bikepacking

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
How To Level Up Your Adventures with Kids
- March 28, 2024
Adventure is out there! No matter where you’re starting from, each outdoor adventure with your children helps build your confidence as a mom and an adventuer. If you’re ready to take your adventures to the next level, we’re ready to help! Today, Kansas City mom of three, Amy Eastin is here sharing her experience and tips on leveling up your adventures. What started with stroller walks with premature twins has blossomed into thrilling expeditions across the Midwest, as Amy and her children conquer new heights, take on new challenges, and adventure together. Amy shares her tips, insights and experiences on leveling up outdoor adventures with kids, proving that the boundless wonders of nature are not just for the brave, but for families to embrace and enjoy.

Leveling up your outdoor adventures with kids

Going on adventures with kids can seem like a daunting task. There’s a lot to research about where you’re going and what to expect when you get there. There’s all the prep work and packing and planning that has to be done. And then once you start to think about all the negative outcomes and “what ifs,” it might feel totally overwhelming and not worth it. But like most things in life, getting outside and adventuring with kids gets easier with practice. Not just for you, but for your kids, too.

If you make the effort to get outdoors, I believe you will be rewarded with happier and healthier kids (with an added bonus of a mental health boost for you all). You’ll feel better at the end of the day – physically and mentally. You’ll feel more connected to your kids and already looking forward to the next adventure. At least, that’s what happened to us. In this post, I’m sharing my personal journey of getting outside with my kids, how each adventure led us to bigger and better adventures, as well as tips for how you can do it too.

How I got started with adventuring

I have 6-year-old twin girls and a 3-year-old son. Some of our favorite things to do are backpacking, bikepacking, floating, hiking, caving, and more. But believe it or not, I was not outdoorsy before having children. I learned how to do all of these activities for the very first time, with three little kids in tow!

Before children, I backpacked through Southeast Asia and India. I taught English in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria. Outdoor adventures happened, but they were merely part of my travel experience. I wasn’t traveling to have outdoor adventures. And while I considered myself adventurous, I would not call myself “outdoorsy.”

Once I settled down and got married, I continued traveling. Each year, we saved and splurged on a 2-week trip somewhere around the globe. We went on an African safari, saw Machu Picchu, and backpacked through Europe. I looked forward to these trips all year and valued them as an important component to my happiness.

However, when I gave birth to 27-week-old twins, my world was turned upside down. Their medical care was all-consuming and the medical bills for twins in the NICU for 100 days slammed us. Almost all of my income from my job went to medical care and then daycare. It left very little for travel, which we didn’t feel comfortable doing with premie twins. Eventually, I left my job to stay home and help my twins with their health needs.

I felt trapped. I loved my kids and being their mom, but staying in the house all day was making me feel restless and dissatisfied. Traveling had always been such a big part of my life. I was feeling so stir-crazy and overwhelmed with the need to get out there and have some adventures. That’s when I started researching local adventures that we could do as a family. I began to wonder if maybe getting outside, close to us, could fill that need to get out into the world and explore.

How we started adventuring outside together

As you can imagine (and maybe even know from experience), getting outdoors with twin infants is challenging. I had to stick to paved trails where I could push a double stroller. Our outings were wedged between nap times and feedings. My plans were often foiled by weather, sick babies, feeding schedules, doctor’s appointments, or sheer exhaustion on my part. It was not easy.

However, I started to notice that the more we got out of the house, the easier it became. With each outing, my confidence grew and I felt more comfortable on our adventures. Knowing what to pack got easier and the twins became used to our schedule of leaving the house daily. I made sure our van was always stocked with diapers, wipes, and other items I would need when we were away from home. I worried less about whether we forgot an item I “needed” and became more flexible. It took practice, but each outing got easier.

When we first started exploring, we mostly headed to paved trails where I could push the stroller. Eventually, when the twins began to walk, we moved our adventures to parks and playgrounds. This may not seem like much, but at the time, I felt like this was a huge accomplishment!

Getting through the pandemic

And then the world shut down. When the pandemic started, I was about 22 weeks pregnant with my son, and the twins were around 2 years old. Because they were born so early, my twins had been hospitalized multiple times due to respiratory illnesses. We were very afraid of how COVID-19 would impact them and my unborn son, so we took sheltering in place seriously. It didn’t take long before I became restless and depressed.

