Camping with baby

[MrsPeggyPatch]

DH and I help run an organised youth camp every summer in the UK, and this year we plan to take DS (will be 10 months) with us.

The site is v basic- pretty much a field with a toilet block.

I went camping lots when little and am excited to introduce DS to the great outdoors but I am a bit concerned about keeping DS warm at night- last year I got very cold! We plan to buy a new 4/5 man tent, and I was thinking of taking his normal travel cot (mesh sided travel cot/play pen thing). He normally sleeps in a vest, sleep suit and gro bag- would he be ok if I put more layers on?

Any mumsnet ingenious solutions, or any useful products?

Would be grateful for any other general campng+ baby advice too!

Thanks.

DS is 10 months currently. I'm going camping lots this summer but can't say I've given it much thought. He's more wriggly than last year but this is what we did (went camping on and off all summer starting when ds was 1 month):

Double airmat for me and ds. Put double sleeping bag on it but unzip. Baby and me sleep on bottom half of double sleeping bag. I roll top of sleeping bag around me (plus put fleece and other blankets on top as I hat the cold. Baby sleeps on the side nearest the zip in a baby thick growbag with additional blankets.

To bf, I can uncurl out of my lot to get to him whils remaining mostly covered, then curl the sleeping bag under me again.

Planning to hit a campsite the next warm-enough weekend and will probably do the same.

In fact, I went camping when ds was 2 months old and someone gave birth in a tent nearby.

It was a bit surreal because they had a birthing pool in there.

We took DD camping at a similar age.

Did it pretty much as Starlight has outlined, except with winter weight duvets rather than sleeping bags.

We went a year later and took the travel cot, which we lined with a cellular blanket and travel cot sheet. We put cardboard/foam down under the cot to stop too much cold rising, and had her in a sleeping bag (infant sized), wearing a babygro and vest.

Off again this year, so we'll likely do the same as last time. I'll bung in a couple of fleece blankets as they're lightweight and warm.

We took DD camping from about 6 months. She slept in vest, babygro, fleecy sleepsuit (Trespass do a great one with a hood which is great for colder nights given you lose a lot of heat through your head www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00606SQEA/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=10393813149&ref=asc_df_B00606SQEA) and then sheets and blankets, the number depending on temperature (I would feel the back of her neck to make sure she was warm enough).

She slept in a Littlelife Arc 2 travel cot next to me and I could unzip it and reach into her for a cuddle if she woke in the night. We put a sheepskin from IKEA on top of her mattress and a sheet over that. She was always toasty.

As she has got older she has tended to come in with us at some point in the night so we have invested in a 180cm (superking?) airbed and we all sleep happily together under our duvet - we don't put as many layers on her now though.

My dd sleeps in the nud (4yrs old) in the tent and throws all her covers off whatever the weather and she always feels warm

I came on to say putting an Ikea sheepskin under little ones makes a bit difference, but MummyPig has beaten me to it.

If it is too cold bring the baby into bed with you.

Ah thanks, lots of tips. I think I'll definitely try him in his cot first with layers above and below him (including sheepskin) and a fleecy sleep suit+grobag - he sleeps on his tummy so I'm quite wary of having him on an air bed with me...though I normally sleep on thermarest style roll mat so maybe he could go on one of those near me.

Thanks again, I'm now browsing online for lots of non essential kit!

As others have said, definitely a sheepskin or similar underneath to prevent that horrible cold morning air chilling him. Also take hats that can tie under his chin and a pair of gloves.
Sleep with his clothes in your sleeping bag, so that when you dress him the clothes are already nice and warm.

I put a thin thermarest underneath the littlelife travel cot to block cold from beneath. And a fleece blanket wrapped tightly over the cot base.

This time i put my 18m old in merino thermals instead of vest/normal pj's, then a fleece sleep suit, then fleece blankets and later at night i pulled my down jacket over her body to make extra sure she's toasty.

In fact the top tip is the merino thermal leggings and top as she was in them 24/7 all week practically!

I took dc1 on guide camp for two weeks when she was 3 months old. And have take. Dc 2 and 3 while thy were babies. I have learnt to take a duvet for me so baby can sleep in with me when they wake up. I my experience babies don't think much of sleeping bags, we had the vango nitestar one. I have always put them in a baby grow and them a fleece sleep suit over that, then either unr my duvet or under the unzipped sleeping bag and blankets depending on how cold it is. We always had a fleece all in one suit for during the day too, unless it is really warm. Keeps clothes clean and child warm and dry underneath. I also had a patterpum sling to put baby in to get around the field, can be worn on your back or front and the dc have loved it. I am wondering if dc3 who is now 2.5 will still fit in it as it made life so much easier.

I think I would suggest a proper childrens sleeping bag rather than a grow bag. I tied string around the bottom to "shorten" the bag so they would not wriggle down.