XP(3-6): Camping with LO

ILoveRunning · April 2011

I love camping and started out before I could even walk. As the weather slowly starts to warm, I am already making plans for the summer. Is anyone else planning on camping with their LO? For moms of 2+, have you camped with previous LOs? Any advice on what to bring? Any big no-nos? Am I crazy for thinking that I can camp with a LO?

katiestrange · April 2011

I'm currently preggers with #1, so I've never personally taken a child camping. But my sister's kids have gone camping with us from about 6 months old. They have a big tent, so they just stick a PNP in it. We love camping, and will definitely be doing so with our LO!

hikerbeth · April 2011

Our first camping trips with each kid was when they were 3 months old. Luckily we timed our kids just right (LOL) so their first summer they were immobile infants and their second summer they were walking (so we avoided the "crawling in the dirt" phase).

We had them in their own sleeping bags/sleeping pads from their first trip. I am lucky enough to own an infant sleeping bag, but you could also put a belt around a regular bag to shorten it up. They sleep in PJ's + a full fleece suit so if they crawl out of their bags at night, they'll still be warm (we camp at fairly high elevations).

When they were tiny I'd bring a bouncy or a bumbo along so they'd have somewhere to be up off the ground.

I also bring a portable high chair that hooks on the picnic table once they're eating. Keeps them away from the dogs and concentrates the food mess a little more (since we generally are camping in bear country and need to clean up well).

We just do naps while we're hiking. . . it gets too hot in the tent during the day to expect a kid to nap in there, so they snooze riding on our backs.

I'd recommend going somewhere for your first trip that you could bail in the middle of the night and go home if you really had to.

We also do car camping almost exclusively right now. We went backpacking with DD when she was under 2 and still in diapers and it was just too much. We've decided to wait for potty training for DS before we backpack with them.

The great thing about camping is that they are completely exhausted by bedtime, so going to bed is no big deal. DH and I get some time around the fire by ourselves in the evening. DS actually slept his first 12 hour stretch (at 3 months) when we were camping. It was WAY longer than any stretch he'd ever slept before. I woke up leaking milk all over the tent. It was the one and only time I've ever camped without a hand pump LOL!

Any specific questions?

habsoilers · April 2011

DD has camped maybe 6 times. The first time we took her she was about 11 months. We usually tent camp. It gets really cold here at night so I always make sure she has several layers on to keep her warm.

At night, we often go hang out with friends at their site. Since I wouldn't feel comfortable putting DD down in our tent to sleep and then walking away, I would instead just wear her and she would sleep in my wrap while we spent time at our friends' site until I was ready for bed, too.

I always keep food really simple. I do as much prep at home as I can and try to just keep everything in a cooler with ice.

It's totally doable and fun!

ILoveRunning · April 2011

hikerbeth:
Our first camping trips with each kid was when they were 3 months old. Luckily we timed our kids just right (LOL) so their first summer they were immobile infants and their second summer they were walking (so we avoided the "crawling in the dirt" phase).
We had them in their own sleeping bags/sleeping pads from their first trip. I am lucky enough to own an infant sleeping bag, but you could also put a belt around a regular bag to shorten it up. They sleep in PJ's + a full fleece suit so if they crawl out of their bags at night, they'll still be warm (we camp at fairly high elevations).
When they were tiny I'd bring a bouncy or a bumbo along so they'd have somewhere to be up off the ground.
I also bring a portable high chair that hooks on the picnic table once they're eating. Keeps them away from the dogs and concentrates the food mess a little more (since we generally are camping in bear country and need to clean up well).
We just do naps while we're hiking. . . it gets too hot in the tent during the day to expect a kid to nap in there, so they snooze riding on our backs.
I'd recommend going somewhere for your first trip that you could bail in the middle of the night and go home if you really had to.
We also do car camping almost exclusively right now. We went backpacking with DD when she was under 2 and still in diapers and it was just too much. We've decided to wait for potty training for DS before we backpack with them.
The great thing about camping is that they are completely exhausted by bedtime, so going to bed is no big deal. DH and I get some time around the fire by ourselves in the evening. DS actually slept his first 12 hour stretch (at 3 months) when we were camping. It was WAY longer than any stretch he'd ever slept before. I woke up leaking milk all over the tent. It was the one and only time I've ever camped without a hand pump LOL!
Any specific questions?

Good point on the not napping in the tent in the middle of the day. We live near the white mountains and plan on taking some trips up there, so we should get in some good napping hikes

We were thinking about doing a backpacking trip with DS, but it sounds like from your experience it might be a bit much. Would you have considered going on an overnight canoeing trip? In other words, having the ability to carry more in and out, but still being fairly isolated?

hikerbeth · April 2011

I would definitely consider a canoe trip. I have friends who have done it with their baby and it really worked out well.

Yeah, when we backpacked we also had to carry DD so it was me with a kid with tons of stuff lashed to the kid carrier, DH with a giant pack, the dog with a giant pack. . . and then we had to pack all the dirty diapers back out. It was just a little too much (though it was fun).

We also generally camp with friends who have similarly aged kids. The kids do an excellent job of wearing eachother out.

I lived in Boston for 11 years. I miss the Whites

ILoveRunning · April 2011

But you live in CO! I would love to be there. Looked into going to CU for grad school but DH couldn't get the transfer. I am determined to drag his butt out that way for a vacation in the next few years.

hikerbeth · April 2011

I grew up in MT so I'm sort of "back home." My time in New England was some of the most awesome years of my life though. . . lots of great memories.

Mrs. TLC · April 2011

we went tent camping with LO a couple weekends ago. the first night was pretty miserable because he was not comfortable sleeping on the ground. but the 2nd night i brought his bucket carseat into the tent and he slept very comfortably in that.

LadybugPicnic2011 · April 2011

We have a few trips planned for this summer... One of them is a 26 mile hike (rather isolated, hike through only) The only part of this trip we are concerned about is there is a river to ford that is about hip high on the adults and can be very fast if it is a wet year. Other than that, we are doing cloth diapers so we can wash them while on the trail and hang to dry over night/on backpack while hiking. LO will sleep in my sleeping bag with me, between her daddy and I. She is EBF or may be on some solids but not many by that point so food is a non issue. The big accomidation we are making is we are extending the trip from our normal 2.5 days to 4 days.

3003girl · April 2011

Ok, how do you canoe with a baby? My lo is crawling and pulling up on everything... But I would love to go on a canoe trip with her!

Nyki06Wed43530 · April 2011

My LO will be 5 weeks old on Monday and we will probably do quite a bit of camping this summer. I have an infant bed that I'll bring so LO will have some cushion underneath her (it's just the fold out on the floor bed with short walls around it).

ILoveRunning · April 2011

Nominomi:
We have a few trips planned for this summer... One of them is a 26 mile hike (rather isolated, hike through only) The only part of this trip we are concerned about is there is a river to ford that is about hip high on the adults and can be very fast if it is a wet year. Other than that, we are doing cloth diapers so we can wash them while on the trail and hang to dry over night/on backpack while hiking. LO will sleep in my sleeping bag with me, between her daddy and I. She is EBF or may be on some solids but not many by that point so food is a non issue. The big accomidation we are making is we are extending the trip from our normal 2.5 days to 4 days.

. You are a brave woman

. Definitely let us know how it goes.

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XP(3-6): Camping with LO

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