Elliot, DH and I took three 14 year old Scouts on a 30km hike in the Cathedrals recently. This meant being able to carry all we needed for 2 nights of camping and hiking. Elliot and I took the Croozer instead of me carrying him and my hike pack. Our Group Leader thought we were nuts to take a 2 year old hiking, but he's gone everywhere else with us, so why not? We weren't being reckless, we had thought through all the possibilities: scorpions (saw one there once, but no, they're not lethal in Australia), bushfire (our last hike in the same place was evacuated due to bushfire), and all the usual stuff like broken limbs and running out of water.
It was so cold at that time (late August) that we assumed it may snow where we were to be hiking. This was something we had not deal with before, and I was worried about the risks of hypothermia for Elliot. So I grabbed an old pair of my polypropolene thermal pants and turned them into this thermal top for Elliot.
This was made exclusively on my new overlocker and I made it with the seams outwards so it wouldn't be scratchy on Elliot's lovely skin. Don't you love the pink thread?
I figured that if I put him in deliciously warm woolley longies over his cloth nappies he wouldn't need thermal pants. We also packed woollen beanies made by our lovely neighbour, fleecey mittens from SIL in Canada, and lots of warm socks.
I'm so glad we did all this because the first night was horridly cold, so I didn't get much sleep, and the first morning was so bitterly cold that none of us could feel our fingers at all and I was blowing warm air on Elliot's hands in desperation to heat them up a little. Once the sun came up we were fine and the next night was much warmer.
This top is nice and big so it will fit him for next year's adventures with the Scouts, but I'm not sure I'll be doing a 30km hike again. It was just too much for my old body. (I'm 30 now, so I can call myself 'old').
If you want to see pics from the hike, check out this entry in my other blog. Just scroll past the birthday stuff.
2 comments:
Why would it be irresponsible to take a 2 y.o. hiking? Doesn't seem odd to me at all - my son went everywhere with me at that age, including primitive camping (in a tipi, no running water, toilet, etc.) in the middle of nowhere at 8 months old.
What do people think parents did 150 years ago? Do they really think it's better to leave a child behind?
With a little preparation, I just don't see the problem...
Thank you so much for your kind words on my blog, and for permission to use your pictures ;-)
Well, just to make you giggle, aforementioned Group Leader asked if I wanted to leave Elliot with her for the weekend. Now that is an irresponsible thought: To leave a child who is still breastfed up to 6 times a day with someone whose parenting I do NOT respect. Yeah!
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