as soon as my back is turned. He's 4 right now and not well behaved, so I'm thinking it will take a few years at best. |
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DougD |
Our first trip we put in at Little Gabbro, paddled around the point on Bald Eagle and stayed at the sand beach campsite for three nights. We packed water toys, ate their favorite foods, sang around the campfire and played board games. I would wake early and get some fishing time, the rest of day was spent making sure my kids (and wife) had a good experience. This trip launched a lifetime of outdoor adventures with my kids! But be careful, you may create something that leads to some nervous nights as a parent. When my daughters were 17 and 19 they went on a 32 day road trip camping in 11 different national parks and did things like hike up half dome. My wife was a nervous parent the entire month, I felt like I had won a trophy for parenting! Good luck on your trip! And keep it Kid focused! |
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mjmkjun |
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oldguide2 |
When I guided the youngest I took out was two seven year-olds. I cut them a thick branch (not green wood) and they carried a pack between them like in one of those jungle movies. We used custom food boxes that were paraffin-coated cardboard so by the end of the trip they were pretty empty. One of my seven year-olds took off with the A4 on the Fall Lake portage coming in. All you could see were his legs. Tourists on the Fall Lake side started to ream me out about making this poor little kid carry such a big pack. Then the other kids on the trip broke out laughing. Like many kids this one was a ham and played the role of carrying the huge pack to the hilt. Then he threw in the punch line when we flipped the pack off and picked it up with one hand. Have a great trip! |
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4keys |
For entertainment, son fished, and we were near a sandy beach so swimming for daughter and dog. Each had a couple chores they were responsible for. It was important to us that while they had fun, they also knew we relied on them for some things. One thing to think about regarding age- if you are the only adult out there, and you get hurt (some of those rocks are really slippery) would your kids be able to get help? And can they swim? Discuss what they should do if the canoe flips, and other age appropriate scenarios. |
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Tristian5431 |
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woodsywife |
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woodsywife |
schuetpa: "we brought a hiking pack to carry the 3 year old when hiking (not portaging) she had to portage. Awesome photos, and sounds like some memorable trips for the family! We will be taking our 2 year old on his first trip next month. What kind of carrier did you use for carrying your 3 year old on hikes? Did it fit in a pack while you were portaging? |
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Tristian5431 |
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EddyTurn |
woodsywife: "Awesome photos, and sounds like some memorable trips for the family! We will be taking our 2 year old on his first trip next month. What kind of carrier did you use for carrying your 3 year old on hikes? Did it fit in a pack while you were portaging?" In my experience a good child carrier is a big and expensive child carrier :). Otherwise it could get really uncomfortable on rough terrain (like pinching kid's legs). We used Osprey Poco with rain cover for the first 2.5 years (here it is - the green thingy behind my wife). But for canoe trips it's way too heavy and takes too much space. After the first year, when our son learned to walk, we arranged our on-foot expedition according to his abilities. |
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ghamer |
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Littleheavycanoe |
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naturboy12 |
We have always done 6-7 day trips, and I did make sure I included lots of extra time for him, whether it was exploring other campsites, hiking on the trails around our site, or just playing cards in the tent. I let him pick fishing spots, how long we would fish, packed some extra snacks of his choice, and let him choose when to go to bed. This was important because I didn't want it to be him coming along on "my" trip. I wanted it to be "his" trip too, and that really worked well over the years. I have some great photos of him "being a kid" out there, they are some of the best BW photos I have. He has always been included in all camp chores in some manner, and even enjoys some of them now. Here are some pictures of his last trip, carrying a bigger load than me on most portages. His little brother, now 11, has a couple 4 day Sylvania trips under his belt already, and will be coming to the BW this summer as well assuming we can work out the details around his busy baseball life. My older son is headed off for a different type of journey, and may not get to join us this summer, but I know he hasn't taken his last trip with us. Moral of the story? Time goes fast, start them as soon as they are ready and be prepared to learn a whole lot about your kids! |
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johndku |
Late last summer he was 12, almost 13, amazing the difference in him from the first year. Fun to watch. Now he and his sister, (16) have their own CCS Pioneer Packs and they're hauling their share on the portages. I've read a lot of posts where children a lot younger have gone. I personally think it's great. |
