camping with a baby?

[threecurrantbuns]

Camping virgin so is it practical to camp with a baby?

We took almost 6mth old last year in tent and we had a great time. it was alright last year as we could leave her in one spot and she was still there then. It's this year I'm dreading as she will be walking and harder to pin down.

what age baby?
imho it can much easier camping with a baby than a toddler!
what sort of tent have you got?

We camped with DD1 when she was 5 months old. She was still in her carry-cot, so we snugged her up with a couple of extra blankets and it was great.

Would agree with jocie, babies are less likely to wander off than toddlers, and don't require the toys!

Loads of people camp with a baby and I agree with jocie that a non-walking and non-crawling baby can be much easier than a toddler.

C'mon, give us more details.

I camped by myself with 18mo last summer (DH was away with work). Was actually good fun! Trickiest bits were:
A) occupying him whilst I pitched the tent - brought a teeny pop-up tent and parked him in there with toys.
B) needing to constantly watch out for fellow campers zooming in/out of campsite - maybe pitch away from everyone else?

Brought pop-up travel cot with me and put him in this in one of the tent "bedrooms". Got a v padded sleeping bag (in style of a GroBag) from Decathlon and he was snug as a bug.

they need layers under them and layers on them

def get them off ground, camping cots tend to be on the floor so put it on an airbed.

If you are still in sterilising age, I would be doubtful, only because of the sheer effort....... how many times a day do you use a microwave?

I'm a camping stalwart, toilet tent an all... but we did glamping (tent & kitchen tent all provided) when DS was 3 months. And I was breastfeeding so no need for a microwave.

Haven't camped since, too much bloody effort. He is almost 2 and we go over Jubilee..... so excited!

You could put Milton tablet in a large plastic food box of water as sterilising solution.

Sorry for delay thanks for responses.

We have an 8 birth trailer tent, have never used it and deciding whether to keep or sell.

Bought before I fell pregnant and now have a gorgeous 3week old dc. She is the fourth addition to our brood

We have a nearly 6 yr old, just 4, just 2 and baby. Wouldn't attempt now but was wondering about end of summer hols? Complete nightmare? Exclusively bf so no sterilizing.
Trying to weigh up whether trailer will be used at all in next couple of yrs he not will prob need to sell.

*if not

Depends if you can afford other type of holidays with 4 kids?
I'd keep.

Well inlaws have villa abroad with a pool, but not so cheap now with flights and hire car!Then there is the thought of the flight. So can't c us making the most of that for a few years.

right so you and baby on 1 double bed, dh and 2yr old on other double bed and 6 and 4 yr old in the pods that go underneath the raised double bed(am assuming thats what you mean when you say an 8 birth trailer tent)
You might want one of those litle pop up moses baskets for babs so he cant roll anywhere (if the mattress moves about when you get on etc) could also use it on beach? if you have a uv beach shelter.

use a sling so you are hands free!
other than that i thinlk camping with a baby (esp as you are bf so no sterilizing faff) should be a doddle.
Its all the other ones that wont be so much of a doddle!

Tkae as much toy stuff as you can fit in to keep them occup[ied and have a special 'suprise' bag box with some new toys/activities that theyve never seen/done before and bring them out as and when they're needed
Playdough is also a good one (make your own as its less likely to stain)but make sure they do it on the table outside and with bare feet as then they will feel it if it gets on their feet and wont trample it through all of the inside

Thanks jocie that's the arrangement I suggested to dh only thing is 2year old is still in a cot at home so not sure how he will be or if he will stay put! But not sure how else we could manage as no when away from the adults in the evening to put him in a travel cot??

Think the older girls will like the pod so that shouldn't be a problem.

And baby lives in a sling and never co sleep with me at the Mo so like you say think she will be the easy one.

Any other camping virgin tips very welcome? :)
I'm worried about children getting cold? Hence why baby prob better co sleeping.

