Camping with a baby

[RobFusili]

We're considering a 5-day trip with our 1-year old somewhere near our home,San Diego, CA but at some moments it seems like mission impossible to me! Please share your experiences and advice!

[smarty]

Would be no different than if you were at home with the child!

[opnspaces]

Every one of mine started camping before they were walking. The first three in tents, the last one got the trailer. I like the San Diego County Parks and by far my favorite campground when the kids were little was Dos Picos in Ramona. But really that's when they were a bit older and could ride their bikes with training wheels and such. I guess it might depend on where you live in San Diego. Ramona is a bit in the mountains so it can get colder at night than somewhere like sweetwater Reserve. Burnt Rancheria up in the the Lagunas is nice, but probably closed this time of year. You could always go to Santee Lakes which is really popular although I've never been. Or Chula Vista Resorts which I think is a KOA. Personally if it's your first trip with a baby I would try to stay within 45 minutes to an hour from home.

Sitting here thinking about this reminds me of my first son's first camping trip. We were tenting in Burnt Rancheria and he was probably about five or six months old. At the time the entire campground was no facilities just pit toilets. Somewhere around 3 in the afternoon he had one of those explosive mushy diapers that ran all the way up his back and even got into his hair. Being in a tent with no facilities we just packed up and went home. Had we been closer I might have taken him home for a bath and fresh clothes and then back to camp.

[Edd505]

Like everyone else kids started before they could walk in tents. I had a large van at the time and a favorite picture was my youngest getting a bath in a wash tub setting just inside the van side door. The older boys built an amazing city with pine cones, roads, blue plastic bowl for lake, and match box cars. They were teens before we graduated to a 16ft hunting trailer with an ice box, no potty,no heater, and a two burner stove. Oh he's forty next month.

[BarabooBob]

My wife's 2 daughters were 6 and 3 when they started camping. Our first daughter was 18 hours old when she went on her first picnic and 2 weeks old on her first camping trip. Daughter #4 was 3 months old (born in Feb) on her first trip. We camped in tents for the first 5 years. The girls got used to sleeping on the ground without problems. The only thing we special for the young ones was have them sleep between us to keep them warm. We had a small bathtub that we carried to keep most of the mud off the kids for bed time. During the day, they were allowed to get as dirty as they wanted. Yes, our girls were tomboys and they climbed the Badlands, the Needles, Devils Tower (talus slopes only) and everywhere we went. Kids are tough if you let them be tough, and soft if that is what you expect.
I guess that when you grow up in a law enforcement family, you toughen up.

[jfak7670]

Just to add a little more. We usually take a travel bassinet with us, so that our little one feels comfortable as well. He sleeps better in it and we sleep better as well. And we take a high chair for him . It is carriable and portable what makes it very comfortable in travel conditions.

[D_E_Bishop]

Our first camping trip with our girls was when they were 4 and 5 years old. We were financially restricted at at that time and while we had camped as kids, our families did not camp at all.

We borrowed everything, tent, slipping bags, stove and packed our kitchen for that first trip in a plastic bucket.

12 years later while in a young womans organization they became state wide officers and had to travel all over the state and even to Manitoba. They traveled in groups and were amazed at how little the travel buddies knew about travel and in actuality this State.

They thanked us then and still talk about those travel days and tenting, cooking over a wood fire and exploring the area where we were camping, even their first encounter with a bear in Yosemite.

Letting kids explore life was expected back then, no helicopter parents. Our grandkids have been raised that way and their first camping trips occurred at about 3 or for months for both of them.

[RobFusili]

Thank you all for your advice and support. The replies are all encouraging!
@ReneeG I am a tent enthusiast so we'll definitely bring our tents.
I will get back to you all with my impressions.

[ReneeG]

You didn't say how you would be camping - tent or RV of some sort? When our sons were babies, we tent camped. The oldest was a toddler and I actually had a harness made for kids to keep him in a close circle by us. This way I could get a fire started and cook. His little brother who was a year younger, just an infant, was in a play pen. Fast forward to our grandkids coming camping. When the kids were little, we always had a portable crib outside to keep the little ones contained for safety and we had a portable high chair. Last fall we camped up in a remote campground in the Seven Devil's Wilderness and there was a couple next to with a toddler and an infant. They hiked back into the wilderness with those two kids and returned at dusk to a hot meal around their camp stove and slept through the night, except for one brief crying spell we heard from the baby.

[Jebby14]

Tal/IL wrote:
We also started our kids out camping at an early age. First tent camping and later a truck camper. The only caution I'll offer is be mindful of avoiding too much sun. A sunburned toddler is a miserable experience for both child and parent.

sun screen and a place to cool off are valuable. this is a good piece of advice

[STANG23L]

If these guys can do it full time. I'm sure you'll be fine.

[Tal_IL]

We also started our kids out camping at an early age. First tent camping and later a truck camper. The only caution I'll offer is be mindful of avoiding too much sun. A sunburned toddler is a miserable experience for both child and parent.

[Helmsey]

Both of our girls fist camping trips were at 4 weeks. We just carried on as we normally would, but at the campground rather than at the house 🙂

[kenbert]

My daughter was 2 weeks old when we went to Disney. Made the Reservation Before she was conceived. Had a Great time.

[Campfire_Time]

We started tent camping with our daughter at about 1 year old. As said, things weren't much different than at home. She had her own air mattress and sleeping bag. We'd bring a few toys, but our attention was focused mostly on her. As the years went on her favorite activities were hiking and sitting by the fire at night. When she was a teenager she bought her own tent and used it when we had our pop-up camper. She's almost 35 now, married, and both of them love the outdoors and she's still tenting.