Читать книгу One Night Wilderness: Portland. Quick and Convenient Backcountry Getaways within Three Hours of the City онлайн

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Although backpacking with a child may be fun for the adult, it is even better for the kid. Today, when American children spend, on average, more than 6 hours a day (!) staring at some kind of electronic screen, and where even summer “camp” is more likely to be a computer camp than one where a kid can actually get outdoors, it is vital that we reintroduce our children to nature. A growing body of evidence indicates that regular contact with the outdoors is a natural antidote for attention deficit disorder, depression, and obesity, and is generally crucial for a child’s overall mental and physical development. What better way to fill that need than to take them to a place where electronic screens simply aren’t an option, and where they can explore a world filled with newts and flowers, pine cones and toads, and countless other real-world wonders?

To ensure that the backpacking experience is a great one (for both young and old), here are a few tips and guidelines to keep in mind:

 Despite everything you will read elsewhere (including in this introduction), when backpacking with young children, leave the teensy-ultralight-supposedly-for-two-people-but-only-if-they-are-on-their-honeymoon tent at home and pack along a nice roomy shelter.