Once my son was born, we began getting outside again. Surprisingly, I thought it was easier to get outdoors with 2.5 year-old twins and an infant than twin babies. Now, my twins could walk, and I could babywear my son on our outings. This opened doors to new adventures for us, now that we didn’t have to stick to paved trails.

With indoor activities no longer being an option for our family (and we certainly didn’t want to sit around at home), we were forced to get out and embrace all the seasons and weather. Our outdoor adventures were born out of a strong desire to explore and a lack of other options.

The adventure that changed everything

Slowly, as my kids grew, our adventures did too. When my son was 11 months old, and my twins were three, we went on an epic road trip through northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. We camped for the second time (the first time was a practice run a few weeks prior), canoeing for the first time (we went in circles a lot), and hiked as many trails as we could.

At the end of the trip, we had an outfitter take us to a remote island to camp. He packed our pack and play, massive tent, and all our filtered water in his speed boat and canoe. We spent two days and two nights exploring the island, paddling around, and enjoying solitude. It was glorious.

To this day, my husband and I agree that this was the best trip we have taken with our kids. I spent months planning this trip and coaching my twins on what we would do. I was very anxious it would be terrible, but actually it was empowering. Our kids were so happy. We were all proud of ourselves.

This trip made me realize just how much we could do with our kids! It opened up all kinds of possibilities for our outings. I couldn’t wait for the next adventure.

Leveling up our adventures

I think of trying new things on outdoor adventures as “leveling up.” Each time we mastered an activity such as going to the playground or hiking an extra half-mile, we beat a level. My confidence in myself (as both a parent and as an adventurer) grew with each level and outing. My faith in my kids grew, once I saw how they could adapt and handle our adventures.

With each new level accomplished, I would think about what it would make sense for the next level to be and begin working on that. And believe me, it takes a bit of work, planning and preparation before I was ready to tackle each new level.

For example, with canoeing, I read lots of books about canoeing to my twins. We sat on the floor and pretended to be still so that we wouldn’t tip the boat. I read lots of online tips for canoeing with kids. I chatted with friends (both online and in real life) who had experience canoeing with kids. When we first got in the canoe, I let them lean from side to side so they could feel how it would rock the boat. I gave them snacks to keep them entertained (and still) while we paddled.

It was a process of learning for me and for the kids. Together, we worked our way up to the adventure so that we could try something new together in a safe and manageable way.

kids in a canoe at finger lakes

Finding adventure friends

It’s daunting when you’re just getting started taking kids on adventures. But, with every adventure, confidence is gained, and boundaries widen a little further. Adventures start small and build as you gain experience in your outings, confidence in your abilities, and curiosity in what else you can accomplish! Having adventure friends (other moms who inspire you to get outside, or friends who join you on adventures) is something that really empowered me to level up my adventures.

One of the best things that I did to get us outdoors was to start a forest group that met weekly in parks around our area. Originally, I started this because I thought it would be a great way for my kids to play with friends in a setting I felt was safer than indoor scenarios due to COVID-19. However, I quickly realized it was actually transformative in a lot of ways.

For starters, I made a lot of friends and good relationships. It was so great to be able to find and connect with other moms who valued outdoor time with their children. A lot of us had similar parenting philosophies and similarly aged children, which made it easy to bond. I did not realize how important this would be for my mental health, but it definitely helped pull me from a Covid funk.

Learning from experience and others

I learned a lot from the other moms and children. It was interesting to see how they handled situations, what they packed, what their strategies were for calming their kids down, and how they corralled them out of the woods. I grew so much from just observing them and even more from talking to them about their outdoor goals and resources.

Spending planned time outdoors each week also helped my kids gain confidence outside. They started climbing higher, were more sure-footed, and became more comfortable exploring. They got used to hiking and got stronger physically.

I became more confident in my ability to explore the outdoors with them by myself. We learned that I always need snacks, if they go near water they will definitely get wet, and that we would stop often to look at bugs and plants.

