Camping with a 15 month old

[elm26]

Yes I know, I'm crazy.

Every year we do a camping trip, much to DH dismay I insist on having electricity, a king size blow up mattress and somewhere that has good reviews for shower block 😂

We didn't go last year as I was heavily pregnant then had a newborn.

This year we've booked to join friends and their kids. They are doing a week however I've insisted on 3 nights to trial it out and we are only 1.5 hour drive from home.

DD is a pretty chilled kid, happy to crawl around grass with a ball/building blocks, play with other kids etc.we spend a lot of time outside now the weather has been nice and she loves it.

Although we are going next month so technically (although British weather is unpredictable) it should be warm but I'm worried she will be cold at night.

Do I put her in our airbed with us for warmth? Neither of us are drinkers, I think?! She would be old enough now to move if she needed to. We have individual sleeping bags, do I need to get a toddler one? Is there such thing? Or will her sleeping bags that she uses at home be okay? (I have a range of 0.5 tog to 2.5 tog for the winter). Do I buy a little toddler camping bed (I've seen the ones that are low to the floor with sides so she can't roll out) or do I take her travel cot?

Any suggestions on a high chair that's not a high chair if you see what I mean, like a little chair that has a clip on tray for her food?

She hates showers, sobs and screams and holds her breath, is it worth taking a little blow up toddler bath that I can take in the shower with me or DH and fill with warm water. I'm not fussed on washing her hair unless she's rubbed food in it. We wash hair every other night so I'm sure an extra one won't hurt so just need something I can let her splash about in/give her a quick wash down.

She's easy to feed, will eat pretty much anything and we take a camping stove with us and an electric cool box so not worried about keeping milk cold for her weetabix or what not.

Any help/advice/ideas would be appreciated!

We camped with similar aged child, I was worrying about the cold but all was OK. Took a collapsible travel cot so then they are off the ground. Got a baby winter sleeping bag from jojo maman bebe that had detachable arms to it. Took spare blankets but didnt need. Also blackout travel cot cover, kept baby warmer but also meant she didn't wake at silly o'clocck sunrise!

Fleecy pjs are good. Toddler sleeping bag with arms! Take hot water bottles just in case it's really cold - we once went round trying to buy hot water bottles in august and got some very strange looks 😂

If it's only three nights I wouldn't worry too much about complicated washing arrangements - a flannel and a bowl of warm water should do the trick.

Done quite a bit of camping with mine - they love it!

I wouldn't bother with a bath unless it's warm. Wipe their face and hands instead.
Wouldn't bother with Merino anything either unless you're made of money!
The sleeping bags with arms are good from JoJo, or just a thick fleece jumper under a normal baby sleeping bag, layer up with fleece blankets as needed.
Little life travel cot is handy as you don't have to get up to get to them. They are a similar size to a normal travel cot - mine did till age 2. Or normal travel cot. Or put them next to your airbed so they have that one side and a pillow the other. Fleecy blanket over the airbed so it's cosy. A camping mat under them for warmth.
We have a 10 cm self inflating mattress - the most comfy thing ever, highly recommend.
Some kind of chair is vital for mealtimes to minimise mess.
Toys to keep them happy in the tent
Waterproof suit especially if not walking yet.
The biggest hassle I find is a hot stove combined with young child. I am usually on my own with 2 kids and do the most minimal cooking (heat tin of beans type thing) as it's a nightmare trying to keep them from kicking it over etc. If 2 adults it is easier but I would keep a bottle of water handy just in case of any stove or fire related accidents

Ah thanks everyone, you've all been so helpful.

DD is walking, luckily between us and the friends we do with we all chipped in and bought lots of decent camping stuff to share between us. We usually go in my Husbands van as he can for our friends BBQ in 😅 the camping stove we set up on a table and we are used to watching the little ones around it as all of our friends had kids before we did although I think they were around 3 before they started taking them so we are doing it a bit younger.

I've got a feeling that I'll be doing a big Amazon order in the next couple of weeks!

Thanks again! 😊

Also, our tent attaches to my husbands van, I can't think of what they are called (still got baby brain a year later) and we have a ground sheet and then my DH also bought and cut to size a waterproof foam like material layer that covers the whole base of the tent, would that be enough to keep the warmth under DD? I think I'm going to just take her travel cot this year as it's raised from the ground.