Anyone go hiking/camping with their kids?

[saintlyjimjams]

Sorry, this is the total opposite if the thread I've just started (about trailer tents!) but it did occur to me that another way to camp with ds1 might be to do some hiking. We tend to drag the kids out onto hikes/wild country anyway so camping would just be an extension of that. And if we were wild camping no need to worry about other people.... (always the biggest problem).

Not yet, but I like the idea. How old are your children?

13, 10 and 7 although the 13 year
old is severely autistic which is sort
of why I'm thinking about it. He likes camping but normal camping holidays are a nightmare as he walks constantly (and needs an adult with him at all times so we have to split up the whole time). I was thinking we could do various wild walks. He's been keen to walk this summer (think he likes the picnic I take).

Oh I wish ds liked walking, he is slower than a snail. I find it really frustrating as I love a good hike. A couple of times I've been able to leave ds with dh and go on a walking/camping holiday (just for 2 nights) with my mum and my sister and their dogs, it was brilliant. Last time we covered 30 miles, it would probably take a month to do that with ds in tow .

Ds1 can dawdle at times but at other times he's steaming ahead.

Have realised if we go camping I need a way to charge his talker..... (why is nothing ever easy?)

Sort of, I don't have a car so when DS and I go off we have to carry everything ourselves. Haven't really walked far carrying everything yet. I'd love to find some good tips and suggestions. DS is 7, he carries in his ruck sack his sleeping bag, camping mat and clothes, chair (if taken in his hand or strapped on). He's a good walker but we need short enough routes where we are not walking with traffic.

We've had to give in to electric hookup so we can charge ds's ipad. I resisted as it didn't seem like 'proper' camping (tried relying on charging ipad up in car which wasn't successful) but I must admit it's turned out to be useful. Dh has almost lost the sight in one eye and can only see to read in the evening with good light and it's nice to have an electric coolbox.

Oh that's interesting (re my hiking versus trailer tent thing that's going on my head). I like the idea of rough camping (thinking the rougher the campsite the easier they'll accommodate ds1) but maybe we need to be thinking of electric hookup and going slightly out of season.

I absolutely have to be able to charge his talker every night. He'd be lost without it and he uses it a lot now. When we first got it one charge would last 3 days, now it lasts one. (which is good, but makes camping trips harder!).

Friends of mine take their dc hiking, and have done since they were 5. They have a rule whereby they can eat as much chocolate as they want on the hikes (mountains like Scafell, rather than flat walking), and theyve bought a.wild floerrs and plants book so they collect as they go and when they get back to.camp, identify the findings and pres them.

Does he use a Litewriter(sp?), if so, there is an app for the Ipad if you have one which does the same (£120 mind but cheaper I understand than a litewriter).

No he can't type. He uses a Vantage Lite. He can't use things like proloquo2go (well refuses to use that sort of thing).

I've emailed Liberator who make it to ask about charging on the move.

Our favourite campsite is on Exmoor, so down your end of the country I think? The disabled facilities are beautiful with a lovely big toilet/shower room accessed by RADAR (they will lend you one if you don't have one), but it isn't a big site and even when full never feels overcrowded. You can walk straight out of a gate at the back into woodland and then up to moors, so maybe you could use that as a 'base' and still have plenty of hiking? (you can go all day and barely touch a road). The owners are lovely people, have never been the slightest bit fazed by ds's antics and I'm absolutely sure that if you explained when you booked they'd be more than happy to charge the talker up overnight in the shop (although they do have electric hook up if it turns out you can use it). They have horseriding onsite too which I know ds1 enjoys, you can take ponies out on a leadrein yourself for half an hour at a time.

Hmm it seems that charging the talker is going to be difficult. So camping in any form might be off

Is it possible to use a wind up or solar charger?

Not sure. The manufacturers seem to be saying no although I am trying to get a clearer answer (they seemed to think I wanted to connect it directly to the electric hook up)