Camping with an Infant

[PaddlesUp]

We booked Halloween at our 3 year olds daughters request, but our son will only be 2 months old. We didn't take our daughter until she was 1. At this point just the logistics of having two is overwhelming, so I'm a bit worried that we have ourselves in over our heads.
Any suggestions or tips on camping with an infant would be appreciated. (We are tent campers).
Thank you!

 

[luckycharm19335]

Good Luck!

 

[PaddlesUp]

Thanks! I'll likely need some luck & a big helping of extra patience too.
We only live 40 minutes away, so I guess worst case I'll just take the baby home, but I hate to miss out on the fun!

 

[mash]

We camped several times with our children when our youngest was under a year old. Here are my suggestions:

1) I am sure this one is obvious but use the portable crib (pack and play)

2) I bought an inflatable bath tub. I set it up on the picnic table (weather permitting) and bathed my guy at our site.

3) Create a safe area for the baby to look at his/her toys.

4) If the weather will be cool pack a sleeper for the baby so he/she can stay warm in the tent.

We had a great time with our little guy when he was an infant. The only hard part is making sure you have packed all the stuff they need (strollers, bottles, blankets, diapers, wipes, etc, etc, etc)

You'll have fun!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

I know you love your children, otherwise you wouldn't have them,,but my best tip would be, "leave the little one with grandma" this trip. Make this a trip for you and the 3 year old, (it really would be much easier)
( and just my opinion, make for a better family time for the 3 year old)

 

[Betty Rohrer]

we tent camped with our daughters a lot. at your younger one age i used a small blow up pool for crib in tent, we had large tent. 2 big quilts in bottom for padding. one trip used a bassinet across older daughter's sleeping area for younger daughter. i found camping with a toddler harder than infant. we used stroller and car seat for holding infant while eating at camp or if we neede extra hands and no one able to hold. we are now tent camping or rving the grandkids.

 

[retired and happy]

I say go for it. But try it in the backyard first.

 

[Running_Bell]

We tried camping once in a state park when our DD was an infant. We lasted one night and went home the very next day. We were in a tent and when she woke up in the night crying.... it work up the entire campground. We got some pretty nasty looks the next day... and I can understand them. She was uncomfortable and cried quite a bit... the tent offered no sound barrier.... we never did that again... and it kinda messed up the trip for our DS who was older. The next camping trip, we left DD with nana.... she had a better time... and so did we.

 

[PaddlesUp]

Thanks for the tips & suggestions! I appreciate you taking the time to write.

Since grandma is not an option, I guess if you hear a screaming baby you'll know its us. I'll try not to keep you up to long as I strap him in his car seat to go home.. Lets hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[Karenj2]

I bought an inflatable bath tub. I set it up on the picnic table (weather permitting) and bathed my guy at our site.

Dumb question - do they have hot & cold water at all the sites? (I was just figuring on cold only...) If they have hot water too, that might solve my quandry about how to wash DD!

Thanks for the tips & suggestions! I appreciate you taking the time to write.

Since grandma is not an option, I guess if you hear a screaming baby you'll know its us. I'll try not to keep you up to long as I strap him in his car seat to go home.. Lets hope it doesn't come to that.

Good luck! Please remember to come back and tell us about your experiences (and tips for the future). We're thinking of going down in February (DH, DD 2yo, and friends and their 2yo), so I could use tips, too!

 

[blu]

please, please, please do not put little ones to sleep in an inflatable tub. If they roll over they could suffocate because they cannot breathe against the plastic and it does not offer enough resistance for them to roll back. This is especially true if they roll down into the valley on the edges. I dont mind waking up to hear a child cry, I dont want to wake up to hear a parent cry. There is a reason why pac-n-plays have mesh sides and cribs have slats.

 

[luckycharm19335]

Very good advice!

 

[bama_ed]

Obviously the infant dictates the rhythm of your trip.

The weather is generally pleasant in late October so don't try to go-go-go with the baby. Stay with whatever schedule you have at home (nap time/feed time, etc.) Squeeze in the H activities including Trick or Treating in the Fort the night of Halloween itself.

I like to say that you are making memories for your kids (your daughter at this point) so any positive experience is better than a negative one.

Succesful small bites are better than unhappy big bites.

Wish I could be at the Fort for Halloween.

Bama ED

 

[PaddlesUp]

Dumb question - do they have hot & cold water at all the sites? (I was just figuring on cold only...) If they have hot water too, that might solve my quandry about how to wash DD!

Good luck! Please remember to come back and tell us about your experiences (and tips for the future). We're thinking of going down in February (DH, DD 2yo, and friends and their 2yo), so I could use tips, too!

To my knowledge there is not hot water at the site. We have camped at the Fort several times with our daughter since she was one. She LOVES it! And cries when we take the tent down. So I have plenty of tips for that age.

As far as washing, if you have friends it will be a bit easier. If you do one child at a time in the handicap shower so that you can use the hand sprayer to use and then had the clean child off to your friend to be dried & dressed - then out the door to Dad. Our problem always was my child got antsy while I was trying to shower - opening the door ect, that a few times I resorted to walking her out the door in a towel to my husband.

My other tip is for when you are trying to set up is bring some sand toys. When we camped last Feb with our friends our DD almost 3 and their DD 2.5 I had packed sand toys for the beach, what I didn't realize was how much they would keep them shelves busy shifting through the "sand" at the site while we were setting up. Just make sure you have two of everything so they are not fighting over a certain toy.

We also have learned that one of those chairs that hooks to/hangs on the end of the table is great for the picnic table to not have to worry about them falling backwards or holding them on your lap or them sitting on their knees to make them tall enough.

The splash area is great for that age as are the playgrounds. My DD loves to ride on our bike to make loops especially at holiday times. And we just got a golf cart - thanks to my parents who rented one for DD's Birthday trip and we learned how fun and convenient they are.

I'll let you know how it goes and if I think of anything else.

 

[PaddlesUp]

please, please, please do not put little ones to sleep in an inflatable tub. If they roll over they could suffocate because they cannot breathe against the plastic and it does not offer enough resistance for them to roll back. This is especially true if they roll down into the valley on the edges. I dont mind waking up to hear a child cry, I dont want to wake up to hear a parent cry. There is a reason why pac-n-plays have mesh sides and cribs have slats.

Thanks so much for pointing that out!! I had thought the tub a convenient idea for space reasons, but had never given that I thought. I'm thinking pac-n-plays were not so prevalent back in the day (since the poster with that suggestion is now camping with grandkids).

 

[Karenj2]

By the way, I thought I'd share with you something I had gotten for my DD when we travel - it's called the PeaPod Baby travel bed:

I got mine from One Step Ahead, but I think they sell everywhere.

Annika loves it, and at 1.5 years old, she still fits EASILY in it. For space reasons, I prefer it to the PnP, and DD prefers it too.

 

[blu]

we had something like that too. It was called a play dome but due to the noise that occured in there we sometimes called it thunderdome. It was great for travel, tucks into small spaces so nice and with the mesh was wonderful at the beach. We put DS in it at 3 months old with a little battery operated handheld fan suspended where he couldnt reach and he was set! We all enjoyed the day.