Camping with a 1.5 year old

[SplitFountainPen]

We have DC 4 years and 17 months. I'm wanting to go camping just for 2 nights as DC 4 is eager to try it and we used to enjoy camping before DC.

DP is saying its not practical with a 17 month old, that baby will wake other people when waking up in the night with being away from home, and that it will be too cold even in summer.
AIBU to think 2 nights with a 17 month old should be manageable and a brief cry before we can pick DC up shouldn't be an issue?

First took DD camping at 11 months and she loved it, have been quite a few times (now 2.5). We use a 3.5 tog sleeping bag with arms over fleecy jammies and take some blankets just in case (we are in Scotland). Never had any issues and she's not a good sleeper usually. I would definitely do it!

I've done it without a partner with young kids inc 15 month toddler. Defo easier if there's an adult per child, but either way it's completely doable. Pick a campsite with good secure perimeter and no streams/ponds/cliffs and you'll be grand. Cold at night not an issue at all if you have a decent mat. Cooking on wobbly table was the biggest safety issue for us - make it well defended with windbreak etc.

If you have a bit of lawn, could you try a night in the garden. We've also enjoyed this over the summer when they were little.

Will be fine, get a black out tent though

I camped with mine from about 6 months and they were fine. I would not be upset by a baby waking me in the night as long as they weren't screaming for hours. Pick your site carefully though op, I've seen a big increase in idiot campers who think it's acceptable to play loud music into the early hours....I'm always sure to encourage the kids to play next to the bedroom end of their tents when they wake at the crack of dawn! My kids work up with the bloody birds and the sun....which is a out 4 am in the summer, when they were little....that's the least fun bit.

Only you know. Depends on a few things really - if DC wakes in the night can you console them quickly, if so, plus point. If they sleep through others making noise in the night, plus point (and actually others are not always as considerate as you and your OH are being here). You've enjoyed camping before so not novices to that, plus point. If you are expecting to settle down with your kids when they go to bed, plus point. If one of you does not drink and you could haul the whole lot in the car and go home if it goes wrong (relatively nearby) plus point. If you have a large enough tent to encompass all of the clobber, yet easy enough for one person to put up single-handed in most weathers, plus point. If your OH finally comes round to your pov and is willing to give it a try, plus point. If not, don't give up the thought, another year or two and it is definitely doable and enjoyable, and a completely different experience for them that is worth having. Reference point, camped with my four, but youngest was about 3 on first go. HTH, XX

Obviously don't go if it's forecast rain. Modern tents take 5-10 mins max to put up, no mallet required, guy ropes won't be tangled if put away properly. Give the kids a bag of crisps and it will be up by the they have eaten them. Sleep can be variable but never had no sleep. Some early starts and latish nights perhaps

Did you last go camping with girl guides in 1973? Modern tents have sewn in waterproof groundsheets

Go for it!
I have been camping and to festivals with DC since baby DD was 9 months old.
Tips - don't worry about normal bedtimes or routines, it causes too much stress. Take something to keep the baby strapped in - pushchair or I once saw someone with a high chair that worked really well. Take a tiny little
paddling pool (or a big flexi bucket) as it's easier for bathing babies or using to splash around in a couple of cm of water during the day.

We have 4 kids and have camped pretty much every year since the first one was born. We've been camping in March through to October half term. In fact are going this week with two of them (now teens).
The youngest I went with was when we went for about 3 nights with a 4 and 3 year old and a 5 week old. Was lovely and hard as camping is always a bit tough and so is having babies.
We've taken 18ish month olds (and others) to festivals and camping often. They tend to go to bed later and sleep better and longer just wrap them up.

Following along for tips if I'm ever brave enough to try this!!

It depends on the baby. I love camping but I HATE selfish twats who camp with babes in arms who cry through the night. I also dislike people who cannot control their children / noise before 7 am.

But I am in the minority. Most people are selfish and care not for the rest of the "community " .

Some 17month old children will be perfectly fine, delightful even (I do love children) but if yours is a screamer that won't let other campers sleep please stay at home.