Where we’re at now

It’s wild to look back at how far we have come on our outdoor adventures in only three years. Three years ago, I struggled to get out the door, and last year, I took my twins on our first-ever solo backpacking trip. Talk about leveling up! I was so proud of myself for doing this, and my kids were so excited to be included on this adventure. They were proud of themselves, too. I did a ton of research on what to pack, which backpacks to use, how much the kids could carry, and things like water purification. There was a lot to learn and I was nervous to try it, but I started with a short hike that I knew we could do and a beautiful spot with 360-degree views, which made all the work feel worth it.

Recently, I also took my son on our first-ever bikepacking trip. Again, I planned something easy, only biking 5 miles each way. I researched where to go and what to bring. This time, I invited a friend to come along, which made the adventure so much more enjoyable for all of us. At the end of the trip, I was surprised by how much fun my son and I had. I’m hoping to go on another backpacking and bikepacking trip this year with the whole family.

This journey of ours took time and lots of practice. It wasn’t something that happened overnight. Each outing (no matter how small or insignificant it feels) builds your outdoor adventure confidence and skills. Each level is important and helps you get to the next one.

Tips for getting started adventuring with kids

If getting outside and adventuring with your kids is something that you’d like to do, we’re here to help! Getting outside with kids can be overwhelming, but it’s always worth it. Getting started is the hardest part! Here are my tips to get started adventuring with kids:
- Sign up for Adventure Up– an online community of adventure moms looking to level up their adventures, create friendships, and learn from one another.
- Start small; even playgrounds can be big adventures.
- Set a goal, break it down step-by-step, and work toward reaching it. If you want to hike 3 miles with your 5-year-old, slowly (maybe with a 1/2 mile hike) and work your way toward that. Give yourself time and grace to reach your goals.
- Build a community of other parents and kids. Getting outdoors is always more fun with friends!
- Keep your car stocked with snacks and supplies so you can get out the door faster.
- Create a packing list for the items you can’t keep in your car so you don’t forget something. Hang it on the fridge or somewhere easily accessible.
- Make a list of places you’d like to go and things you’d like to do.
- Get your partner involved and onboard. My husband can’t go on a lot of our weekly adventures, but he helps us pack the car, which is a huge and helpful job.
- Make plans. If you set a time or date to do something, you’re more likely to go. Include friends, which will make you even more accountable.
Tips for leveling up your outdoor adventures

If you’re already getting outside and adventuring with kids, good for you! And if you’re anything like me (and most of the moms here at Run Wild My Child), you’re looking forward to the next adventure! Here’s to making it bigger and better! If you’re looking to level up, here are tips on how to grow your adventures:
- Set a big, but attainable goal. Break it down into smaller milestones, and then make those happen. One thing at a time.
- Do your research: read books, listen to podcasts, take a class, ask questions. Make sure you’re prepared to do everything properly to keep your family safe.
- Know your limits. One of the hardest things is knowing when to turn around or stop something to stay safe. Trust your gut.
- Get the kids excited. Involve them in the planning process so they’re invested and can help and look forward to the adventure.
- Do things even if you’re nervous. I am always nervous before adventures; that’s how I know what we’re doing is worth it.
- Find a friend. Everything’s better with friends! It’s usually less work for you and easier, too!
My adventure goals for the future

Our adventures may have started with playgrounds, but I’m excited to see where they will go. Our short backpacking trip was just a stepping stone toward my goal of walking the Santiago De Compostela with my kids when they are teenagers. The bikepacking trip is a piece of my goal to bike the 230+ mile Katy Trail across Missouri. Our stay on a remote island was a step towards helping us prepare for someday canoeing the Boundary Waters.

I don’t know if we will accomplish all of those goals, but I know our family will embark on some epic adventures. Each little adventure leads to a newer and bigger adventure. When my kids get older, our adventures will inevitably change. Our travels and adventures will be shaped around their interests, passions, and schedules. Maybe we will do fewer outdoor adventures (or maybe we’ll do even more!). But, no matter what happens, I will be glad we created memories together and built strong family bonds through challenging ourselves and exploring together.

To learn more about our adventures, check out 11 Most Beautiful State and National Parks in the Midwest and Kansas Hidden Gems.

What’s your family’s next adventure level?

