Camping with an infant?
Discussion
Hi all , thought I would kick off our new forum with a topic bound to cause some debate.
Wife and myself are (were) regular campers with a largeish tent, we are expecting our first child next month and are looking to go again perhaps in september?
What do we need to know and do or avoid , any bits of kit that are indispenceable?
We will of course see how the little lad is when he gets here with regard to sleep and crying as nobody wants to camp with a screamer (baby that is).
We thought moses basket when very young with growbag and blanket , then travel cot as he gets bigger?
any advice welcome
Wife and myself are (were) regular campers with a largeish tent, we are expecting our first child next month and are looking to go again perhaps in september?
What do we need to know and do or avoid , any bits of kit that are indispenceable?
We will of course see how the little lad is when he gets here with regard to sleep and crying as nobody wants to camp with a screamer (baby that is).
We thought moses basket when very young with growbag and blanket , then travel cot as he gets bigger?
any advice welcome
We never went camping with the kid when she was titchy (she's 3 now)
If you're going in September I'd be tempted to co-sleep so you have more of an idea how cold or hot the kid is. It also means the kid is less likely to disturb everyone else if it does wake up. But then co-sleeping really is another debate. It also saves on the amount of clobber you need to bring.
If you are breast-feeding it's really easy as you don't need bottles, sterilizers or any of that - it's just normal camping with a baby. If it's pre-crawling but able to sit up I'd recommend a Bumbo seat with the tray attachment as a place to put the baby too.
If you're going in September I'd be tempted to co-sleep so you have more of an idea how cold or hot the kid is. It also means the kid is less likely to disturb everyone else if it does wake up. But then co-sleeping really is another debate. It also saves on the amount of clobber you need to bring.
If you are breast-feeding it's really easy as you don't need bottles, sterilizers or any of that - it's just normal camping with a baby. If it's pre-crawling but able to sit up I'd recommend a Bumbo seat with the tray attachment as a place to put the baby too.
We were very keen campers (tent variety) before we had our daughter. (throughout europe)
We have now cheated and brought a T25 camper van, which my daughter (now 2.5 years old) loves. She sleeps upstairs without a problem, even with us staying up later and probably making a raquet downstairs.
We weren't too sure and received conflicting advice about camping with her at a younger age, so just didnt bother. (tbh I would have just risked it, taking as many precautions as possible - but my wife was more cautious) Just simple things like feeding, changing nappies, sleeping, warmth, noise in the evenings etc. etc. just put us off. Might be worth trialling one night somewhere local (or even in the back garden) before venturing further afield and finding it a nightmare.
Mike
We have now cheated and brought a T25 camper van, which my daughter (now 2.5 years old) loves. She sleeps upstairs without a problem, even with us staying up later and probably making a raquet downstairs.
We weren't too sure and received conflicting advice about camping with her at a younger age, so just didnt bother. (tbh I would have just risked it, taking as many precautions as possible - but my wife was more cautious) Just simple things like feeding, changing nappies, sleeping, warmth, noise in the evenings etc. etc. just put us off. Might be worth trialling one night somewhere local (or even in the back garden) before venturing further afield and finding it a nightmare.
Mike
Was camping for a couple of nights in the highlands last year when Miss Papa Hotel Mk1 was a little over a year old, she was perfectly fine. We have quite a big tent (5 man bought for just me and the missus before the kids came along, I like to spread my s
t out!) so had room inside for a travel cot. To be honest though, I wouldn't bother with the cot again, she was pretty well behaved. Moses basket though, if the kid is small enough to fit in one, I'd definitely bring it.
As for other stuff, if you don't use it at home, don't bring it.
Mk2 doesn't sleep as well as Mk1 did, so I'll not take her until she properly sleeps all the way through the night, the last thing you'd want would be to be that bloody family waking the whole site up!
t out!) so had room inside for a travel cot. To be honest though, I wouldn't bother with the cot again, she was pretty well behaved. Moses basket though, if the kid is small enough to fit in one, I'd definitely bring it. As for other stuff, if you don't use it at home, don't bring it.
Mk2 doesn't sleep as well as Mk1 did, so I'll not take her until she properly sleeps all the way through the night, the last thing you'd want would be to be that bloody family waking the whole site up!
Our first child is due on Thursday, and all being well, we're going camping at the end of July.
