Last Labor Day week, Liz’s family took us on a backpacking trip in the High Sierra. It was without any doubt one of the best family weekend we’ve had in a long time. Our weekend was filled with hikes around stunning landscapes, plunges in oh-so-cold water, star gazing at 10,000 feet, canned wine and even a quick boat ride for some of us. Here are the 10 things I learned as a first time family backpacking.

Don’t over think it

Are the kids going to walk? Are we going to be cold? Will we have enough to eat? What if one of us gets hurt? What if the weather turns bad? So many things can go wrong, but thanks to good planning you can cross out most of your concerns. Of course going with Liz’s family who has done it dozens of times helps. Also I am not an anxious kind of person and I am always ready for some adventures. I think it brings us closer as a family and the kids learn so much from these experiences.

Start simple, start’em young and involve kids in planning

As a kid I remember going on those backpacking trips every summer with my parents in the Southern French Alps. We would go on trips for 5 days, walking from one mountain hut to the other. The only things we had to carry were our clothes and some water. We would get our picnic lunches from the refuges and eat dinner at the refuge as well. We would sleep in the same room with 20 - 30 snoring people. I remember hating it. I could not wait to be old enough not to go on those trips ever again. And here I am today planning those exact same adventures with my kids. And we love it!

I like to involve the kids in the planning: they don’t get to decide IF we are going or not. Oh no! But they get to decide what food to bring, which backpack they will carry, which new skill they are going to learn, which buddy they are going to walk with.

Fire restrictions, permits and wildlife

Here in California you need to be aware if you need a permit or not, where to get it and when. The good spots get reserved fast. Or try to find an area that does not need any permit so you can actually be more spontaneous and decide to go depending on the weather.

Also in California, as in a lot of other states in America, you need to be aware of the wildlife. Bears will be looking for your food at night. As will the raccoons. You will need to learn how to hook any food related items in a tree high enough that they can’t get to it. Same thing with your trash.

You also need to be aware of any California fire restrictions in the dry season. You might need a permit for a stove or a campfire. Some recreation areas even have year-round fire restrictions. You will have to do a little homework.

Friends are valuable (essential?)

When traveling with kids, usually it will be easier to have them walk long distances if they have a friend to talk to. It’s as simple as that! The candy fairy can always make some appearances to keep the pace going. Of course be ready for some whining and complaining. But you’ll get there. Friends bring motivation but also share their experiences, funny stories and camaraderie! And what a treasured memory they will bring back from those adventures where you can push your limits and get out of your confort zone.

Learning opportunities

These backpacking trips are the best time to learn new skills for exemple: where to find fresh water, how to make a fire, how to use a carving knife, how to spot wildlife and what is foraging. These are some skills that kids are always excited to learn and that are also very helpful around the camp. I remember as a kid being so proud to have my own knife and be able to help out prepare the lunch or carve my own wooden spoon.

About food

Let’s be honest when I told my husband we were going backpacking for 2 nights and bringing only dehydrated food… I did not see a sign of excitement in his face. Dehydrated food? Really? He was already brainstorming on how he would bring a cheese fondue! - And by the way so he did when he went backpacking with his friend not long after this trip - We brought dehydrated food as Liz had recommended: rice, lasagnas and the good old mac & cheese which was perfectly fine. Really. At least there were no kids complaining at dinner time. Ah! On the other hand my husband swore that next time he would bring some real food. I promise to report back on that! We did bring a few cans of wine and were able to enjoy them one night as the kids were all watching something on a tablet. How cool to have an adult date at 10,000 feet surrounded by beautiful mountains at sunset.

We also brought high calorie food like nuts, bars, dried fruits for snacks and some crackers, dry meat, cheese and apples for lunch.

Gear, gear, gear…

There are so many gear available out there it is easy to get lost in the things you really need. In my opinion you need to invest in a warm sleeping bag and some solid shoes. The rest is bonus. There is the possibility to rent the equipment if you are not sure that is something you want to invest in. My husband researched backpacking stoves for daaays… Liz recommended the Jetboil and today I can also recommend the BioLite. It’s true that it is not as compact as the Jetboil but it uses wood as fuel and at night you can use it at a source of heat and light. Here is the list of the things we brought with us:

Backpacking tent
Sleeping bag + mat + inflatable pillow (yes we are fancy like that)
Water filter + water bottles
First aid kit + bathroom kit
Headlamps
Stove + Fuel + lighter
Food + garbage bag + utensils
Clothes: pant, top, fleece, underwear, hat, beanie, socks, swimsuit, pjs
Bear box (which can serve as a seat) or rope

Share the load & the chores

I remember starting to gather all the things I wanted to bring a few days before our trip and being completely overwhelmed. How was I going to make everything fit in our backpacks? I found 2 smaller backpacks for the kids and they did carry their own clothes, sleeping back, mat and inflatable pillow. Just that made a whole difference! I also knew we were only going to hike for a little bit so I was ready to carry my own backpack and another if needed. But the kids were real champions and did carry their backpack on the hike. Then the boat took over for the remaining of the hike. Thank you Jared!!

On the camp the day is mostly filled with shores: finding a good spot for the tent, setting up the camp, finding and filtering water, finding a spot to hang the food, finding wood for the stove, cooking dinner (or should I just say boiling water for dinner). Kids are always happy to be involved and it makes everybody happy to just be part of the adventure.

Establish a base camp and explore

Planning 2 nights is long enough so you can enjoy one full day in the mountains without having to deal with unpacking or packing. Backpacking is a lot of work! And so it seemed logic to go for 2 nights so we would have one full day to enjoy ourselves. That day we were able to have a quiet breakfast all together and enjoy a warm coffee in the morning sun. Then the whole group went hiking (without any heavy backpacks. Yay!) to some waterfalls and lakes further up. We were back on time for a picnic lunch by a lake where most of us went for a swim - or should I say the quickest plunge! The afternoon was filled with naps, wood carving, exploring and a few chores before dinner. The best part was clearly star gazing. At 10,000 feet the air is very crisp and that night was were lucky to have a new moon.

Be safe, have fun and leave no trace

Would you be interested, some sports equipment stores organize workshops and classes around wilderness safety, backcountry navigation, or backpacking basics. It’s a great way to get started.

These backpacking trips are a plunge into the wonderful world of exploring magnificent landscapes on foot with all the necessary essentials on your back. It surely makes you appreciate what you have back home and the easiness of turning a tap on for water or the confort of your own bed. I hope this guide will inspire you to consider the possibilities!

And leave no trace.

We also pick up the trash we find on our path. We are ready for the next adventure!