About the author

Amy is a Kansas City-based adventure mom to three kids. She loves exploring all that the middle of the USA has to offer, from hiking trails to family experiences, rivers, museums, and everything in between. Before kids, Amy traveled and lived around the world, rode camels, trekked through mountains, and occasionally danced with the locals. Now, Amy is usually road-tripping with her kids (and sometimes her husband), getting outside, and exploring Kansas City. Amy is passionate about promoting the Midwest as a travel destination and encouraging families to get outdoors with young kids.

You can find more from Amy in the following locations:
Website: http://www.everydayoutdoorfamily.com
Instagram: @everydayoutdoorfamily
Facebook: Everyday Outdoor Family
Tiktok: @everydayoutdoorfamily
RWMC posts: Amy Eastin
BIKE, CAMP, FAMILY TRAVEL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
New Adventures: Our First Bikepacking Trip with Kids
- October 12, 2023
Bikepacking with kids is an opportunity to bond, explore, camp, and create lifelong memories. If you’ve ever dreamt of embarking on a two-wheeled adventure with your little ones in tow, you’re in for a treat. Today, St. Louis mom of three, Steph Hampton, is here to introduce you to the wonderful world of bikepacking with kids and share her family’s first bikepacking experience. She’s included practical tips to ensure a successful and enjoyable journey, advice on how to make the experience as smooth as possible, and what you need to be well-prepared for any adventure. So, fasten your helmets, pump up those tires, and explore the world of bikepacking with kids, one pedal stroke at a time.

The idea to try something new

My husband and I have been married for 7 years now, and he knows that I love to come up with unique adventures for our family. Very rarely does he ever say no to a new adventure, no matter how outlandish some of my ideas are. So, when I asked him one day, “Are you up for something crazy?” He responded, “Sure, why not?!”

My idea was to try bikepacking, which would involve biking our camping gear (and our 3 young children) to a campsite for a weekend. After looking for a route and campground near us, we decided we could totally make this happen! Here’s our story, a bit of information about bikepacking, and some tips that helped us along the way.

What is bikepacking

Bikepacking combines elements of backpacking and traditional biking. It involves using a bicycle as a means of transportation to carry your camping and outdoor gear to your campsite. It’s similar to backpacking (in that you’re carrying all your camping gear with you), but you have the benefit of being on your bike, which can get you farther, and faster.

Benefits of bikepacking

Bikepacking is all about immersing yourself in nature and exploring remote areas that may not be accessible by traditional vehicles. Bikepacking allows you to cover more ground than traditional hiking, allowing you to explore larger areas within a given time frame. You can also travel between different campsites or explore multiple destinations in a single trip.

Cycling is an efficient (and eco-friendly!) mode of transportation, allowing you to carry more gear and cover longer distances without the fatigue associated with backpacking. However, bikepacking can still be physically demanding, as you may encounter steep climbs, rugged trails, and various weather conditions. It offers a satisfying physical challenge for those who love both cycling and the outdoors.

All packed up and ready to start our bikepacking adventure!

What you need to go bikepacking with kids

If you’re interested in a bikepacking adventure, the type and quantity of gear you need will depend on the specifics of your trip and your family. You’ll want to consider things like the duration of your trip, the terrain you’ll be biking on, how long you’ll be camping and the weather. Here’s a general list of essential gear you should consider for bikepacking:
- Bikes — Each person on your trip will need a reliable, well-maintained bike suitable for the terrain you’ll be riding on. If you don’t have a bike trailer or one that carries kids, they’ll each need their own bike, too. Mountain bikes are commonly used for bikepacking, and e-bikes are growing in popularity (this is what we used…more on our bikes below).
- Bikepacking bags — There are various types of bags that fit on bikes. They can attach to the frame, the handlebars, the seat, etc. You could also pack your camping gear in a haul-behind trailer (we love this Burley).
- Camping gear — You’ll need to pack all your camping gear in the bags to bring with you. This includes your tent and sleep systems, clothing, food/water, cooking and eating equipment, flashlights, first aid, etc.
- Tools and repair equipment — You’ll want to pack tools for bike repairs and adjustments. Items include a multi-tool, tire repair kit, spare tube, tire pump, chain and links, etc. If you have an ebike, bring along an extra battery or a way to charge your battery at your campsite. Also, it’s good to know how to repair your bike and fix tire issues before heading out so that you’re prepared.
Just a reminder that no trip is perfect! 🙂 We came upon a part of the closed greenway and had to find a different route on our GPS.

