August 2012 planing to walk with my 21 month old son

[cabby]

It's maybe a long shot, but always worth putting it out there! I am thinking to walk with my 21 month old son and wondering if anyone would be interested to join us and help out with ou load??
Trust that if it's meant then so shall it be.
Thanks
Caroline

 

[skilsaw]

I know you have good intentions.
And travelling with a child has been done.
Only go as fast and far as the child can go.
Be open to changing your plans.

Buen Camino,
David, Victoria, Canada.

 

[vagabondette]

Most people already bring too much stuff so are unlikely going to be willing to carry yours as well. You'd probably do well to use a taxi service as just carrying your child and his daily gear will be a full load.

 

[peregrina nicole]

When I was recently working in the Peregrino Office, we had an infant arrive who had been carried by his parents in a baby backpack. The logistics of this were quite difficult. There was an issue with carrying the supplies needed by the baby along with the normal peregrino stuff (and fitting all of the other stuff into one backpack!). I'm not sure if your child would be too large/heavy for one of these baby backpacks. What does seem a bit easier is doing it by bike with a baby trailer and panniers. We saw a few of these and the parents looked a lot less stressed out than the pair with the baby backpack.

I agree with vagabondette that you will probably stuggle to find someone to help you carry extra stuff as most people on the camino already have too much and would not want to commit to the shorter days that you would probably have to do if you had a small child.

I guess another question is whether or not your child would enjoy the experience? We had a 5 year old who walked with his parents from Sarria and he really enjoyed it. He had his own small backpack and his own credencial and was very proud of his sellos. You and your child might find it a more enjoyable experience if you wait a few more years. I would suggest trying out a weekend long hike close to home to see how you all get on.