Backcountry Base Camping With Kids

1 / 6
We tried base camping recently, and it was an unqualified success. Besides offering the pleasures that came from staying in one outdoor spot, base camping cut wilderness housekeeping chores way down.
We tried base camping recently, and it was an unqualified success. Besides offering the pleasures that came from staying in one outdoor spot, base camping cut wilderness housekeeping chores way down.
2 / 6
The one-match kids, Jesse and Nate, fix soup.
The one-match kids, Jesse and Nate, fix soup.
3 / 6
Becky and Sammie play with pots.
Becky and Sammie play with pots.
4 / 6
Father and son wrestle with a reel.
Father and son wrestle with a reel.
5 / 6
Jesse near the water.
Jesse near the water.
6 / 6
The family hikes together.
The family hikes together.

A pair of outdoors-loving parents finally discover the secret of family wilderness success: setting up a base camp when camping with kids.

Backcountry Base Camping With Kids

I thought I’d never figure it out. I mean, you can go backpacking with one small child or even canoe camping with two. But three? How do you get away from civilization (including crowded campgrounds) if you have a trio of kids to cart along?

That was our problem. In the years before we accepted irrevocable adulthood (i.e., became parents), my wife, Becky, and I hiked and paddled in the backcountry every chance we got. When baby Nate joined us, we just stuffed him in a backpack child carrier and sallied forth. We didn’t hike quite as far, and our shoulders ached a bit, but we still enjoyed “real” wilderness experiences.

Then Jesse graced our family, and since we couldn’t carry two kids in addition to all our gear, we tied extra seats in the middle of our canoe and paddled into the wilderness.

  • Published on Jul 1, 1988
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368