Sleep System with Twins

[brickandpen]

I want to post this because there is not a lot to be found about real life backpacking experiences out there on the web and I want to share what we have come up with for our situation. Right now my wife and I use two Sea to Summit UltraLight Insulated mats (http://www.seatosummitusa.com/product/? ... 2=0&o3=906), a ThermaRest ProLite Plus (https://www.thermarest.com/catalog/prod ... tegory/13/) with an Enlightened Equipment Itasca 850 fill 20 degree quilt (https://enlightenedequipment.com/itasca/). The twins sleep on the ThermaRest in the middle of us. We are going modify the quilt to have clips on the sides to to attach to the elastic pad holders that Enlightened Equipment sell as spare parts. This way the three pads will be secured together and the quilt will be snug over the top of us and at our feet. I will get some pictures once we have finished the the mods. The boys are now 19 months old and we have tested this out this last weekend car camping up the Clackamas without the straps and clips. It worked great! Also, it did not get that cold maybe high 40's at the coolest. We all stayed plenty warm without beanies on.
So I am asking anyone if they have experience backpacking with toddlers. We will be doing more overnight trips this summer and fall with the boys and any advise would be awesome.

[Peabody]

I think Sean Thomas would have an easier time finding someone on this forum who can relate to and make an insightful comment on one of his 50 or 75 or 100 mile hikes than you will in finding someone that can relate to backpacking with 19 month old twins . I'm impressed and looking forward to a trip report or two or three. I can't even imagine.


................discuss

[sprengers4jc]

Hopefully, CampinCarl chimes in. I know he takes his young kids out backpacking, though I am not sure at which age he started that. I think it's awesome that you guys get out there with the twins. Start 'em young!

I really like that quilt option. My wife and I mate our sleeping bags together and then our dog sleeps between us but we lose a ton of heat at the top and I pretty much freeze on every backpacking trip we take, despite a 15 degree sleeping bag and a 4.25 inch thick sleeping pad with an R rating of 7.0 under me . That quilt looks super comfy, warm, and much lighterweight than our two sleeping bags.

[retired jerry]

yeah, not a lot of people camping with small kids here

Peabody always has the best posts

[CampinCarl]

Well, I've read the post and can't comment because I just started backpacking last year with my oldest when she was 8. Prior to that we've just stuck with car camping / cabin camping with our two kids. Taking 19 month old twins is serious dedication! I can't imagine carrying diapers, Wag Bag, food that they would eat, etc., etc., but that's just me! Hoping to do another trip with my daughter this year, probably will wait until next year for my son. Good on you for still getting out there and backpacking!