Reddit mentions of Kids in the Wild: A Family Guide to Outdoor Recreation

So I've hiked the AT and I'm going back this summer!

With kiddo it was hard because he was born in July last summer and our area has something called oak mites which basically make it impossible to go outdoors from august until it freezes.

I recommend looking around at second hand sites/groups/stores for a hiker back pack. I have some off brand and it is just about as comfortable as a fancy one (like the Deuter I wanted to buy). The thing about a kid is they lean to one side or the other, so it's hard to get them really comfortable. Just make sure you can adjust the hipstraps.

We did some car camping and brought the pack n play, but ended up having kiddo sleep between us, and no one slept. We don't co sleep at home, so he was looking at us like "hey, what's going on" and I was convinced I was going to roll over on him. I thought it would be useful to put him in while we set up camp, but he just got mad we weren't holding him, so back into the hiker he went.

We've just been to local campsites, but I would recommend car camping at a place with lots of trails but ALSO access to lots of ammenities, in case you need them. In this case, I HIGHLY recommend the Shenandoah's. Besides the fact that I am just in love with them, they are right on the AT and have tons of camping options, from back country to cabins.

Other than that.... I received this book from the author when I was pregnant. She hiked the CDT with her kids. It has a lot of practical advice.

I actually stayed with her and her husband while I was hiking the AT. She picked me up, I had no idea who she was, just a nice lady. She's a ridiculously cool person and we still keep in touch. When she found out I was pregnant she sent me a copy of this book and another book she wrote (that's out of print) specifically about how to hike with small children.

I couldn't find it last time I posted, but here's a link to it on Amazon!