How Far Can Kids Hike, and How Much Can They Carry?

“The older/larger/more experienced a child is the more they can carry,” says Schimelpfenig. Under his guidelines, children of this age could carry between 15 to 20 percent of their body weight. If your child is 80 pounds, then that child could carry pack-weight—the weight of a backpack plus its contents—of 12 pounds.