Taking an overnight trip was a spur of the moment decision. Our daughter, Wiggle, was finally sleeping halfway through the night, and I desperately needed to get some trail-time in. Although I felt ready to ease back into backpacking, I wasn't ready to do it alone. Especially not with an infant. At this stage, she required constant care and attention. Trying to set up camp while also making sure all her needs were met seemed like too much to juggle by myself. I needed my husband's help!
I wanted Wiggle's first overnight hike to be somewhere local and free. This way we wouldn't have to worry about reservations, park curfews, and a long ride home if we got on the road later than expected or had to bail out for some reason during the night. We live relatively close to a wildlife management area, with a short trail to a campsite on the lake. A few year ago, we took the dogs there to teach them how to swim. They had an absolute blast! It seemed like the perfect place to make more memories with our growing family.
Backpacking with a 10 week old wasn't easy, but it was so worth it! Jordan was definitely the star player. I don't think this trip could have happened without him. He handled a lot of the camp chores I didn't feel ready to take on alone like cooking, filtering water, and collecting firewood. Bringing a baby on the trail does get easier over time. Sort of... each developmental stage has its own unique challenges. Like anything though, once you establish routines and find what works for you, that feeling of overwhelm before a trip is replaced with confidence. In this is a short trail journal from our experience I talk about what went well, some of the challenges we ran into, and what we learned to do better next time.
Hike Overview
Type of hike: Out-and-back
Trails hiked: Palmetto Trail
Time span: 2 days 1 night
Total Est. Mileage: 4 miles
Trail Journal
We pulled up to the gravel parking lot around 3 p.m. Jordan went around back to open the hatch and let the dogs out. While he started putting their packs on, I got Wiggle out of her carseat and into the carrier. It was only a 2 mile hike in, but that didn't matter. I was just excited to be on the trail again. Putting my pack on for the first time in months felt so satisfying. Like when you find something you thought was lost. Wearing the carrier under my pack did feel a little odd at first, but I got used to it after a while.
As we made our way down the trail, I realized I was falling further and further behind. It hadn't occurred to me how weak and easily fatigued I would still feel at two months postpartum. Jordan stopped repeatedly with the dogs to wait for me. After the fourth or fifth time, though, I told him it was okay for us to go at our own paces. The trail was relatively straight, so I would still be able to see them even if they got a long way ahead. Ever the gentleman, he rejected the suggestion.
We missed a turn at some point along the way. We realized the mistake when we reached a canal. There were concrete slabs on either side with anchors where a bridge should be... but no bridge.
"Well that's not good." I blurted out.
Jordan pointed back the way we came. "So, that's what that was."
We passed a large metal panel propped up against some trees earlier, and thought it was kind of strange. At first we just stood there staring at the obstacle ahead. Jordan said he was pretty sure we went across a bridge last time. I vaguely remembered something like that. At least, I thought I did. The more I tried to recall the details, the more doubts I had about it really happening. So, I pulled out the GPS to clear up the confusion. It confirmed that this was the wrong way. We were about half a mile away from the actual trail to the campsite. Thankfully, the baby slept through most our unintentional detour.
Back on track, we reached the turn off for the campsite. The gravel trail turned into a dirt path through the trees. It rained recently, leaving the ground soft and mushy. It's not easy to keep your balance walking through mud. Especially when you have a baby on your front, a pack on your back, and bugs swarming your eyes. Every step seemed to stir up more gnats and mosquitoes. This wasn't at all how I envisioned things going. My enthusiasm for this family adventure was briefly replaced with feelings of regret. I couldn't help but think: "What if going camping isn't a good idea after all." In hindsight, I'm so glad I didn't let that voice of doubt convince me to call it off.