Assessing our bike setup

Our bike situation is a bit unique, in that we have two e-bikes, both designed to haul kids and gear. This means that we were at a huge advantage in the amount of gear we could bring with us, and how we traveled with the kids. Our children are young enough that they couldn’t bike this distance on their own, so having the ability to haul them on the bike was fantastic. Here’s a bit more about our two family-friendly e-bikes.

Bunch Bike

I rode our Bunch Bike Original 3.0 cargo ebike.

This bike is a game-changer in the world of family-friendly cargo bikes. It’s built to accommodate families, making it perfect for transporting kids (and everything that goes with kids). The Bunch Bike has a bucket-style cargo area in the front, with enough space to carry up to four children, groceries, or anything else you need to transport.

It has an electric-assist motor, which offers pedal assistance to make riding effortless, even with a full load. This makes it easy to tackle hills and longer distances without breaking a sweat. The bike is designed for the rider’s comfort and ease of use, with a step-through frame for easy access, ergonomic handlebars, and high-quality components.

I felt very sturdy in this bike because it has three wheels instead of two, which brought me peace of mind while biking while pregnant with our 4th baby. We carried all our camping gear, the girls’ Woom Bikes, and our 4-year-old on this bike (she has a seat on the back)! I told you, it hauls a LOT!

Radio Flyer ebike

My husband rode on the Radio Flyer L885 cargo bike. While this bike doesn’t have much cargo space for hauling gear, the battery power covers 30-50 miles and 2 kids can comfortably ride in the back. We carried our 2yo & 6yo on the back rear platform of this bike, and they loved it!

The Radio Flyer L885 also has pedal-assist and full-throttle capabilities, making hills and distances easy! It is a little more wobbly with two wheels, but a great eBike all the same!! My husband biked this one, while I rode the Bunch Bike.

We did this trip while I was 18 weeks pregnant. I felt very comfortable riding our Bunch Bike with 3 wheels instead of 2 wheels.

Practical tips for bikepacking with kids

1. Find a comfortable route & decide on a distance

If you and your kids are just getting started with bikepacking, I recommend starting with a short trip and staying close to home. This way you can test your gear, gauge your child’s comfort and endurance, and make necessary adjustments without being too far from help or home (just in case you need to bail).

Try to choose a kid-friendly route that’s suitable for your kids’ ages, interests, and biking experience. Also, look for bike trails with manageable terrain and minimal traffic. Unless you have e-bikes, try to avoid routes with steep hills or challenging technical features.

I highly recommend taking advantage of a greenway system near you. We biked 10 miles on backroads/a few short rides on busier roads, and then another 10 miles on greenways to arrive at our campground! Our favorite was the Monarch-Levee trail, if you are in the St. Louis area.

Since we both had ebikes (and were comfortable with the distance and battery power/life), we chose 20 miles as a distance we could handle.

2. Practice carrying gear beforehand

Both our ebikes are cargo bikes, so they are meant to carry a significant amount of gear for distances. The ebikes handled the majority of the work, so we didn’t need to do much practice or training carrying all the gear, but we did need to figure out how we were going to pack everyone on the bike safely and what our bikes could handle.

We did a few test runs around our neighborhood beforehand so that we could shift gear around if we needed a better center of gravity. We needed to make sure that the heaviest items were low and centered for stability.

It was also our first time carrying all three of our girls’ bikes on the Bunch Bike, so we wanted to test this out before a larger trip.

We biked on the greenway system for half of our route (10 miles), which was great peace of mind.

3. Choose a kid-friendly campground

If possible, try to choose a kid-friendly campground. These campgrounds are usually designed to cater to the needs and safety of children, with facilities such as playgrounds, family-oriented activities, and child-appropriate amenities. Sometimes these family-friendly campgrounds offer quiet hours and even foster a sense of community, allowing the kids to make new friends and play with other kids.

We camped at a local state park, which has great trails and a fun nature center. When we needed a break from the heat, we went into the nature center for a storytime! We looked ahead of time at the list of activities, but we were pleasantly surprised with a great nature center. Our girls had fun playing “I Spy” and drawing animals.

