I love going hiking with my daughter. She will be 2 in a week from now and ever since she was 5 months we have taken her hiking in a Deuter kid carrier I bought at REI.
With this bag she’s been all over Virginia and North Carolina.
She’s been carried up mountains, around lakes, through swamplands, over hills, and so on. She’s hiked when it was hot out and hiked in the cold. We’ve experienced highs and lows. There have been (many) moments of laughter and (fewer…thank God) moments of ‘get me the hell out of here’ screaming agony.
We’ve shared snacks, sang songs, learning much about each other during these hikes. Our time with the backpack has been some of our best father-daughter bonding moments or “Daddy daughter trip” as she likes to call it.
These adventures allow her to experience the serene peacefulness of nature in a time where it seems like noise surrounds us and everyone is constantly connected to phones, TV, computers, or music. It gives both of us an opportunity to relax without all the stimulation.
Soon she will be too big to fit in the hiking bag. The “baby stage” of hiking will be over and the joys of “toddler hiking” will be here, which I assume will be a lot of “dad my feet hurt” and “are we there yet.” I’m excited for those days too. I’m sure those days will bring more and more memories to cherish.
As for right now, I’m going to enjoy the backpack. Enjoy the moments I’m given. Isn’t that the key to life anyways?
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