The mosquitoes retreated by the time we reached the campsite. The gnats, not so much. We dropped our packs under a big oak tree. The most pressing question on my mind was "What do I do with the baby while we unpack all our gear?" I could keep wearing her in the carrier, but then she wouldn't be protected from the sun and bugs. On top of that, my aching shoulders desperately needed a break. Jordan had it covered! Using his camp chair, some mosquito netting, and an inflatable bath aid we brought along, he put together a baby-friendly seat for her in the shade. The back of the camp chair was tall enough that it kept the netting off her face. To my surprise, she sat there contently sucking on her fist as we set up the tent.
From there, we decided to divide up the remaining tasks. I would take a shift with the baby and set up anything that needed to go in the tent, while Jordan started on camp chores. I took Wiggle and the inflatable bath aid out of the chair and place her inside the tent next to me. I worked on inflating sleeping pads in between changing Wiggle and getting her next bottle ready. I ended up making several modifications to that bath aid in the months that followed; adapting it to each new developmental stage. It was so helpful on our first few trips that I decided to designate it as Wiggle's camp chair from that point on. I was so sad to retire her inflatable "chair" when she finally outgrew it.
Once the most important things were out of the way, we could enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Jordan took Barrett and Nora swimming while I finished feeding Wiggle. When she was done, we headed down to the beach to join them. Jordan offered to hold her for a while so I could get in. The water was way too cold for me though. I didn't mind watching the fun from afar. I always get a laugh out of watching the dogs play in the water. It's the same game every time. Nora is an excellent swimmer and loves paddling around. Barrett could be a better swimmer if he wanted to, but chooses to stay where it's shallow. Nora uses that to her advantage by antagonizing him on the shore, before charging back into the deep end. Barrett's counter move is to try to keep Nora in the water by guarding the shore. She always finds a way around him though.
After about an hour of splashing around, Jordan brought the dogs back up to camp to dry off. It was around then Wiggle started getting fussy. Pacing back and forth with her in the carrier did the trick at first. Then, all of a sudden she became inconsolable. Someone clearly needed a nap! I layered my Klymit sit pad and a reflective mat inside the tent, for Wiggle to lay on. This first iteration of the baby's sleep system, like the inflatable "camp chair,"evolved a lot as she got older. We took advantage of her naptime by finishing any partially completed tasks around camp and getting a started on dinner. Trying to stay one step ahead, I also heated up water on the stove for her next bottle.
We brought along a pocket size grill to cook hot dogs on. The kind with metal panels that interlock to make a firebox you can burn sticks or charcoal in. It took me a couple minutes to figure out how all the pieces fit together. It didn't help that the directions had no words. Just a few blurry illustrations which seemed to skip steps. I handed the grill off to Jordan when the baby woke up from her nap.
As the sun dipped lower over the lake, a strong wind swept in. It knocked over our camp chairs any time either of use stood up. It also made getting a flame started in the little grill a challenge. Just when I thought it was going to be cold hot dogs for dinner, Jordan was able to get a fire going. He then used hot coals from the fire to keep a flame alive in the little grill. When everything was ready, we took turns eating and holding the baby.
The sun finally set, leaving a soft orange glow over the choppy water. After it faded, I sat Wiggle down in Jordan's lap. It was time to get everything ready for her in the tent. I moved some gear around to make a clear path to where she would sleep between us. I also hooked up my mtnGLO lights. I could faintly hear Jordan singing to her in the background. It started out as Michael Buble and Jack Johnson's greatest hits... and for some reason it quickly devolved in Christmas carols where all the words were replaced by her first and middle name. It pained me to break up daddy-daughter-karaoke, but it was time for her to go to bed. I scooped Wiggle up and carried her back to the tent. Then, I zipped her up in a cozy fleece sleep sack and placed her on the sit pad reflective mat combo from earlier.
I stayed in the tent with her for a couple minutes. When I was sure she had fallen asleep, I turned off the glow lights and headed back to the fire. Earlier in the evening, Jordan and I talked a big game about how we were going to stay up late after the baby finally went to bed. It was all talk, though. We were both so exhausted! We only made it another 45 minutes before deciding to turn in for the night.