4. Consider ebikes

I really can’t say enough good things about our experience with ebikes. If you’re been considering purchasing an ebike for your family, consider this the push you need. They really have made all the difference for us! Having two ebikes so we could carry the kids and the gear up some big hills was crucial for this trip and all our biking experiences lately (especially because I’m pregnant).

Although, you do need to consider batteries and charging when bikepacking with ebikes. While we were at our campground, the hosts helped us with charging up our bike batteries, so that we were ready for the ride back home (since we had a primitive campsite). We were so thankful! We have two batteries for my Bunch Bike, which was perfect for the weight we carried.

If purchasing an ebike isn’t in your budget, you could consider renting one for your bikepacking trip.

5. Invest in ultralight backpacking gear

Having gear that’s compact and lightweight can make a huge difference. We used our backpacking gear (tent, sleeping pads & bags) all from Klymit (ultralight backpacking gear). Our largest weight was our cooler with our meals & ice.

Even with light gear, we had to minimize the number of items we were carrying. Kids may be able to help by carrying their own clothing, sleeping bag, or a small portion of the gear if they can wear a backpack on the bike.

Encouraging our kids to help us set up the tent really helps them to give responsibility in the campsite.

6. Be flexible!

Just like anything with kids, it’s so important to lower your expectations and to remain flexible! No trip will be perfect, and that is okay. We worked together as a team and had a blast.

Ironically, we found a huge hill leading up to the campsite.

There was a large hill going up to the campground, which was too large for the Bunch Bike to make it up with all the weight we were carrying. My husband, bless his heart, walked the Bunch Bike up the hill! Thankfully, the bike has a walk-assist, which helped tremendously, but it was still a feat! This bike handles a ton of weight, but even some hills are too large…and this one was huge!

About to leave our camp site! Mark rode the RadioFlyer eBike, while I rode our Bunch Bike cargo eBike.

7. Get the kids involved

Encourage kids to help with tasks like setting up the tent or preparing meals. Let them help pick the route or pack the bags. Have them be on the lookout for trailmarkers, or be in charge of singing songs along the way. Getting them involved instills a sense of responsibility and adventure. And give them lots of positive reinforcement and praise for their effort and cooperation.

8. Have fun!

Camping with kids, no matter how you’re doing it, is always an adventure! Be prepared!

Our 2-year-old crawled over us all night, a raccoon stole our bagels, we removed some ticks, and the weather was hot, but we still had a blast. (Losing the bagels was the toughest one of these for our girls…ha!) Luckily, we had backup food for breakfast, and all was fine! To make it up to them, we made some homemade sourdough bagels when we arrived home, and that hit the spot!

No matter what happens, try to remember that the experience is worth it. Have fun and keep a positive attitude! That’ll go a long way!

Bringing our kids’ Woom Bikes along was worth it. After seeing their parents bike, they wanted their turn too!

Definitely worth the effort!

Being out in nature is our favorite way to connect and have fun as a family, and this was no different. Our trip didn’t go as we expected, but we had an amazing time, created some really special memories and learned a lot!

Would we bikepack again? Yes!

This was such a fun and unique way to travel, camp, and be together. We had a great time unplugging from a busy week and enjoying the fresh air, sunshine, and adventure!

You know it’s a good trip when the 2-year-old falls asleep on the way home.

Have you ever considered bikepacking?

About the author

Steph lives in St. Louis with her husband, Mark, their three daughters (ages 5, 3 & 1), and their funny pup. Steph taught elementary school for five years and became a stay-at-home mom when her first child was born. When the pandemic hit and the playgrounds were closed, she started taking her kids hiking on a different trail each day. Steph is also a NICU mama (her 2nd daughter was born 3 months early). The outdoors has been so healing for her and her family, not to mention fun!

Since the pandemic started, their family has visited over 175 parks and hiked over 200 trails around St. Louis and Missouri. Their family also loves to tent camp, canoe, and bike. Steph has a passion for exploring the outdoors, helping start a free, weekly nature playgroup, and sharing adventure tips with others. When she is not hiking, she loves baking, reading, and dreaming of being a Survivor contestant.

You can find more from Steph in the following locations:
Instagram: @explorestlparks
RWMC posts: Steph Hampton