Camping with infant

When I was a kid we camped from coast to coast many times. The last time, my little brother was only five months old (I was 15). We had a blast - six kids, a pop-up and a station wagon. We got lost in Wyoming, broke both headlights out on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere, went the wrong way down Main Street in Wayne, Indiana, got butted by goats in Nebraska and caught prairie dogs in Colorado.

When my kids were little, we started camping early. The memories from those days are priceless.

Now we're camping with the grandkids, making memories for another generation.

Go for it - you'll never regret making memories.
Elizabeth

My oldest son started camping at 1 month old in a tent, my youngest son started at 3 months with a TT. It is no different than being at home, just think temporary when planning. I remember my oldest boy getting a bath while sitting in a dish tub on the picnic table. LOL

My best advice for folks considering camping with infants is "Do It!!!" We started ours in a tent at 3 weeks and eight weeks. Some of the best memories in this old PawPaws heart is remembering them discovering the world.

My daughter was born in November and we took her on her first camping trip the following May and kept camping until the fall. We did it in a Rockwood pop-up. Like others said nothing more than what you would have had at home. The only thing special we had was a porta-crib we setup on the dropped down dinette table. My daughter is now 27 and has her stuff all packed for our next 5 day camping trip beginning tomorrow. Yes, we do have a son who has been camping since an infant. He now camps 12 months a year, first as a Boy Scout and now as a Para Professional for the Boy Scouts.

We started with our children our daughter was over 2 & our son was a year old, at age 17 still enjoys it along with our 19 yr. old daughter. Best part they slept really good when camping.

My parents started camping with my sister and I when we were infants, and I have done the same with my 3 kids.

The only issue we encountered while camping (and long car drives) that we didn't normally encounter at home was temperature control: it's really easy for an infant in a car seat to overheat, even when you're comfortable (in your shorts and t-shirt). The car seats hold heat in.

Camping with a baby ... even 2 babies ... is no different than having a baby in your home living room! Just do whatever you do at home with your baby and enjoy camping. There's nothing special you need to do. They eat the same food, they poop the same poop ... so use the same diapers, they sleep on their own schedule ... so you're still not going to get any sleep at night if your at home or camping!

If the baby sleeps in a separate bed at home, make a bed in your camper, tent, whatever. If the baby sleeps with you, do the same when camping. It's not complicated, it's actually fun, and new babies get lots of attention at campgrounds, so be prepared to have visitors stop in just to look at the baby. Maybe that's the only adjustment you need to make.

We started our kids camping in the back of the pick-up truck and a tent. We had a foam rubber mattress in the back of the Chevy S-10 and slept in it since it had a shell, and used the tent to store all our junk. Baby went and did whatever we did!

These photos are from 1986, when our now 28 year old son, who is now a dad himself, was just a little guy! Nothing stopped us, and we did no extra provisions. He adapted because we never revolved our world around him. He revolved around our world.











And when the baby boy got a baby sister, and about 13 years later, camping was rooted in their blood!



Just be yourself and the baby WILL be fine! Have fun!

We have camped with my son from 6-weeks old onward. He's just turned one and we've already been camping this year with him again.

The biggest thing is going through the child-proofing process now that he's more mobile. When he was little, it was easier - he sat or hung out wherever you put him. Now it's getting fun.

Here is teh unit that we bought.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Graco-Travel-Lite-Portable-Crib-Fenwick/22236438

We took our youngest daughter on her first trip when she was 2 weeks old. They make those portable playpen/crib/changing table units and we found one that is smaller. It fit perfectly between the booths of the dinette in our trailer with the table removed. Out of the way no problem. My wife was pumping so we had that along but we had hookups so no big deal. It really wasn't as inconvenient as we thought it was going to be.