What ages are appropriate for camping?

[ejdixon]

IMO, age limits are on the parents, not the kids. If the parents can handle the kids in that environment at that age then they're good to camp. If the parents cannot handle them, or do not want to, then they cannot camp. The kid is not the limiting factor. It's the person who would be responsible for their well being.

Well said, Chad. Kids, especially infants and toddlers need a lot of attention and care whenever you go camping with them. It's up to the parents to make sure that they stay safe and enjoy at the same time.

 

[Hikenhunter]

Hikenhunter,

By 11 we were going on our own backpacking trips.

We did too but with the world the way it is today we would be negligent to allow 11 year olds to backpack without adults in their presence. I grew up in a place where we had a short walk to a small wood lot and we were camping there when we were very young without any adult supervision but today our parents would be considered bad parents if they left us do the things we did back then

 

[ppine]

Hikenhunter,

You might be right. We used to walk along the tracks some times to get to town, instead of riding our bikes on the roads. There were hobo camps then, and some of the guys would jump out of the brush to scare us. We all had pocket knives, and played sports all the time and could out run any adult.

As teen agers we used to hang around the black street people, because they would share their wine with us. We had radar to detect danger and traveled in groups. Kids today are very slow to mature.

I was at church camp at about age 13, and was propositioned by a male counselor for sexual favors. I told him to take a flying leap, and if he did it again I would rat him out.

My point is that there were plenty of hazards then too, but parents weren't reminded of them every night on the news. We live in a society of fear and violence that is hyped by the media to sell advertising. Kids deserve some freedom to learn the ways of the world but need some skills to do it safely.

 

[Gus]

If you are taking the kids camping for their sake and experience - then I think about 5 or 6 years old would be the youngest. As mentioned by another commenter - younger than that and most kids won't really remember it.

But if you're taking them because YOU want to go camping - then any age should be fine, it's just on you to make the proper preparations and arrangements to accomadate really young kids that aren't old enough to understand that a campsite is not the same as their living room or back yard.

Gus

 

[TroyS]

Our kids are aged 9, 8, and 5. We've taken them in a number of camping trips already. Have to admit that I'd like to have had the chance to take them out camping earlier. It's not really their age. But more of the fact that my wife and I haven't been out camping since the kids arrived and with work and all so we didn't feel that we were going to be able to care for them that well.

 

[UAE_Camp]

My children start have their camping trip with us start from early age. If I remember correctly, my daughter was 4.5 years old and my son was 2.5 years old at that time.

 

[jb_simerly]

we took our son before he was walking (6 months maybe)took my hammock and lined it with my sleeping bag put him in it took a piece of rope and tied it shut then run the other end of rope to the fire and just pulled the rope and he just layed there and swung away kept him occupied for hours we went 4 time last year before he turned two he love camping now that he can talk he always comes up and asks me when we are going camping when i tell him we have to wait till it warms up he cry's so i have to go get a blanket and make a tent in the house to make him happy

 

[Newanderthal]

1-99... give or take a few years.

I've seen nursing newborns camping and an old man in his late 80's who blew past me on the AT.

 

[TroyS]

If you are taking the kids camping for their sake and experience - then I think about 5 or 6 years old would be the youngest. As mentioned by another commenter - younger than that and most kids won't really remember it.

But if you're taking them because YOU want to go camping - then any age should be fine, it's just on you to make the proper preparations and arrangements to accomadate really young kids that aren't old enough to understand that a campsite is not the same as their living room or back yard.

Gus

That's definitely a good point to consider, Gus. Like what one other commenter mentioned, it's really more about the parents than the kids or the kids' age.