How old before it's safe to take a baby on a 4x4 trip?

[off-roader]

A concerned mom of one of my wheeling buddies said she didn't want her 1 year old girl on the trail yet because she thought she was too young.

How old should a baby be before you take him/her on a 4x4 trip? Am I right to assume the type of terrain will also affect the age?

TIA!

[pskhaat]

FS roads are a completely different story than, say, Porcupine Rim trail in Moab.

Totally varies, but I can guarantee you Mom knows best.

[HOOLIGAN]

My opinion, once the kid has enough muscle control to crawl decently, he/she is old enough to go wheeling.

[goodtimes]

FS roads are a completely different story than, say, Porcupine Rim trail in Moab.

Totally varies, but I can guarantee you Mom knows best.

yup - on both counts.

I once heard of a 'gesticulating sausage creature' being herded off to Mexico to explore the wide open nothing . . . and the last time I saw that particular gesticulating sausage creature (who has now grown into a cute little girl), she was doing just fine. She does seem to have a fascination with playing in the dirt, so that could be good or bad, depending on how pervasive it becomes later in life. But either way - her & her family are out there having fun . . .

[walking eagle]

Old enough to have good motor control over their head - about 1 year is good. I know people who've done younger, I just really didn't want heads flopping around and popping off.

[McZippie]

For the kids to have any fun:
Minimum 3yo, 4yo better.

[G jeep]

Did Moab with a 6mo. The rocking helped her sleep.

[off-roader]

I agree however, the mom doesn't really enjoy 4 wheeling and I fear her decision will be biased on things other than facts.

[UK4X4]

Our rug rat trail rode at 3 months- nothing severe- nothing extreme

yep had a head bolster to keep the noggin in place

Wife was stir crazy - last trip was an LR weekend at pismo - she was 7 months pregers at the time.

Like most say- its your kid- you choose

the unlucky ones never get to go !

[LaOutbackTrail]

I base it on motor control, particularly the strength of the neck like Walking Eagle mentioned.

We are planning a trip to Mexico this November and the newest baby will be 8 months old by then. (Yes do the math, baby is not born yet!) Plenty of head bolstering will be provided, but for the most part the trip will be on semi-maintained dirt roads (relatively speaking). No rock crawling trails to speak of, the only potentially dangerous thing will be a river trail which crosses the river some 20+ times. That trail will be a judgment call based on river depth.

Ray, you may as well forget bringing the kid, the mom's mind is made up! Or bring momma too and take her on and EASY trail!

[pskhaat]

I agree however, the mom doesn't really enjoy 4 wheeling and I fear her decision will be biased on things other than facts.

Moms (and Dads) parent based upon their bias, their preference, and their upbringing. It's a gut feeling that keeps their offspring thriving. With a child of that age, parents know best, regardless of any "facts."

[walking eagle]

For the kids to have any fun:
Minimum 3yo, 4yo better.

Fuiee - My boy and I went twice a month from the time he was 1 to when he was 2 and sister showed up. He's always enjoyed it. Of course I also get him and sister out of the truck and into the woods exploring a fair amount to broaden the experience. Mom thought I was BS'ing about him enjoying it and that I was just saying that so I could go until she came with us cause it's what I wanted to do on father's day. She was shocked at how much he enjoyed it.

Every kid is going to be different on how much they enjoy it at what age. My son went from loving it to being afraid of it, to begging to go and back again. My parent's friends all waited till there kids were older to do any type of trip, and when they finally did it the kids went nuts cause the had never been in a car for more than an hour. My folks on the other had started my brother and I out right away, and that's the path I've taken with my kids. Didn't wait until they were old enough to behave in a restaraunt to take them to one, took them to one right away and taught them while they were young how to behave in a restaraunt. Offroading / camping is the same way to me, the sooner you indroctinate them into the activity, the more normal it will seem to them rather that something foriegn to be upset about.

But like I said, every kid is different, but there are ways of making it more fun. Look up Sippie Cup Challenge at GATOR - a TLCA event - it was all about making it fun for kids of all ages.

[Keanan]

Mom doesn't want to go wheeling so she doesn't want the kid to go wheeling.

I feel that the age depends on the trail. If its an easy graded forest road then there is no minimum age.
If it were a difficult rocky trail I would wait a few months because all the bouncing and rocking could be rough on the baby, or it could help rock it to sleep.

Don't force the mom into taking the kid on a difficult trail, start small. Take them out to a park with a gravel parking lot, then move on to a smooth dirt road, and eventually work your way up as the mother feels more comfortable.

[DesertXJ]

My kids have gone with me since born basically, But I agree with the statements that its all up to the parents.

[78Bronco]

Without proper neck strength any sudden jarring could cause whiplash etc. You can get a neck brace and a good car seat helps.

[off-roader]

I agree with all your comments but are there any reputable online resources that have guidelines for this? Something I can point the mom to so she feels re-assured?

[Uncle Roger]

My oldest son went for the first time when he was less than 6 months old. Mind you, he slept through the whole trip, so it was nothing to him.

That said, every parent has their own comfort level and the first (and possibly most difficult) job is to get mom & dad to agree. Last Saturday, I came home from the playground and proudly told my wife that our 3yo had climbed up the top of tube slide all by himself. She was horrified.

Unless you're racing or something, most off-highway travel is pretty easy -- mild rocking back and forth (which kids love) -- so I wouldn't do the Rubicon trail, but I'd take even a baby just about anywhere else.

[Rattler]

Our boy was 14 months old when we were roughing it across the UP of Michigan for 4 nights last summer. He loved playing up in the RTT!