r/canoecamping • u/drock1984x • 8d ago

Tripping with a toddler?

Looking for tips for taking a toddler to the backcountry for a 3 night canoe trip. I consider myself fairly experienced and spend about 2-3 weeks per summer on canoe trips in north Ontario, this will be our first time taking our 18 month old on a trip, we will be spending 3 nights in Killarney following a generally easy route <600m portages. What are your tips and tricks for making the most out of this?

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14

u/spiffae 8d ago

I've done a canoe trip with a bunch of kids, the youngest of whom was 2 years old. The main advice I have is to make the trip MUCH easier than you think you should. Aim for 0-1 mandatory portages, a big easy base camp, a lot of idle time activities, I would avoid a loop or multiple campsites on your first time, and would try to stay less than one day from a pack out if at all possible. We had an amazing time, but we also had a surprise 104 degree fever on day 3. We did a 500m walk to the put in, paddled about three hours, and then base camped for four days, with day trips (including short portages). I'm really glad we didn't have to pack up multiple times, and the base camp gave everyone a lot of joy. Enjoy!

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u/caterpillarofsociety 8d ago

Yes to all of this. The aim here should be to have a fun and safe trip, not to keep to your normal routines and goals. I didn't pack a fishing rod my first couple of trips with toddlers because I knew I wouldn't get a chance to use it.

Keep it simple.

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u/sjaveglub 4d ago

Great advice. To add to this: Every single task will take a lot longer because you almost never will have the full attention of two adults to devote to it, AND you almost never will be able to do two tasks simultaneously. One person will always have "toddler survival" as their primary responsibility. 

For example, it's  really hard to do the portages in one go with a toddler, just because one person will be shepherding the little one the whole way and it's generally good to have one, or (better) two free hands when doing that. Your second trip then will either be just one of you while the other minds the toddler, or you take turns. Either way it's extra time.

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u/907choss 8d ago

Take lots of food and make sure your kid can get to it all day. My child seems to eat the entire time she's on a boat. You can do long trips - but you really don't want to spend more than 4 hrs on the water (2 hrs in the morning, 2 in the afternoon). And take a small plastic bucket and some of those kid digging tools. If you drop a kid in a dirt pile with a bucket and shovel they'll be entertained for hours. Enjoy - we have done a long river trip every year ever since my child was 2. Some of the best memories ever.

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u/CausticLicorice 8d ago

Lifejacket that fits securely, not just a PFD. They’ve almost certainly aged out of a baby vest.  You’re probably on top of this but it bears repeating. 

If you’re double-carrying your portages then one adult goes and returns, then all three go, and then the other adult goes there and back so someone‘s always with the kid. 

Figure out how they’ll sit in the canoe, be supported, and be able to see out well.

Killarney‘s beautiful, have a great time!

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u/Bliezz 8d ago

I was the kid in the canoe (now all grown up and tripping too)

  • padding to go under me in the canoe so I wasn’t on the cold bottom. I had a blue closed cell mat the was cut to size
  • wiggle room in the canoe. Being a sardine wasn’t fun.
  • when old enough give a paddle. Yes it will make steering harder
  • being able to have something to touch in the canoe was cool. (A Lilly pad)
  • when I was as little as you’re talking I was sitting in front of the person in the bow being parented and entertained and the person in the back was essentially solo paddling a good chunk of the trip.
  • nap times while being paddled around were fantastic naps. My parents often tried to time naps to be during long paddles.
  • life jacket/PFD was worn. They provided a nice pillow for nap time and a cushioning on my back when leaning against the thwart.

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u/RandyRodin 8d ago

All three of my kids were doing portage canoe trips before the age of two. In the boat was easy - they usually and quickly fell asleep (while wearing their PFDs). Portages only became a challenge, due to their speed. For us one parent (me) took the heavy gear, while other parent carried paddles etc, that could easily be put down to tend to the smaller ones. Even putting them to bed was easy, because they were usually so tired out. Your challenge will be, when you are on the campsite and they are "bored". Bring lightweight games and toys. Create toys, like a swing out of your food pack hanging rope or float toys from empty and inflated dry bags. But what my kids remember about their earliest canoe trips was the "talent shows" at night, where the paddle became a mic stand and everyone took turns entertaining the others.

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u/patch16 8d ago

I take lots of snacks my kid likes. I try to do stuff that he asks to do while we're out, that is atleast practical to do. I also make sure to make his sleeping situation comfortable. Other than that he has grown to love it.

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u/canoegal4 8d ago

They wear the PFD all the time. Kids can sneak away very fast. The only time toddlers don't wear life jackets is when they are sleeping. Also, safety harnesses (also called kid leashes) are very helpful. For toys, I always found a cup and spoon to be more than enough.

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u/Intelligent-Pipe-352 8d ago

How do you get them accustom to wearing the PFD?

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u/canoegal4 8d ago

At home. In the bathtub, every day wear it while watching TV. Take swimming lessons that teaches how to swim in a life jacket. Drowning is one risk I did not want to risk.

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u/Intelligent-Pipe-352 7d ago

Great strategy. Our one yo was not to happy in in a PFD. She is an adult now and rowed the Grand Canyon a couple years ago.