Camping With Babies

[JWeaverCMA]

Hey everyone,

Let's share our experiences with bringing tiny ones out on camping trips! Share your funny stories, your horror stories or just your overall experiences with camping with babies, toddlers, or a sullen teenager.

A bit about me- My name is Jared, I'm a father of 3 ages 10 months(girl), 23 months(boy) and 9 years(girl). My wife and I upgraded from a 6 man tent to a 25 foot travel trailer this spring and a week long trip down the Oregon Coast was our latest trip. Here were some good, bad and ugly experiences and lessons I learned.

The good- all the kiddos LOVE the outdoors! What a relief. It was good to see our oldest go out and make friends with fellow campers her age. Our boy is learning to stick with the group after a few walks around some of the sights we stopped at, he's usually a carefree wanderer. Our youngest loves being outside period. She's perfectly content in her play pen as long as it's outside.

The bad- they hate traveling to the campsite as much as they love actually being at the campsite. Driving turned into a bit of a nightmare as our boy would have a complete and utter meltdown halfway into each leg and lay seige to his sister, wearing her patience down with screaming kicking and hair pulling. Sleep is also a big problem, be won't stay in his bunk, or our bed for that matter. Does anybody else experience toddlers who won't sleep in the camper?

The ugly- both babies became highly irregular despite their diet not really changing from home to camping which led to a few diaper blowouts. Is it the stress? New environment? Does it go away with time and experience?

Overall it was a good experience. How about everyone else?

[4x4van]

My oldest daughter (now 28 yrs old) took her first trip in the RV at 6 weeks old. Glamis. The noise of the ATVs and buggies running all night long meant she didn't sleep a wink the first night...which also meant she sacked out completely for night 2!!!! The actual traveling part was easier for us since we have a motorhome, not a trailer; they could play games at the table, nap in the back, etc.

My brother's son, at 3, got so bit up by mosquitoes one trip that he was hallucinating.

Otherwise, can't really think of any "oh no" situations with any of my 3 little ones (now 28, 25, 23), and they all still go camping with us, along with their spouses/significant others, and my 3 year old grandson! Just got back last month from the desert, riding ATV's/MCs with 4 generations, including my dad (85 yrs old) and my new niece (4 mo. old). Yup, he (my dad) started it...and we're keeping it going!

[afidel]

Been traveling with the kids since they were a few months old, only serious problem was when the oldest caught Norovirus on the first big trip down to Florida. He was about 9 months old and just got super sick at dinner in Macon Georgia, couldn't get him to keep anything down, even Pedialyte popsicles were coming up. Had to call the pediatrician for advice, they wanted us to bring him in (a bit hard at 800 miles), then recommended some products to try. He ended up recovering MUCH faster than I did, once we got to Grandma's house and I came down with it I was out for most of our week there.

Since then we've done 5-10k miles a year and more weekends of camping then I can count (once spent 20% of a 7 month span in a tent), kids love the outdoors and I'm sure they're lifelong outdoorsmen.

[Jebby14]

daughter (3 now) went at 4 months (only took that long because she was a feb baby) and son (14 months) went at 7 weeks. No real issues. we have camped all our lives. hopefully my kids will too.

[jarata1]

Oasisbob wrote:
First campout with three month old in our old tent trailer. Camped next to a bunch of loud drunks. Our son just would not sleep. Talked with the offending party who were unsympathetic. Never again my wife said. Well we did camp again and the more we did it the easier it got. BTW we did pack up and go home at 2 a.m. The camp hosts could do nothing. Can't put drunks on the road. Got a refund for the second night

what is wrong with some people

[coolmom42]

JWeaverCMA wrote:
Hey everyone,

Let's share our experiences with bringing tiny ones out on camping trips! Share your funny stories, your horror stories or just your overall experiences with camping with babies, toddlers, or a sullen teenager.

A bit about me- My name is Jared, I'm a father of 3 ages 10 months(girl), 23 months(boy) and 9 years(girl). My wife and I upgraded from a 6 man tent to a 25 foot travel trailer this spring and a week long trip down the Oregon Coast was our latest trip. Here were some good, bad and ugly experiences and lessons I learned.

The good- all the kiddos LOVE the outdoors! What a relief. It was good to see our oldest go out and make friends with fellow campers her age. Our boy is learning to stick with the group after a few walks around some of the sights we stopped at, he's usually a carefree wanderer. Our youngest loves being outside period. She's perfectly content in her play pen as long as it's outside.

The bad- they hate traveling to the campsite as much as they love actually being at the campsite. Driving turned into a bit of a nightmare as our boy would have a complete and utter meltdown halfway into each leg and lay seige to his sister, wearing her patience down with screaming kicking and hair pulling. Sleep is also a big problem, be won't stay in his bunk, or our bed for that matter. Does anybody else experience toddlers who won't sleep in the camper?

The ugly- both babies became highly irregular despite their diet not really changing from home to camping which led to a few diaper blowouts. Is it the stress? New environment? Does it go away with time and experience?

Overall it was a good experience. How about everyone else?

Young children are not very tolerant of changes in their drinking water. If you were using a local water supply for drinking, it is 99.999% sure to be safe, BUT it may be very different in mineral content. It doesn't take a big change to mess up a child's gut. So try bringing your drinking water from the same source they are used to, at least enough for the kiddos.

My daughter found this out when they moved from a city water supply, which was only slightly hard, to a well supply with much higher mineral content. Her 1 yr old had similar issues to your kiddos. They had the well tested twice, and there was no bacterial contamination, but the water is definitely much harder. Their pediatrician figured it out. So they put the 1 yr old back on bottled water and very gradually mixed in their well water over a period of a few months. He had no problems and made the transition just fine when it was gradual.

I am not a fan of screen time for kids, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Get a kids version kindle for the 23 month old, and load it up with some videos that he will be engrossed in for much of the trip. Also make frequent stops and make the kids get out for exercise. If they will nap in the car, get a small pillow to prop his head up so he is comfortable in the car seat while sleeping.

[toedtoes]

Travel is bad. Either he's excited and wired up or he's tired and cranky. Try using some of those old tricks (singalongs, eye spy, etc.) to keep him occupied and perhaps adjust seating arrangements so he and big sis are not next to each other.

Blow outs - could it be the water? Did you bring from home or fill at the campground? If at the campground, try bringing from home. Even the slightest change in mineral content can cause a reaction with little ones.

If you brought the water from home, then it is probably just nerves. Be prepared each time but know the trip will come when it stops happening.

[Oasisbob]

First campout with three month old in our old tent trailer. Camped next to a bunch of loud drunks. Our son just would not sleep. Talked with the offending party who were unsympathetic. Never again my wife said. Well we did camp again and the more we did it the easier it got. BTW we did pack up and go home at 2 a.m. The camp hosts could do nothing. Can't put drunks on the road. Got a refund for the second night

[QFamCA]

We previously had the same issue but now use iPads for the two youngest ones on travel days. Each year improves but it was much more stressful when they were younger.

Overall the good memories out weigh tthe bad. I just stay focused on all the experiences I had with my family growing up camping and stay focused on that.

Put lack is sleep for me is hard out times. We have same issue of three year old coming into our bed and the other two smacking walls all night in their bunks.

[korbe]

Since this could be a long one, I'll keep my kids story short:

2 kids ages 1 & 2, big tent, momma black bear and her baby, locked camp box ripped apart, ice chest taken, dad with ax and flashlight in hand, no more sleep that night.