RVing with a newborn

[Biggyniner]

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

[YC_1]

Ten days old.

[DutchmenSport]

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!

[Tiger4x4RV]

My two DD's each camped for a week in a small TT (ice box, no toilet) at age 6 weeks. They are in their late 40's now, still camping. They have camping kids. I don't think that the GGD has camped yet, but her mother is the GK who seemed to like camping the least.

[bdpreece]

Only waited until mom was ready to travel. Tented in those days but had a 22 ft sail boat so we put the baby in a collapsible bed/carrier and wedged him into the corner of the cabin and off we went. Don't think he grew up any worse for wear.

[Rollnhome]

People had babies in caves and Tee Pee. Many are now being born in much worse conditions today than any RV or modern tent set up. You'll be OK if you feed 'em, changer their diapers, don't lose 'em or let a dingo get 'em.

[Merrykalia]

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.

[rugermark2]

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.

[old_guy]

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.

[frisbeekev]

we went out with our child shortly after she was born around 4 months, no real problems. Here are some things i learned

I would suggest patience

if 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 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.

Get them started young, take lots of picturs, and enjoy your travels with them.

[Campfire_Time]

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.