Various of our friends' experiences tell us that it is easier when they are immobile.
We do have a caravan though, so no doubt that will make it far easier than in a tent, but I know a fair few people who have taken very young children camping.
Various of our friends' experiences tell us that it is easier when they are immobile.
We do have a caravan though, so no doubt that will make it far easier than in a tent, but I know a fair few people who have taken very young children camping.
I think the biggest issue would be sterilising bottles/dummies etc, also the sheer amount of stuff you have to take with you; having been away a few times with our little one (10 months) I'm not sure I would even contemplate trying to make everything fit into a tent.
When she's walking instead of crawling though, and sterilising everything in sight becomes less of an issue I'll definitely be suggesting weekends away under the canvas!
When she's walking instead of crawling though, and sterilising everything in sight becomes less of an issue I'll definitely be suggesting weekends away under the canvas!
matc said:
I think the biggest issue would be sterilising bottles/dummies etc, also the sheer amount of stuff you have to take with you; having been away a few times with our little one (10 months) I'm not sure I would even contemplate trying to make everything fit into a tent.
When she's walking instead of crawling though, and sterilising everything in sight becomes less of an issue I'll definitely be suggesting weekends away under the canvas!
At the risk of raising another contensious issue, if you exclusively breastfeed you don't need to sterilise anything which makes it a lot easier. When she's walking instead of crawling though, and sterilising everything in sight becomes less of an issue I'll definitely be suggesting weekends away under the canvas!
blugnu said:
matc said:
I think the biggest issue would be sterilising bottles/dummies etc, also the sheer amount of stuff you have to take with you; having been away a few times with our little one (10 months) I'm not sure I would even contemplate trying to make everything fit into a tent.
When she's walking instead of crawling though, and sterilising everything in sight becomes less of an issue I'll definitely be suggesting weekends away under the canvas!
At the risk of raising another contensious issue, if you exclusively breastfeed you don't need to sterilise anything which makes it a lot easier. When she's walking instead of crawling though, and sterilising everything in sight becomes less of an issue I'll definitely be suggesting weekends away under the canvas!
I know it is possible to go with a baby, it's just not something I'd fancy!
Maybe try one of these for a first trip,
We stayed in one in Wales earlier in the year at this place, all the fun with a bit more warmth
http://www.barmouthpods.webs.com/
We stayed in one in Wales earlier in the year at this place, all the fun with a bit more warmth
http://www.barmouthpods.webs.com/
therealpigdog said:
We do have a caravan though, so no doubt that will make it far easier than in a tent, but I know a fair few people who have taken very young children camping.
It's around 8 weeks when they start to be able to regulate their own temperature (from what the midwife/health visitor) mentioned. Any younger and a tent seems like a bit of a dicey proposition for that reason - it's a lot more difficult to keep a steady temp.I'm looking forward to taking my first out camping but I've got this figure in my head of 6 months to a year before we try camping - the next couple of holidays will be chalet/pod type breaks, as hunting around a dark tent for the various paraphernalia babies need mixed in with the concern over keeping a reasonable temperature and the way noise carries would spoil it for me.
Not sure I would want to camp with an infant
We started camping again when Meeja junior was about 20 months, stopped again when Little Miss Meeja was born the following year, and then restarted agin when she was 2.
I think the sheer amount of clobber needed for an infant would persuade me to miss camping for a couple of years.
We started camping again when Meeja junior was about 20 months, stopped again when Little Miss Meeja was born the following year, and then restarted agin when she was 2.
I think the sheer amount of clobber needed for an infant would persuade me to miss camping for a couple of years.
As seasoned campers, we took our first child camping at the age of 15 months and used a travel cot and duvet in the tent. With our second child, we took her camping at the tender age of 5 months with the same set up. Not too much baby equipment needed; I breastfed both kids so milk was on tap, so to speak and nothing needed to be prepared or sterilised. A changing mat was the only other special item we took with us. The washing up bowl doubled up as a baby bath (hell, it was good enough for me as a kid).
As for noise and waking up early, the excitement of the adventure and the sheer amount of fresh air meant that both (5 month old and 4 year old) slept for a good 12 hours every night. They even slept through the noise of the combine harvesters trundling up the road behind us up to 11pm at night and starting again at 5am.
We're planning our next camping trip at the end of August and have absolutely no worries about it.
Select a campsite that is family friendly and you should be fine.
