Hi all,Wife is expecting to deliver our first child (a baby girl) around mid-September. My question is, how early did some of you all start camping with your newborn, and any tips?Chris

We started in tents when she was just under a year old. We didn't get our first pop-up until she was 8 or so. She's 30 now and still loves tenting although she doesn't shy away from staying in our trailer either! My only advice is just to focus things you do as a family rather than individually. Camping trips need to be as much about the kids as they do about us. When she was really little our focus was mostly on her. As she got older we involved her in trip planning and gave her options for things she might want to do instead of us dictating everything.

we went out with our child shortly after she was born around 4 months, no real problems. Here are some things i learnedI would suggest patienceif it is just you and the wife an the baby it is easier to coordinate nap schedules, with others there more people have to coordinate, especially other children. go somehwere you can run the fan or AC it is goodf white noise for the child as they napPlan out your driving time (time you leave) so the child will sleep in the car. as to not mess up their napping routineA pack and play crib will be your best friend and fits nicely on a dinette that is made into a bed but without the coushionsThink about diaper disposal, as to not stink up your rig,Be prepared to pack many more items. Get them started young, take lots of picturs, and enjoy your travels with them.

my daughter raises cane with us because we have a picture of her playing in a card board box when she was under one year old. she says what kind of parents don't have a play pen for the kid? and have to let the poor kid play in a card board box? My answer was, me. and the kid turned out to be pretty good too. she was lucky back in those starving camping days to have a card board box to play in. if it weren't for the box I would have had to let her play in the river.

My son has been going camping since he was 1 month old. My wife loved going while she was on maternity leave.frisbeekev wrote:go somehwere you can run the fan or AC it is goodf white noise for the child as they nap Plan out your driving time (time you leave) so the child will sleep in the car. as to not mess up their napping routine A pack and play crib will be your best friend and fits nicely on a dinette that is made into a bed but without the coushions Think about diaper disposal, as to not stink up your rig, Be prepared to pack many more items.This is all really good advice. I wish I knew this before I had my son. I had to learn on the fly.

We camped at Thanksgiving when each of our girls were 4 months old. A pack-n-play was their playground and their bed at night. We didn't have a screen to go over it, but we fashioned one out of netting. It worked great and the girls are now 10 and 7 and we camp for the 3 months that they are out of school in the summer and several other weeks when they are on vacation. While they are newborns, they are easy, it's when they get to walking and jabbering that they are hard to camp with. Somebody has to constantly be within arms reach and there is no "down" time unless they are in the bed.We just temporarily removed our dinette cushions and put them in the house. That was the pack-n-play space and stayed there for two years. (The good part was that the cushions looked almost new when we put them back in.)When the baby gets a little older, if it's warm, and they can sit up on their own, a small baby pool with about 1/2 gallon of water will keep them occupied for hours. Give them some plastic cups, spoons, etc. You still have to be right there, but they are usually content. If the water gets "dirtied", just clean it out, dump the remaining water and refill it.My girls attended two different Jr. Ranger camps this summer and are on their way to being naturalists. Get them hooked on camping early and they will camp when they get older. It's a good family activity and you will be closer to your children.

RVing with a newborn | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

jamnw
Explorer
Aug 27, 2014
We used a plastic wading pool for our kids. Minus the water! It fit inside the TT for traveling.
It worked great. Put blankets for padding, throw in some toys and let them go!
wannavolunteerF
Explorer
Aug 24, 2014
My granddaughter turned 1 month old in my TT. this after a long flight from WI to TX and four nights in hotel while her Moma attended a conference. then a flight into GA and 5 nights in TT (it was parked in my yard, so house was available too).

That being said, I have to agree with poster that toddler was more difficult. I made the trip to TX to conference with my DD to babysit and a one year old in a hotel is much more difficult.
tundraman67
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
Took grandson when he was a month old, but in a fifth wheel there really isn't any difference than being at home. He's now 6 months old and been on 6 trips so far and loves it. I will have to figure out how to secure the screen door now that he is starting to crawl or buy a kiddie fence.
Uppercrust
Explorer
Aug 10, 2014
Our son was 1 month old, at my moms seasonal camper. He was 1 when we got a pop up. Never to young to start them camping & making great memories.
SCVJeff
Explorer
Aug 10, 2014
4 months with a Starcraft Galaxy 24 Tent Trailer
Biggyniner
Explorer
Aug 10, 2014
DutchmenSport wrote:
My granddaughter at 5 months, camping with us:

My other 2 granddaughters, my dog, and me. Kids are 1 year and 3 years.

My son at about 6 months. By the time this photo was taken, he was a seasoned "back of the pick-up truck" camper (and a tent to toss all our junk). He's now 28 years old!

We took the same little guy out Christmas shopping 4 days after he was born.

You can start camping with babies the day they arrive home. Your camper, RV, tent, or whatever, is nothing more than an extension of your home. Just do for the babies the same camping that you'd do at home! No difference. Just a different location!

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he'll not depart!" (The good book with a loosie-goosie translation! You want them to be campers when they are adults, then take them when they are babies! AND have FUN!

Great Pics, beautiful family!!
Biggyniner
Explorer
Aug 10, 2014
Wow thanks for teh great responses eeryone. I am really looking forward to taking my daughter on her first trip. You have all built my confidence, thanks again!
minn_camping_fa
Explorer
Aug 09, 2014
Our oldest started at 4 months and our youngest started at 6 months.

There's lots of good advice here and I'd agree with everyone saying "go for it!" - one thing to keep in mind, when baby is awake at night, everyone in the camper will be awake. There's no way to sleep when your spouse is taking their turn with the baby, you'll hear everything and feel every movement! (Speaking from experience). I guess I'd just plan to take it real easy the first couple of trips, and don't feel badly for wanting to nap when the baby naps :) (Is there anything better than a nap in the camper??).
obgraham
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
10-day guy gets the prize so far. We went on a 2 week trip on the other end of the country when our first was 5 weeks old. Then we toured California/Arizona/Nevada with her and 5 month twins in a rented motorhome.

It all worked out. You do what you have to do!
Opie431
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Friends went camping with their 17 day old daughter in a tent for a week.

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RVing with a newborn

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