Last summer, we hiked the Wonderland Trail with our 7 kids (ages 14 down to 18 months). The Wonderland is a 93-mile loop trail around Mount Rainier, with 22,000 feet of elevation gain. People have taken anywhere from 20 hours to 15 days to hike the entire thing. We did it in 12 days. Here’s…
Tag: family adventure planning
Best Easy, Tasty Backpacking Meals for Your Next Adventure
We learned a lot last summer when we backpacked the 93-mile Wonderland Trail, including: how to cook on a tiny stove (smaller than the size of our hands) with white gas how to make really TASTY one-pot meals, from grocery-store-bought food how to condense food and packages into easily-transportable portions If you’re learning about hiking, or wanting some…
12 Tips for Hiking with 3 to 6 Year Olds
Hiking with toddlers and preschoolers is quite different from hiking with older children. Especially if you’ve been an avid hiker with only adult-sized people, you are going to have to dramatically change your expectations. Nonetheless, hiking with 3-6 year olds really *IS* possible, and you can even ENJOY your hike together. We hike often with…
Top 5 Practical Qs About Hiking the Wonderland Trail with Kids
When we were planning our trip on the Wonderland Trail (video here, daily blogs start here), I wanted as many details as I could get my hands on. Yes, you CAN take kids on the Wonderland Trail. Yes, you CAN take babies on the Wonderland Trail. It takes extra effort, but can be an utterly AMAZING…
Our Wonderland Trail Video
In August 2016, we completed a 12-day backpacking trip around Mt. Rainier. As a family of 9. It was an adventure, and a challenge. Because of blood sugar issues and concerns about whether or not our 3 & 1/2 year old could finish, we considered quitting. I’m so glad we decided to keep going. It…
12-Day Wonderland Trail Family Backpacking Adventure
In August 2016, we took a 12-day backpacking trip around Mt. Rainier with our 7 children (ages 14 to 1 year old), on the incredible Wonderland Trail. In 12 articles, I’ve shared the good, the bad, & the ugly. You can read our story here. I published journal entries, pictures, & memories from our family…
How Our Family Geared Up for the Wonderland Trail
When our family (with 7 kids ages 14 & under) backpacked the 93-mile Wonderland Trail, one of the biggest considerations we faced was how much, and what, gear to bring. Here’s how we made it work: BACKPACKS Each person carried their own pack: Doug: Osprey 85-liter Aether Jess: REI Piggyback toddler/child carrier (we tried soft packs & Kelty…
Organization ON the Trail – Family Backpacking & Adventure Planning
One of the first things we realized, when we decided to take on the family adventure of hiking the 93-mile Wonderland Trail, was that we would need to be super-organized, both in advance of, and while on, the trail. Here’s the specifics of how we stayed organized during our family backpacking trip. ORGANIZE THE TRAIL INFORMATION One of the…