Camping with infant

[60chev]

We've had a new addition to our family. We are looking for any advice or tips for camping with a baby. We have a small class C we use for our camping adventures.

Thanks in advance for any advice

[DutchmenSport]

Hi, me again.

We had opportunity to visit the daughter in Iowa over this last week. She let her 3 children stay with us for 4 days while we camped at a near-by campground. The kids are 7 months, 2 1/2, 4 1/2.

Now we only had 2 kids, but when they were little, they camped right along, and nothing was any different from home.

Now ... with the 3 grandkids, it WAS different! They didn't need any spankings, just lots and lots of loves and huggs! And our doggie was extremely jealous! For what it worth, nothing has changed since we camped with our own kids and now our grandkids. Like I stated earlier, just do whatever you do at home when camping! And love those babies. They grow up so fast!

[60chev]

We are back from the trip and had a great time. The kids were awesome. It was work with the baby around, but the great part about camping is that you really don't have anything else to do, so you can enjoy the process.

Here's what we took:
1. His favorite chair from home (vibrating)
2. Pack n Play
3. Stroller
4. Bassinette for sleeping in camper at night
5. Lot's of blankets

We used all the blankets we took and could have used more. We used them for keeping warm and for shade, and as a barrier to keep things clean.

Bassinette worked for sleeping, but next time we'll leave it home and just move the pack n play in the camper for sleeping. Just for one less thing to haul and move around.

We were very happy we took his chair. He likes it at home, and did camping as well. I'm sure it was comforting to have something familiar like that.

The stroller is obvious for camping, who doesn't like to take a walk around the campground.

My advice for anyone with the same concerns I had were to get out and do it.

We are already planning our next camping trip.

[DiskDoctr]

Sounds like a lot of fun!

A couple of things to be VERY careful about, though.

1. Avoid any smoke
2. NO bug spray/chemicals
3. Avoid bug bites (a challenge, considering #2)

Very young babies have sensitive systems. You just have to be extra careful 😉

Oh, and you *know* you won't get any peace at the CG once everyone finds out you have a baby with you! Babies are one of those special times when we all put aside our differences and remember we are all connected.

[kbish]

jamnw wrote:
We put our baby in one of those small round plastic pools. No water of course, just all their toys and blankets. It worked great when they started crawling.

i love this idea. we're taking our 10 month old girl for her first camping trip this weekend. thanks

[tatest]

You've got a Class C, so you are not really camping. It is a small house. What you need to do is to make that small house safe and comfortable for the infant as you would at your main home, and take the same precautions when moving as you do in the car.

When stationary, we always found a place to set up a Pack 'N Play. Sometimes there is floor space, or it can be set up in the dinette space. Better than a blanket on the floor, once they start rolling around. Infants need a place to sleep, which works as well for just laying there observing, and learning to control their limbs and body movements.

Infants are relatively easy. The fun starts as the child progresses to toddler, will not consent to being confined in a small space, and is developing mobility and curiosity. Then you need to childproof the house of the C, the same as you would at home. And you need to watch them closely when you take them outside to explore. There is about two to four years in there until they can start being responsible for their own safety, and that progresses gradually. Actually, some kids still don't have that down very well even at 18-30 years.

Did this with little brothers and sisters (oldest of eight, 18 year span), children, and now grandchildren. 11 year old granddaughter, who was RVing with us since age 2, has moved close to me again and wants to know when is the next RV road trip. We must have been doing something right, if she liked it that much.

Camping, keeping a child safe and comfortable in tent conditions, that's a whole different problem from the RV thing.

[SynEpona]

In a motorhome, you'll have to be cautious where you can put your child's car seat 🙂

Our children have both been camping since their first summer, my daughter from just a month or so old, and my son's first canoe trip was at 6mth old.

They don't know that some people think it's hard to take kids camping, they just have fun. Our must-haves for camping with littles are: a good back pack to carry them on hikes (we have one by Kelty, as well as a Boba soft carrier), and something to contain them for safely/meals/set up - a play pen, a stroller, the empty baby pool. Whatever works for you.

[Oaklevel]

We are going to do it this summer with our grandson & his parents we started ours very young & doing it again...........he will be 4 months.....

We have a 36' toyhauler not sure if it will be big enough to haul all his stuff so the our son will have his inlaws 40' toyhauler as well.......LOL

[60chev]

We have our camp site booked for 3rd week of July. the baby will be 6 weeks old at that point.
Thanks for all the tips and sharing the stories. The whole family is looking forward to getting back out there again.

[jamnw]

We put our baby in one of those small round plastic pools. No water of course, just all their toys and blankets. It worked great when they started crawling.

We have at TT and it fit perfectly in the door when traveling.

[eabc5454]

DutchmenSport - great pictures! Thanks for sharing.

[eabc5454]

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

[doublenot7]

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

[Thumperpull]

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.

[gcloss]

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.