Skiing with a baby in your backpack?

[MarcusBrody]

When my son was young he spent hours on all sorts of outdoor adventures in a front carrier/back carrier/backpack. I skied with him a couple of times. Just a little skin to a mellow descent. I wouldn't ski busy lift-served as it wasn't really the downs that I was after, just being outside where he seemed happiest (and I was). With skiing, I found the hardest part was getting him to keep his sun glasses on if it was sunny.

[Ottime]

^^^^this.

I used to skim closed parts of the resort early season. After they groomed but were not tuning lifts. That or a meadow skip or an u crowded Tuesday. Always skinned up.

Once he plastic strap on skis, we would hit the bunny lift. Ski between my legs. Kind of.

God I love him much more on alpine gear.

[reckless toboggan]

In all honesty, whats the difference between skiing with your kid in a pack on an uncrowded tuesday afternoon groomer, vs biking to the grocery store with your kid in a bike seat?

Not much.

That's exactly why the bike shop I used to work at refused to even carry bike seats for that very reason. It's doesn't go well for infants when they're smashed against sidewalks, roads, or cars and dragged along for a bit. Especially for those who are too small for helmets, and that can't yet hold their own head up. I mean, it doesn't really go much better when you smash an infant against cement, asphalt, or a car, even when they can hold their head up and fit a helmet.

The fully framed and enclosed Thule/Chariot bike trailers with the 5 point harness and use of a helmet is somewhat safer for kids with regard to unexpected chrashes and impacts.

An ER trauma surgeon doc who was an avid cyclist used to come in and tell us about the babies he treated. Dead or brain damaged babies aren't fun... apparently, neither are moronic parents who never thought it would happen to them, and blame everyone but themselves.

But hey, Darwin works in mysterious ways (that aren't very mysterious at all).

[garyfromterrace]

I think it's useful to have a baby on your back to absorb a hit from behind.

With all due respect Mr. goat (and I mean that sir), how is a small child (say 1.5yrs old) skiing on their own any safer from an out of control idiot than one in a pack?

We are all in danger of getting taken out by idiots skiing/boarding out of control, it's one of those inherent risks in the sport. In my estimation the more critical factor in the skiing with kids in packs question is the competence of the skier (taking pack construction out of the equation).

[Bronco]

Crystal mountain seems like the best place to ski with babies.

[HighWest]

God I love him much more on alpine gear.

Concerned he’d go tele?

I am confident that all the parents in this thread are/will/have made the right decisions for their kids in their respective environments... even if it means tele gear. 😜

[pureantigravity]

Seen more than a few backcountry ski tourers with baby in back carrier or front harness.
Who am I to judge?
It all depends.

[The SnowShow]

Seen more than a few backcountry ski tourers with baby in back carrier or front harness.
Who am I to judge?
It all depends.

I assume they were not in avy terrain?! If so, that’s super selfish.

[garyfromterrace]

I assume they were not in avy terrain?! If so, that’s super selfish.

Mellow terrain in low/low/low. What's the problem?

[NOLAjong]

I have a related question. How late in pregnancies have you/your wives/friends skied?

[HighWest]

I have a related question. How late in pregnancies have you/your wives/friends skied?

19-20 weeks dropping double blacks for my wife (she is a very confident, but slowerish skier).

Doesn't mean it’s right for you though, need to do what feels right for your situation - earlier / later / not at all.

[Norseman]

I have a related question. How late in pregnancies have you/your wives/friends skied?

5 mo preg, done twice. It was about the limit of physical comfort. I know some women ski up to the end.

Beyond 5 mo ish, you'll have to buckle her boots and find other outerwear.

[Abol98]

Ma Abol says go for it, even if you're on patrol.

Attachment 310775

[brutah]

some jackass was skiing all over Solitude on Sunday with a kid in a backpack. I saw the dude first on Milk Run that's a double black diamond and ends in cliffs as well as skiing moguls. Plus it was a powder day, snowing and cold.

Some people are shitty parents.

[muted]

Girl at Snowbird delivered her baby with a broken femur. Somebody hit her out of control while she was stopped, if I remember right.

And having an impact, not necessarily landing on the belly, close to delivery could induce labor if you are skiing late in the pregnancy, I don't remember how late that is. Even a hard butt plant would do it (my wife is a snowboarder and asked about it).

I don't get skiing late in pregnancies or putting a kid in a pack on anything challenging. I never put a kid in a pack anyways, wife and I just took turns skiing. Easy.