You would think getting the baby to sleep soundly in the tent was the biggest obstacle we faced on this trip. However, that wasn't the case at all. She was out like a light the moment I put her to bed, and stayed that way until 2 a.m. After changing her diaper and giving her a bottle, she went right back to sleep. Wiggle woke up a few minutes after us around 7:30 a.m. So, what's the secret? More than anything, I think it was sticking to the bedtime routine she has at home. By starting at the same time and doing everything in the same order we always do, it let her know "Now it's the time to go to sleep. Even though we're somewhere new."
I awoke to a terrifying realization the next morning... There wasn't a single clean bib left in my clothes bag. I figured since it was just an overnight, 10 would be enough. Talk about a gross miscalculation! Those of you who also have children are probably laughing right now, and thinking back to a similar blunder you made as a new parent. I dug around in my pack for anything that would make a decent substitute. I pulled out a bandana I had packed in my toiletry kit for washing my hands and face. It had little boot prints and diamond A.T. blazes all over it. I picked it up at Bluff Mountain Outfitters after our 20 mile trek from Max Patch to Hot Springs back in September (of 2023.) It was by far the most difficult hike I did while I was pregnant, and that bandana was a souvenir of the accomplishment. Here it was six months later keeping my baby's pajamas clean and dry.
Barrett and Nora started getting antsy watching me moving things around in the tent. So, I unzipped the front door to let them out. Jordan followed after and started rebuilding the fire. I rolled back the vestibule on my side of the tent to heat up water for Wiggle. I handed the stove and kettle off to Jordan when I was through with it so he could fix our coffee. When Wiggle was fed and changed, we joined the rest of the family by the fire. The sounds herons fishing and water lapping the shore filled the background. The cool air and warm glow from the fire added to the ambiance. As we sat around drinking our coffee, it dawned on me... We haven't seen a single boat the whole time we've been here! That's the kind of solitude you just can't get on Lake Keowee or Jocassee.
My original plan was to cook eggs for breakfast. It seemed like a great idea while I was packing, but now I wasn't sure all that prep work and clean-up was worth it. Jordan and I just had coffee and whatever snacks were leftover in the food bag from the day before instead. The eggs became part of Barrett and Nora's breakfast along with the usual packet of tuna. They certainly didn't mind the sudden change to the menu!
Jordan and the dogs went swimming again. Meanwhile, I started packing things up and stacking them outside the tent. When only the tent and camp chairs were left, I put Wiggle in the carrier and walked out to the beach. I called to Jordan "You about ready to go?" I was surprised to hear him say he was hoping to stick around a little longer. I flipped Jordan's camp chair down for Wiggle to nap in and stretched the mosquito net over it. I figured we would time our hike out with the baby's mid-morning nap, but this worked too. It gave me an opportunity to break down the tent, prep her next bottle, and dip my feet in the water one more time. When she woke up, the only thing left to pack was the camp chair.
Donning the baby carrier and backpack once again, I was reminded of my sore shoulders from the day before. I fed Wiggle in the carrier while we walked. I had some trouble putting the bottle in the side pocket of my pack when she was done and needed Jordan to do it for me. On the way back to the parking lot, we saw an alligator sunning itself on the other side of a ditch. Aside from birds, we didn't encounter any other interesting wildlife. We stopped at a local place in town for lunch on the way home. We had to keep up our post-trail burger tradition. There's something about burgers (and pizza) that always hits the spot after a trip.
Despite feeling in over my head at times, I consider our daughter's first backpacking trip a success. It was such a valuable learning experience and prepared me for future adventures with a baby. The biggest challenge, I think, when first starting out is time management. You get used to doing everything a certain way on the trail. Then you throw things like bottles, naptime, and diaper changes into the mix and it can really throw you off your game. The obvious solution is to find ways to work those new responsibilities into your existing routines. In some cases, you may need to come up with completely new ones to make it work. You won't figure it all out the first time... and probably not the second time either. But at some point, the pieces start to come together. We really hit our stride around 6 to 9 months old. Wiggle is entering toddlerhood now. And that means a whole new set of challenges ahead.
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