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anthonyp007 |
I took my daughter on her first trip at 4 entering via the Snake River (EP 84), just a three day, two night weekend trip with 4 portages to get to our base camp at Bald Eagle. She rocked it and carried a small backpack on the portages. I think the key is to make sure that you’re tuned in to the kids because the only goal you should have for them is having fun. If they have fun, they’ll want to go back. So, when they get tired or just feel like stopping, set up camp and chill. Don’t set a rock solid itinerary, let the kids choose a campsite, fly by the seat of your pants. They’ll have more fun and you probably will too. Last bit of advice I’d give is to give them some responsibility. Age appropriate of course, but a kid is never too young to roll out sleeping bags/pads, pump water through the filter, or gather dead branches for a fire. Of course, I have a plan. I plan on adding things for my kids to do each year so that hopefully when they’re teenagers, I can chill on the shore with my rod and reel while my kids set up camp. I just hope they never read this... Tony |
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scotttimm |
I'd pick a route with short and few portages for their first and basecamp for a few days, or a trip with no portages. 3-4 nights max (now 5 nights/6 days is our minimum). The number chain lakes (One and Two) offer short to no portaging and are popular. Another easy one was getting a tow up Moose with a super short portage into Ensign. That felt like a real adventure but was easy with the tow and bunkhouse at LaTourells. Look at campsite reviews on the maps section here or camping with kids forums that note which campsites are kid-friendly - i.e. easy and safe access to shoreline, good fishing from shore, etc. A short daytrip nearby is nice too. Food options are critical, desserts at dinnertime, hot chocolate or cider, lots of favorite snacks for throughout the day, mixing powdered drink in water helps...make sure to keep them well hydrated. A REALLY well stocked first aid kit, with children's tylenol, pedialite powder, and triaminic (super glue saved my middle-kid's trip as she cut herself badly two years ago). Warm clothing, extra socks. Bigger tent, a Nemo Bugout was a hit with the kids as sometimes the mosquitos or black flies make it impossible to get outside. This year I'm ditching the Nemo Bugout for a large mosquito net that I can suspend underneath a tarp...but if basecamping a short distance from put-in you can bring more and be more comfortable. Search on Amazon for lightweight backpacking chairs, you can get them for $20 now...that and a hammock and life is good. Good sunscreen and bugspray, thermacell. Bring some good books to read to them as they fall asleep. Go when it is warmer so they can swim, later in the summer there is nothing better than picking blueberries and mixing into pancakes. Bring activities along for when it is rainy, and have good raingear. Appropriately sized lifejackets, backpack, and paddle. Spend a night or two in a tent and fill a canoe with your gear and child(ren) and practice before you go. Talk through what the portage process looks like ahead of time, plan at least 2x whatever the forum's state (or outfitter says) as the time it will take you to get to any given location. Adjust your expectations for what you get to do in terms of fishing, downtime, exploring, etc. Make it about them and having a good time, though our mantra when things go south is "not every part of an adventure is fun!", talk about what hard things may happen and have backup plans for when those things happen. Keep spirits up. Sing, laugh, exlplore with them. As they grow they will want to go back, you can go further and do more. After going for 10 years now, my son and I are finally taking that "dream trip" where all our priorities are the same - distance, solitude, adventure, pushing limits, and LOTS of fishing...but it's been a long journey and process. Now I'm telling him I expect him to drag my sorry old butt along when he goes with his kids someday. Here's a video of us from last summer's trip to Insula. They are older now, so the adventures push us deeper and deeper...but as you can see, we have a good time: The Rock |
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scotttimm |
ghamer: "I hope to take grandkids ages 8 and 10 up this year for the first time, so can't offer an advice yet. But check out Paddling with Kids Forum " Woo Hoo! Have fun buddy! Can't wait to see the pics! |
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TominMpls |
Follow their interests and give them real (age appropriate) responsibilities, not just busy work. Take the time to directly engage with what they like and don't like. Let them be active participants in planning and decisions. Keep things positive but don't gloss over the challenges or the crappy parts, and let them be frustrated when it's frustrating. Most important is to keep expanding their capabilities, but don't overstep them. It's a fine line so err on the shorter day, the easier route until you know how they do. I discovered early on that my daughter doesn't like rest days, but that taking one occasionally is a good idea anyway. Personally I think the West side is easier to introduce young kids, and our first trips were only three or four nights. Our first trip was a base camp type but she wanted to move so we always do expedition type trips now. Just always know how to reduce mileage if you need to, until they're old enough to suck it up and work through the crappy parts if they have to. For M that change happened at 12 but it depends on your kid. Have fun! |