As for noise and waking up early, the excitement of the adventure and the sheer amount of fresh air meant that both (5 month old and 4 year old) slept for a good 12 hours every night. They even slept through the noise of the combine harvesters trundling up the road behind us up to 11pm at night and starting again at 5am.
We're planning our next camping trip at the end of August and have absolutely no worries about it.
Select a campsite that is family friendly and you should be fine.
We took our twins camping from about 5 months old - moses baskets first, then travel costs when they started getting mobile. No problems when they were little other than the faff of sterilising (milton then boiling water). The first time we camped when they were mobile we realised we needed some physical boundaries, so we take 4 cheap windbreaks to give them a play area. Have fun 
We've just got back from Le Mans with our littlun who was 6 months on Sunday. In all honesty I had more issues with the Mrs than the baby! Camping wise, he was perfectly happy. Sleeping arrangements were the travel cot in a separate pod (he wasn't so keen on that being shut, so we left it open despite it blowing a little more cold air around) with a gro-bag and on colder nights a blanket (we kept checking he was warm - in the mornings his hands would often be frozen but neck/chest warm, in my mind a bit of fresh clean air is a good thing!). He's on bottles, so we took the steriliser. The only other specific items were his buggy and the base for the car seat so it could act a little like a high chair and a sunshade.
We're lucky in that he is a very chilled out baby, and as other friends were down there too, there was always someone else (including two older kids) to entertain him if we needed to cook/wash etc. We stay away from the track on a usually empty campsite, but this year there were a lot of other racegoers who found the site. A bunch of guys backed on to our pitch and I 'warned' them of a baby being there, but they didn't mind - in fact as most were dad's of young kids, they said when they left how much they liked hearing him giggling and chattering (he doesn't really cry much).
Sleeping times were all over the place in terms of his overall schedule (would be easier if 'just' camping rather than being at the race, but he was generally too knackered to be up early etc - all week he stuck to his normal UK wake-up time of 06:30 and came in to bed with us for an hour.
I wouldn't say I was skeptical about taking him, and it was my suggestion - I was intrigued as to how he/we would cope, but based on this year it was a definite goer - hopefully next year will be easier with less equipment to take. Possibly our biggest issue was the drive down and him getting bored of being on his own - we rejigged the car for the return journey so the Mrs could sit in the back with him.
We're lucky in that he is a very chilled out baby, and as other friends were down there too, there was always someone else (including two older kids) to entertain him if we needed to cook/wash etc. We stay away from the track on a usually empty campsite, but this year there were a lot of other racegoers who found the site. A bunch of guys backed on to our pitch and I 'warned' them of a baby being there, but they didn't mind - in fact as most were dad's of young kids, they said when they left how much they liked hearing him giggling and chattering (he doesn't really cry much).
Sleeping times were all over the place in terms of his overall schedule (would be easier if 'just' camping rather than being at the race, but he was generally too knackered to be up early etc - all week he stuck to his normal UK wake-up time of 06:30 and came in to bed with us for an hour.
I wouldn't say I was skeptical about taking him, and it was my suggestion - I was intrigued as to how he/we would cope, but based on this year it was a definite goer - hopefully next year will be easier with less equipment to take. Possibly our biggest issue was the drive down and him getting bored of being on his own - we rejigged the car for the return journey so the Mrs could sit in the back with him.
Pop up travel cot like this came in very handy for us when camping, you can use it on the beach etc as well
http://www.amazon.co.uk/NScessity-Small-Travel-Cen...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/NScessity-Small-Travel-Cen...
Tuscan Rat said:
Maybe try one of these for a first trip,
We stayed in one in Wales earlier in the year at this place, all the fun with a bit more warmth
http://www.barmouthpods.webs.com/
They have them here too. Great campsite for children.We stayed in one in Wales earlier in the year at this place, all the fun with a bit more warmth
http://www.barmouthpods.webs.com/
http://www.cotswoldview.co.uk/
Quick update - currently sat in my caravan at Fionnphort on the west coast of Mull with my three and a half week old baby girl in my arms. This is heaven (and that's even with the wind and the rain). Wouldn't fancy it so much in a tent this week with or without the baby (I've done my share of canvas), but we're warm and dry and I'm enjoying prolonged cuddle-time - with a great view out to sea.
Gassing Station | Tents, Caravans & Motorhomes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff