View Full Version : Parents: I Need Your Opinions
Hi all,
As the weather (finally!) warms up here in New England, it's made me itchy to get outside. This year, I'm determined, we'll have more family fun adventures on our own steam.
Here are my two ideas: backpacking and/or bicycle touring.
First, I need suggestions/input/resources about either of these activities. I have two good books from the library, one about camping in general and one about adventuring with kids--so I've got the basics covered (i.e., what to pack, how to save money on the road/hike, etc.) But there are still a lot of questions--Did you do this when your kids were little, or do you do either now? What do you wish someone had told you early on? What were absolute necessities and what can be done without? Where could I find basic things inexpensively (other than craigslist) like a camp stove and sleeping pads and things? I hate to invest a ton of money, since my hubby and child may end up hating it!
Secondly, I'm looking at options to transport our child, who just turned 4 as far as bicycling goes (will have to figure this out even if we don't go a bicycling "tour" this year). We're on our second pull-behind-the-bicycle trailer and this one stinks. The wheels have fallen off two times while I'm on the road. Plus, it doesn't fold which is necessary now since we no longer have a truck. So, we are looking at another investment (this time I want to pay more for a good trailer) that folds down to store in the car. OR should we go with one of those tag-a-long things, where the kid rides his bike behind, making a sort of tandem bike? Thoughts on trailers? I am looking at a Peapod by Giant (single seat for a single child) and it's about $200 at the locally owned sports store. Would like to give him my business, but haven't really planned on spending that much.
Ideas? Suggestions? Thanks in advance! :)
Equipment for each of those can be rented or borrowed, although I would be especially careful about the condition of a bike trailer before entrusting my child's...in my case, my grandchild's...safety and comfort to it.
Trying to save money on a trailer is false economy. We use one for my grandchildren and made certain that it was the best we could find. Please do not try to save money on this purchase.
Since you are planning on long trips, a single seat one might not be as useful as a larger one, because then you could have room for snacks, beverages and toys and other activities to help your child stay occupied and comfortable. Riding in a trailer is not nearly as interesting for a child as riding a bike is for the adults.
Four years old is certainly old enough to enjoy either of your choices. Another way to test out how compatible they might be is to test camp in your backyard a few times, and take increasingly longer bike treks.
As far as specifics, only you know what will increase your comfort and enjoyment, although I am guessing that for longer trips there are lots of extra or luxurious items that might be fun or useful to have. We take fruit, crackers, fruit rollup things, safety/non-spill cups of water and juice, books, a couple of magnet games, small blankets and pillows. Now that they are older, we use those shaped neck pillows, which the boys like much better.
We have learned that crayons work better than markers, and pens are better, as they do not break like crayons or get all over everything if they are left open like markers do. They each have a spiral-bound books of heavy watercolor or drawing paper, which is easier for them than regular weight paper, and it gives them a fairly solid surface on which to write and draw. I also printed that kind of ruled school paper, the kind for practicing letters, on cardstock, as the little one loves to write on it; he told me that the newsprint paper books are too soft.
My babes are four and six years of age and the longest that they enjoy riding in the trailer is just about an hour, and that long only if they fall asleep, which they often do. :~)
We do not go camping. We will never go camping. Ever. The boys can make a little campground here, but it is indoors and Grammy does not participate except to help them make s'mores in the microwave (we recently used Peeps for the marshmallow and it was so cool, although too sweet and, frankly, a little gross to melt and smoosh those critters), make cowboy stew and sandwiches and stuff like that. Whilst they are camping, CoolCat and I are snuggled on the sofa.
But, we do love the bike rides, even at my age it is still fun and fairly easy exercise. But, not too often.
Well, I just went camping with my Cub Scout grandson last month....in March....in Washington State. Here's a bit of advice--make sure your sleeping bags are rated for the coldest temperature you are expecting overnight. Sleep on a barrier between you and the ground (I have a 4-in thick dense foam mat which folds up for storage.) Make sure you have a tarp for your tent in case of rain. Also, get some hand and toe warmers for your pockets and socks. Really---they saved me. I bought those at a Big 5 athletic store. The foam pad I bought at Costco.
As you can see, staying warm is a biggie for me.
We bought a used bike trailer and sold it about 2 years later for the same amount. Then we bought a bike tagalong, and sold it 2 years later for the same amount.
Every year since DD was 4 we've gone on a multi-family camping trip with friends who have similar-aged kids. It is a highlight of our summers. The kids play together and build forts in the woods, and the adults enjoy being able to stargaze and talk until the late hours around the campfire. Going with other families takes the pressure off at times, and we can share equipment such as stoves.
What I learned the first year we did this camping trip: ALWAYS pack an extra bag that has more and warmer clothes and just leave it in the car. If you don't need it, no big deal. If it rains or you fall in the creek or the temp drops suddenly, you will be incredibly grateful for it. That first year we had unanticipated downpours and we were all soaked through and freezing cold.
fidgiegirl
4-19-13, 5:36pm
REI has rental equipment that you might want to test drive. I also wonder if you might be able to "rent" or borrow some of the camping equipment from someone you know for a few times, or even arrange the rental on CL. Then you might be able to try some different equipment.
Do you have car camping in mind, or some other kind? What is your own camping experience? This will impact what you buy. I would pack very differently for car camping than for bike touring. With a 4 yo car camping sounds like a lot more fun. You can still bike for a day activity, and if you pick the right parks/towns you can simply rent the trailer - if that's not something you'll use around your home turf, it seems like a big expenditure for a handful of times per year. And car camping exponentially increases the comfort factor. But it's still fun!
Locally I think I have seen something (I think from state parks) about a "camping club" where families who do not have camping experience but want to get into it can learn how.
Consider taking a trip or two with an organized group. In the Twin Cities we have Wilderness Inquiry, and they do all the planning and provide all the equipment. You can learn about camping etiquette, like Leave No Trace, what are good meals to plan, etc. and ask the experienced trip leaders everything you could want to know. Plus, since it sounds like DH and DD might not buy in, this could be a way to get some early camping wins. The price would be higher, yes. But if they truly truly hate it and you never go again, at least you have the experience and not the experience plus a garage full of stuff you'll never use again.
Sounds like so much fun! We love camping. I hope we can go several times this year. We need to get better at going just for a weekend.
Adding that I had mostly done backpacking in my before-child days, but I am not yet ready to tackle this with DD, and she's 10 now.
Climate is a big factor. When I was backpacking I lived in AZ - weather was predictable, warm, and dry. Now I live in MN, and it is none of those things. I love the seasons, but car camping is what works for us these days. I don't like to be jammed into a crowded camp site with lots of other people and cars, but we love the group camp sites at the MN state parks. They are separated from each other, and each group camp site has enough space for 5-6 tents set apart from each other at a reasonable distance. It becomes our home base for the weekend, and from there we can go hiking without the weight of a pack.
Thanks--these are terrific ideas and just the type of thing I need to help me flesh out what we really need before investing a lot of time. I know at this point I'm in the "too excited" state--where I just want to run out and buy things because I'm aching to get outdoors and have fun. But that's just cabin fever talking, so I need to slow down and think rationally.
I should have noted: I was talking more about hiking and camping overnight somewhere--no huge mountain peaks since we're just starting, but more of a backpacking experience than camping at a campground. We did this quite a lot as a family growing up (and a ton more hiking, just for the day) and I really want to get back into it. I think it seriously helped me develop my love of the outdoors--and so far, my son seems to really like it, too. (Not so much just "going for a walk" as I think he gets bored on a flat road. He asks, "are we going to walk through trees and bushes? I like that better!")
There's still a lot to consider. I know we will need either the bike trailer (and I agree, spending the extra $$ here is worth it to me--to an extent) or the tag along thing for biking this summer. I suppose that's priority over the camping/bike touring because hubby and I do both enjoy biking. I need to research more the ages for trailer vs. tag along I guess. I wish there were a place I could test out the tag along. Will have to look into that.
Gotta run for now but thanks again for all your ideas and feedback!
Every child is different, but if you are still considering a trailer for your son then I think you should get another. If the little guy is not champing at the bit to be out there doing it too, then I think relaxing in the trailer will be more comfortable for him as opposed to the tagalong. My cutlrrently 8 YO grandson was riding a twowheeler without training wheels at two and would have happily ridden his bike for up to an hour to a destination and then back at four. My just turned four last week granddaughter shows no signs of wanting the training wheels off and still prefers to ride in the trailer - even to toodle around the neighborhood.
Gardenarian
4-22-13, 3:46pm
For camping, you might want to consider a place that has cabins or tent-cabins to start - just to see if you like it at all. Go on a warm week-end and you can probably make do with your own blankets and/or sleepover-type sleeping bags.
I would start by taking some day hikes (not too long) in nearby parks.
Tents are not too expensive, but decent sleeping bags and pads are pretty pricey.
Go for it! Find an easy trail with a campground a few miles away. Let the kids have an M & M every 800 yards! Also, when my kids were that age, we gave them each a backpack with water, a plate and fork, and a bit of food so they felt like they were really backpackers. The successful times were often when there was a goal: a view or a waterfall to see, or a nice campground. They will never forget it. Remember bug spray and sunscreen and make your little ones wear hates and sunscreen. I have a 21 year old with some extra wrinkles around his eyes and I swear, I remember which trip that was and feel guilty still. But they have great memories of backpacking when little! One night the first time, then more! Have fun!
I'm chiming in here a little late, but we bike toured with our kids on Bike Friday (http://www.bikefriday.com) tandems when they were young. We bicycled from Santa Fe to the Holy Ghost Campground in the Pecos Wilderness. I would guess it is about thirty or forty miles. Our son, who was four at the time, bicycled the twelve miles to the Eldorado exit, and then rested in our Burley trailer until we reached Pecos, NM, and then he biked the last fourteen miles to the campground. (It would take an act of God to get him to repeat that now that he's twelve). Our daughter, who was six, biked the entire way.
A few years ago, I used our Bike Friday family triple to bicycle with the kids from Santa Fe to Bandelier National Monument. It was farther, and steeper, and we ended up walking up out of the canyons, but we still made it.
Tanglefoot
1-22-14, 1:17pm
Not a parent, but for bike touring as a family, you might explore recumbent bicycles, maybe even tandem recumbents. The seating position is much more comfortable for long stretches, and I've read that pedaling efficiency is better. Costs tend to run higher, but some careful second-hand shopping could be successful.
On trailers, I don't think there's necessarily always a correlation with durability and price. Pay more attention to the design, construction and materials. I've had no trouble whatsoever with the least-expensive new trailer I could find (~$70)--it has nice materials and simple, durable construction with a steel frame, simple folding arms and cotter pin connections--there's not much that can go wrong. I've been using it to run errands for years.
You can also salvage used trailers and modify them. I disassembled another bike trailer someone was giving away and turned it into a cargo flatbed. A child seat could be mounted on something similar, with a roll bar or two over the top... Entire, custom trailers can also be scratch-built. There are lots of examples online.
The hitch on bike trailers can be a trouble spot--it's not a bad idea to carry an extra spring coupler. Some have also made their own flexible couplers out of heavy-duty hose, the u-joints from socket sets, etc. If the trailer is coupled to the wheel skewer, you might also bring an extra skewer--it's possible for them to break from trailer hitch stresses.
Trailers are a great way to handle cargo without affecting the handling of the bike too much.
Have a great trip--I'm sure it'll be an incredible experience!
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