*no where

*sometimes co sleeps
Grr predictive text

fleecy sleepsuits for the 2,4 & 6yr old (take spares in case of wet beds/nappy leakage!)
sim's (self inflating mattresses) are warmer than airbeds but much more expensive. To keep airbeds warmer make sure you put something underneath the airbed like a blanket or a picnic blanket, cheepy fleece balnket on the airbed with sheet over then sleeping bag then extra blanket if needed.
You could try and see if a travel cot would fit in the space between the 2 double beds?
If 2 yr old sleeping with dh will prob not ned anything other than fleecy sleppsuit and some kind of sleeping bag. With my ds2 we used to have him in a fleecy sleepsuit with a vest under, and then in his growbag sleeping bag and then in his readybed with a cot duvet on top, but that was in a tent. trailer tent might be slightly warmer especially if he sleeps next to dh (thats if your dh is anything like mine and is a hot water bottle dressed up as a human!)
we always takes wooly hats with us as most heat is lost through head so if feeling cold we pop on a hat!
anything else in particular you want to know?

Tbh feel bit overwhelmed.

Hoping I'll feel better after test run and we know more about what to do and what we need. Don't want to go mad before test run and buy loads incase we all hate it. But don't really know what we definitely need to make test run viable/enjoyable?!
I'm hoping it is easier in practice than on paper.
I'm obviously not clued up as thought older two would be ok in warm pjs and socks with bedding etc..they will sleep together so was planning on double duvets we have two sleeping bags they could use but they are full size?!
Think trailer is pretty well equipped but not sure what 'extras' are essential

Did think about travel cot between beds but think it might be too wide perfect solution thou, although not sure how much stuff we will get in the car as also need a pushchair we have a roof box and A galaxy but with one seat in the boot so it's like half a galaxy boot lol.
Think sleeping bags etc can't all be stored in the trailer.
But think I underestimated the amount of clothes and bedding etc. Then toys, food, pushchair, possible travel cot! Then would prob take chairs etc?
Like I say hoping it comes together when we actually do it just don't want to get stuck without something essential and put the children off as they are very excited.
I have to admit that for any of our holiday packing is one of my most HATED things. But once you get there (not camping) and might have forgotten something it's not usually the end of the world.

warm pjs and sock will prob be fine, they can always where a jumper to bed (and their wooly hat!) duvets should be fine too unless one of them 'steals' all the cover! RE the full size sleeping bags you could always tie the bottom with something to make it smaller?
again travel cot may not be a neccesity.
we used to put ds2 to bed at the start of the night in the buggy as it was lie flat and we could strap him in so he couldnt get out and wonder about! and then when he had fallen asleep/we went to bed we would transfer him.

When are you doing the test run?

food wise i usually just take a few essentials and then find a supermarket when im there to buy the rest. Do a meal planner before you go and only buy what you're going to eat then there shouldnt be much you'll need to take home with you.

do you know exactly what comes with the trailer? Cooking stuff? table? cutlery? crockery?
you could get away with just having chairs for yourself as if you take a picnic rug the kids can eat on the floor.

how long do you plan to do the holiday for? if its for more than a week just take enough cloths for say 5 days and then do a wash when you there. most sites have a laundrette. it does cost but it means you dont need to take as many clothes.
If you can use those vacum bag things you can compress stuff. ive just bought some hand compressing bags (rather than the ones where you have to suck the air out with a vacum) for our camping trip over 1/2 term so im hoping they will work!

Thanks, cot would make bedtime easier as he would settle better but like I say not sure it would fit.
Trailer has kitchen and kitchen bit a table etc but no chairs.

Haven't set a date for trial yet baby only 4 weeks atm so prob in a few weeks time. Just for a night in friends field next to their house :) haven't heard of the hand compressing bags!

Thanks for all you tips it been great.

I would say we will just do weekends away for a bit until we get the hang of it all and build up equipment. Do you take a fridge?

Ps AldI are doing camping stuff on the 31st ...worth a trip or just cheap and nasty?

we dont take a fridge we just use a couple of cool boxes and ice packs as most sites we go to do a ice pack renewel thing where you pay a deposit and then swop the ice packs every day or so for fesh ones. We also take down a frosen bolagnaise or something as that keeps frozen for the first day or so.
Friends of ours use a electric fridge/coolbox which they say is great so with a family of 6 it might be worth it! although i would see how you go on a couple of weekend trips before shelling out.

Re Aldi/lidl some of there stuff can be good its a case of looking and seeing!

hope you trial goes ok. we're off to St Ives over the 1/2 term so i hope it stay sunny like this!!!

I had heard something about the cool blocks at campsites wasn't sure how common it was.
Hope you get weather like this said to dh earlier how perfect camping would be in this weather.

ours used full size sleeping bags from age 2; cotton and fleece PJs and socks. You get colder if there's more air round you in the sleeping bag.