Start em young?

[MoHiker79]

My 3 year old son absolutely loves my hammock, when it's not in use in the woods it hangs down in the rec room so we can enjoy it all the time. I recently bought a GT ultralight because I wanted to try it out (and it was inexpensive enough)...I didn't like it. So I hung it under his bunk bed with some slight modifications. Works out great and he loves it.

Anyone else try to get their young kids involved? Success? Failures? Suggestions? He always wants to go on hikes with me and just be outside, so I try to encourage it, hoping that it's something that continues.

henley hammock.jpg

[Stormstaff]

That's a great idea. Our 5 yr old slept in one of my spare hammocks this June when we were in the Smokies for 3 days and absolutely loved it. He's itching to go again.

[Thunder Adventure Co]

Great photo! I would have loved something like that under my bunk bed when I was kid too.

I've been taking my sons camping since they were around 2 years old or so.

We started off car camping and then began backpacking when they were around 5 years old or so.

I always bring them. The day will probably come when they will refuse to come because they would rather hang out with friends or anything but haul weight up a mountain.

But so far I can still convince them to come and even if they do decide they don't like it anymore at some point in the future, I'm sure they'll return to it again one day.

IMHO I don't think it's ever too early. I know some people don't want to push it for fear of turning their kids off. I look at it like someday they may not want to do it no matter what (teenage years and beyond), so better get the time in now while they're young.

Keep it up! Makes for great memories together.

[MoHiker79]

Great photo! I would have loved something like that under my bunk bed when I was kid too.

I've been taking my sons camping since they were around 2 years old or so.

We started off car camping and then began backpacking when they were around 5 years old or so.

I always bring them. The day will probably come when they will refuse to come because they would rather hang out with friends or anything but haul weight up a mountain.

But so far I can still convince them to come and even if they do decide they don't like it anymore at some point in the future, I'm sure they'll return to it again one day.

IMHO I don't think it's ever too early. I know some people don't want to push it for fear of turning their kids off. I look at it like someday they may not want to do it no matter what (teenage years and beyond), so better get the time in now while they're young.

Keep it up! Makes for great memories together.

We took him on his first camping trip over the summer. Car camping next to a river at a State Park. It was quite the experience, lol. We were tent camping and I was so paranoid that he would unzip the tent in the middle of the night and we wouldn't hear him escape, so I tied all the zipper pulls together with paracord! Wasn't necessary but I was able to sleep without concern.

I was also figuring around 5 I would start trying some short, easy backpacking trips with him. He pretty much likes/wants to do whatever I do at this point so there is no convincing needed to get him out. I know as he gets older that can all change, but I hope not!

[wrangler88]

My son is two and a half and has probably been camping more nights than most adults. Probably at least 30 - 40 nights. We all just sleep in a family tent and he loves running around in there. I always take my hammock to lounge in and he can't wait to get in. I don't trust him in there by himself but we lay together a lot. Haven't ever slept in there with him. As hot as he is when he sleeps and as much as he moves around, it doesn't sound pleasant.

[Codiak]

My son just turn 4. We've done a dozen or so weekend trips since he was 2. Wife gets the tent and he prefers to sleep with me under the stars. We've done 1 night in the back yard in Hammocks so far and am gearing hammock cold gear as we plan on some cold Nebraska nights soon.

He does fine... At least until morning when he turns into a momma's boy

[Rat]

Gage has been going with me since he was 7 months old. Roz and I decided he could start going with me when he started walking; and he started walking at 7 months. I had to take diapers with me! He has always camped/slept in hammocks except when Roz went (which was rare) and before she converted to the hammock as well.

Early on I used a strut to keep our hammocks next to each other on the same tree. But I soon learned that it wasn't that big of a deal. We were soon sleeping close but on separate trees. He has only rolled out once (taking a nap), and he was so close to the ground that he didn't even wake up!

He's 11 now and goes when I go; he loves it.

[STinGa]

My kids have been car camping since they were ~2 months old. As for back packing, ~5 years old and they carried their hammocks, poncho liners, and toiletries in a book bag and I carried the rest of their gear.

The only real issue that I ran into with the backpacking was the bigger kids wanted to move faster than the younger ones.

STinGa

[lazy river road]

My twin boys are 17 months and I have not been on a camping trip with them yet. I plan on taking them out on their first car camping trip this mid spring but first have to convince the wife. They probably won't be in hamocks but they can sleep in the tent with the wife. Ill probably wait till their 5 or 6 before I let them sleep in by them selves in their own hamocks.

[dink712]

My grandkids have been camping, both tent and hammock since they were each just a few months old. The little one (age 4) is getting her own purple hammock for the holidays...she just does not care for the green one she sleeps in now!! My sons started camping with me when they were infants too so my son thought it was fine when I took his babies camping!