Has anybody been camping with a baby? And other general camping questions...

[guiltynetter]

I've never been camping other than to music festivals where the tent was the cheapest 2 man one available and most of the time is spent outside drinking cider

I now have a 10 month old, a 5 year old and DH and am wanting to give it a go. We have £200ish to spend on a tent/carpet/etc. What should I be looking for to make sure its really waterproof?! I have awful memories of not being able to touch the inner layer of the tent as it was all damp and all our dry clothes got wet.

I'm assuming baby will just be alright in a travel cot but a bit worried about him getting cold. Any tips/experiences/camping essentials with babies and young children?

Thank you!

Go over to the camping topic on here. There are threads already there and loads of campers who can give you tips and advice.
It will either be the best holiday ever, or scar you for life!

If you use Facebook there are a few camping groups that are very good for advice. I recommend the voyager elite as a good starting tent but I'm not sure what they're selling for at the moment.

Thanks Pombear - I did originally go to the camping topic but it's very quiet and most posts have around 7 replies. was shamelessly hoping for more traffic 😊

ill have a look on Facebook groups thanks Grass.

I’ve camped with DD and always had a good time, even when it’s wet.

There’s various ways of waterproofing tents, we use a fluid that we ‘paint’ on and allow to dry.

Took DD first time at 8 weeks & was fine. Then took both children loads of times since. The fresh air is great for them. Travel cot with sleeping bag should work? Would the baby even be able to sleep lying flat in buggy? Easy to push to get to sleep & then if they wake up?

I wouldn't be so sure about sleeping in his buggy as he likes to turn over and sleep on his tummy. Would I need to buy a super warm sleeping bag - like 3. 5 tog? I have 2.5 ones. hoping to go in August this year.

A fleece (you can get cheap ones at ikea) is great for a baby to sleep on and keep them warm. We also brought our dc into bed with us at times, but I realise that isn't for everyone.

I love camping, you don't need loads to give it a go, and if you like it you can build up your equipment over the years.

Tents are loads better than when I was young and any tent from a well known brand will be waterproof (even if you touch the sides). If you can, aim to have one that you can stand in and comfortably sit around on a wet day. We had a Vango for years which was great (we've now got a bell tent which I love too).

I find it helpful to have a door mat and a flexi tub for shoes by the door to discourage the dc from trekking wet into the tent.

Onesies are good for keeping the dc warm. We always seem to need our wellies too, grass is damp early even in good weather.

Take a few games (kids Dobble is good for a 5 yo) and outdoor toys like a frisbee and you'll be set.

Main rule - don't stress about the dc getting dirty or sticking to a routine. And remember the wine!

DS2 was about 10 months the first time we went proper camping with him (ie not in a friend’s garden!) also had a 6yo DS1. We borrowed a friends 5m bell tent and this year have bought a second hand 4m bell tent that had been recently cleaned/re-waterproofed. Didn’t bother with a travel cot or anything, just put ds in warm pjs and a baby sleeping bag on a little foam camping mattress thing. Layers are the best way of keeping warm so a long sleeved vest under pjs and a warm sleeping bag (you can get ones with sleeves I think which will be warmer too)

We chose a pitch in a field without electric and used cloth nappies the whole time and it was still relatively stress free so I’m sure you’ll manage fine! I couldn’t have coped in a smaller tent though!

thank you! some great suggestions. I'm hoping we could just buy the basics for now and if we like it then buy more things. eyeing up a folding table and chairs set though in aldi for £25!

hopeful morning bumpc😊

TentTalk or Under Canvas FB groups are great for advice, be warned though they tend towards the 3 bed bungalow with all mod cons style of camping so you need to adjust expectations in line with your budget

We like roughing it and traveling light but obvs a waterproof tent is a priority. With £200 you should look at second hand. Tent talk has a selling page too, I’d start there :)

thanks, I don't think ill be able to bring myself to buy second hand as I'll never know if there's a leak etc until we get there which is too late! they had quite a few in go outdoors yesterday for around the £200 mark? I've requested to join a FB group called family camping but not been accepted yet...

I was concerned about second hand tents, but we got an excellent Vango as ex-display for around £120 from the eBay outlet for one of the camping shops (possibly Go Outdoors). It came with all packaging, it had just been unpacked and packed up again.

My youngest went camping at 5 weeks old and one of my others went camping at 4 months old. It's a bit more difficult when they start toddling than when they are babies!

We started out like you, just bought the basics and then added to the kit as the years passed and chucked out stuff that we thought we would need but actually didn't. My kids love camping. Sometimes I take the oldest 2 away for a bare minimum camp at the weekend just for a break.

Re waterproofing you just need check the Hydrostatic Head. 5000 is what we have in our main 8 man tent for our 2 week jaunts but our smaller tent for the weekends when we're not all going has an HH of 3000 seems to have done just fine even in some terrible downpours.

The one rule I've discovered about camping is that you can forget a bed time ;) I just have to let mine run around until I'm ready to go to bed and then they'll go to sleep. That said, my friend must have some kind of magic as his 5 year old will just trot off to the tent at 8 and go straight to sleep. Good luck!

I love camping and have taken my two several times but not until they were about 4+ and I could pretty much guarantee they would sleep through the night (both tricky babies/toddlers).

Can you borrow a tent for the first time? If buying, I'd recommend a sewn-in ground sheet to eliminate draughts and puddles.

Oh, and please please get up to see to your kids if they do wake in the night or at stupid o'clock in the morning, nothing worse than waking the whole site up at 3am....

We use one of these for DD3 (now 16m, first camping trip at around 4m). Folds down really small and light but gives her her own space without needing a bulky travel cot or a buggy (although we discovered we can fit the buggy in the porch bit of our 4-man tent without folding it!)
www.amazon.co.uk/StillCool-Portable-Shelter-Folding-Mosquito/dp/B078W29S2S?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I took my baby camping. He woke up as soon as it got light, and wanted to shout the entire campsite awake. Each morning one of us would have to put him in the car and take him for a drive. 4.30am. Lovely.

Our tent has blackout bedroom compartments. It’s a total game changer for getting the DC’s to sleep past sunrise.

That's inspired Flippidyflap! Would have solved our problems.

Should add, yes to sewn in groundsheet

We’ve taken DS since he was weeks old, alongside our scout groups so it was straight in at the deep end.
We take loads of layers-even when it’s been 30 in the day it dropped cold at night so his down snowsuit was invaluable. We used to then add layers for the depth of the night that could be removed as it warmed up. He has always slept better in a tent than at home.
We use our travel cot but with a proper mattress I got on eBay for about £20 as it keeps him warmer.

Tent wise we have one from ultimate outdoor that was about £200 but with tonnes of space in the porch for the pushchair/ball pit or whatever and two large bedrooms at standing height.
They are eurohike rydal 600 that we use. Not the most expensive but ours have been used for 3 years now for half a dozen camps a year and no issues.

We always take him loads of snacks/drinks as he seems to nail them when away. Good luck and enjoy!!

Oh & the foam playroom floor type tiles are amazing for insulating the bottom of the tent and keeping the cold out for a reasonable price