[muted]

some jackass was skiing all over Solitude on Sunday with a kid in a backpack. I saw the dude first on Milk Run that's a double black diamond and ends in cliffs as well as skiing moguls. Plus it was a powder day, snowing and cold.

Some people are shitty parents.

i think a lot people justify shit like this by thinking "I'm a good skier, I'll be fine." But really it's hidden feelings of "I have no self-control, and I really need to get out so here's the story I'll tell myself and the wife...."

Then there are really, really good skiers (I saw pPep Fujas skiing with his kid in a pack, probably fine, ha), and then, there are really really dumb people who don't think.

[old goat]

With all due respect Mr. goat (and I mean that sir), how is a small child (say 1.5yrs old) skiing on their own any safer from an out of control idiot than one in a pack?

We are all in danger of getting taken out by idiots skiing/boarding out of control, it's one of those inherent risks in the sport. In my estimation the more critical factor in the skiing with kids in packs question is the competence of the skier (taking pack construction out of the equation).

I was just making a dumb joke. But yes, a kid getting hit in a backpack is no worse off than one hit skiing on his own.
The best argument I can make against skiing inbounds with a kid on your back is that maneuvering the kid onto a lift and then skiing cautiously on flat runs that aren't high speed runouts over and over again doesn't seem like much fun. At least when you're teaching the kid to ski on their own there's the pleasure of watching them learn. Doing a gentle tour with your kid on your back seems like a lot of fun although I never did it with mine, only hiked.

When I see parents with expensive jogging strollers, baby backpacks, and bike trailers, I question the wisdom of spending hundreds on gear that the kid will outgrow in a year or two. But then people spend hundreds on a meal that will be gone when they take a shit the next morning, so to each their own.

[muted]

When I see parents with expensive jogging strollers, baby backpacks, and bike trailers, I question the wisdom of spending hundreds on gear that the kid will outgrow in a year or two. But then people spend hundreds on a meal that will be gone when they take a shit the next morning, so to each their own.

That gear all has high resale value and often it's kept and used with 2+ kids. One outgrows it, the other then uses it. And when they are young you can't leave them at home unfortunately so you gotta bite the bullet and spend money on kid containers to get outside.

[StuntCok]

Skiing? Pfft, DH biking is the sport for infant passengers!

[splat]

Ha, Stunts!!!

Sure would love it if focus checked back in here someday.

[muted]

When you fall biking, you have an extra set of hands to put out and cushion your blow.

or maybe it can hold your beer?

[reckless toboggan]

I have a related question. How late in pregnancies have you/your wives/friends skied?

Usually at least until the baby is crowning.

[reckless toboggan]

When I see parents with expensive jogging strollers, baby backpacks, and bike trailers, I question the wisdom of spending hundreds on gear that the kid will outgrow in a year or two. But then people spend hundreds on a meal that will be gone when they take a shit the next morning, so to each their own.

That gear all has high resale value and often it's kept and used with 2+ kids. One outgrows it, the other then uses it. And when they are young you can't leave them at home unfortunately so you gotta bite the bullet and spend money on kid containers to get outside.

Not only is resale of Thule/Chariot in the 70 to 80% range from new prices, but Thule/Chariot trailers are safety rated to hold kids up to the weight of about your average 7 year old.

So that system is not outgrown in a year. Not even close.

[digitaldeaths mom]

I was 7 months pregnant with Andrew and skiing De's Dive, a black diamond at Afton Alps. It's a bit of a challenge finding skiwear later in your term. Fortunately, Nub's mother was a large woman and I was able to borrow a jacket and some pants. Your hands and feet begin to swell and gloves and boots can be a challenge to get on as well. With the additional weight gain you need to consider your binding settings. I never pre-released with Andrew, but that could be a concern?

Speaking of. Being passionate skiers as well as passionate people, whenever Nubs would bust a nut a bit too early during lovemaking, he'd joke that his DIN setting must have been too low.

[brutah]

i think a lot people justify shit like this by thinking "I'm a good skier, I'll be fine." But really it's hidden feelings of "I have no self-control, and I really need to get out so here's the story I'll tell myself and the wife...."

Then there are really, really good skiers (I saw pPep Fujas skiing with his kid in a pack, probably fine, ha), and then, there are really really dumb people who don't think.

Ya pep sticks it to the groomers when skiing with a kid in a pack. Which I think is fine is more acceptable. My parents skied with me in a backpack as a toddler and I think I turned out fine...... And I know that there are collisions on groomers, but seems less likely.

Either way, I think you hit the nail on the head with people not having self-control and being extremely selfish.