1 yo use a baby sleeping bag, with warm clothes and a jumper underneath. You can get sleeping bags with arms. I would use a blanket too if cold, I don't think it's risky with a 1 year old especially if it's cold and you're beside them. Other option is they sleep in a padded snowsuit.
3.5 year old could use a normal sleeping bag (child sized one or tie something round a longer one to make it the right length)

Further tips:
Don't go if it's raining
Don't bother trying to put them to bed too early on the first couple of nights - wait till dark or they're exhausted
Ditch all unnecessary hygiene and clothing changes - no baths or showers. Put them in clean clothes at bedtime and leave them on the next morning
Take a potty for under 4s or older if they'll use one
Take lots of blankets and pillows so it's cosy in the tent
Good sleeping mats - 10cm self inflating air mattresses are the best - when you're awake half the night you might as well be comfortable!
Take marshmallows for the campfire
Cooking isn't really possible to do safely if you are one adult with under 3s.. so bring stuff you can just quickly heat up

Mine have done a fair bit of screaming in tents but it's always been worth it, they love camping. Usually they get the hang of sleeping in a tent on night 3 - just in time to go home again!

Been camping with dd since I wad pregnant with her. Absolutely no problems and made some beautiful memories. Going camping for the first time of the year next weekend at 18 months old.

I’ve never camped in my life, nor had the urge to, nor would I, in my wildest dreams, contemplate going camping with an 17 month old baby. However, if you think you would enjoy it, then go for it. What’s the worst that can happen? You decide it wasn’t a good idea after the first night, and go home. Or you might have a great time!

I’ve camped with mine at all ages. The youngest we’ve been was at 5 weeks old. I don’t love camping. But it’s better than no holiday at all when you are a single parent and it’s all you can manage. It doesn’t take more than 10 mins to put up the tent, we only have a small one, because I have to carry it on public transport to get to the campsites. Ditto we don’t have much extra gear to faff with putting up, just roll mats and sleeping bags. It’s a good way to get to places you wouldn’t normally be able to visit and turns a day out into a little holiday, they like waking up in a field and can run around exploring all day.

Is your baby in a travel cot or sleeping beside you? I'd like to take our 6mo camping but we've always co-slept and I don't know how to do that safely on an airbed.

@PrincessTeaSet has good tips. Basically, lower your standards. Strict bedtimes and hygiene routines are not compatible with camping! That's why we like it!

I think it's unfair on your neighbours. Sleep while camping is already difficult without being woken by someone's crying baby at god knows what time.

Would have thought the solution is obvious. DH takes 4 year old, you stay home with baby

We woke up at 6.30 in the morning and 2 year old was gone. It was my worst nightmare and I was frantic.
All the zips were done up. I was confident that a zip would have woken me.
I found her about 20 minutes later wandering alone on the roadway far side of the campsite carrying a bag of crisps that a nice lady in one of the 'big hard tents' (caravans) had given her. It could have ended so differently. Moral; make sure you have a sewn in groundsheet so they can't just slither under the wall and wander off.

But still go, obviously!

1968 actually, with my dad. And it was proper camping, he was army.

Compared to the noise some other campers make, a toddler is nothing.

Toddlers don't do karaoke at 1am
They don't have a car alarm going off all night
They don't snore loud enough to wake the dead
They don't get drunk
They aren't running around playing football and riding bikes unsupervised at 6am.

We've always taken ours, from around 6 months, for a week or two at a time.

I won't lie, it's hard work, but they loved it. Keeping them quiet-ish before 7am was my main worry, but cuddles, food/drink and an early walk always worked.

We took the travel cot for containment - and made sure that the tent door zip was left at the top, out of reach, to stop escapees.

Invest in decent gear if it's likely to be a regular thing. Puddle suits and wellie are a must. Mine were always fine with a fluffy onesie and lots of decent layering blankets for the baby and sleeping bag for the bigger one.

We're off for two weeks again in the summer. They're 15 & 13 and this year they have their own tent.