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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

What age can you take children camping?

16 replies

Marshmellow · 24/05/2006 07:45

Is there an age you recommend for taking your children camping? We have 2 children who are plenty old enough (and we've just bought a tent) but we're trying for baby no 3 and i wondered how long it will be before we can continue our camping breaks once we have a newborn. What age did you first take your children and how did it work? ie where did they sleep, was the temperature ok, is it safe etc etc THANKS

OP posts:

threebob · 24/05/2006 07:59

My mum took my brother and I camping in May - he was born in April.

Original poster

Marshmellow · 24/05/2006 08:04

My goodness!!!! That is brave.

OP posts:

Laura032004 · 24/05/2006 08:04

DS went at about a month or so old I think. He slept in his grobag in our airbed (we have a kingsize triple story airbed, so lots of space!). He was lovely and warm. Safety not really an issue at such a young age - probably harder once they're toddling and getting into everything?

We also took him away in a caravan (with my parents) a few times, which was ideal for him.

He was bf, which made things a lot easier, but washing his nappies was more of a challenge! :)

alligator · 24/05/2006 08:19

Took dd camping at 7 mnths, backpacking by train. Having the buggy was fab as it meant less to carry . we have a tiny 1 1/2 man tent for dd and me which makes it really cosy at night. dss and dp share a 2 man. Was fab much easier than looking after older kids and wondering where they have disappeared to this time.
Dd was being bottle fed by then but twas easy just put one of those sterile bags, used for storing ebm, in a bottle and poured ready made formula and boiled the teats and tops in water to steralise them.

peachyClair · 24/05/2006 10:15

We took ds3 last year aged almost 2, which i would think is more complex than taking a newborn. I would say though as long as you have a pushchair (or if you have the space, one of theose little booster chairs put on the ground) you can strap them into its fine. We strapped him in whenever we were cooking and OK he whined a bit but we actually had a great break. We also have a stove with piezzo as we don't do matches.

i think its fine to camp with any age kids, just takes lateral thinking, restraints and a travel cot. (Just don't drink too much and have DH push you into the empty travel cot like mine did, took ages to get out!)

Jessajam · 24/05/2006 10:19

If you feel ready to take them...take them. DS came camping at about 4 weeks. It was september in cornwall. Windy and a bit chilly. He slept in his reclining baby car seat thingy (it was only for a coupel of nights...I know he should have been totally flat etc etc). He slept in three layers of clothing plus a nice tucked in doubled over blanket and if it got a bit chilly we gave a blast of the electric heater (more for me getting up to feed him!). He was too small to do much more than eat, sleep, cry etc so really safe!!
We are off again soon, he's 9mo and just on the verge of starting to crawl...this shoudl be more of a challenge

madmarchhare · 24/05/2006 10:28

We took DS when he was about 8 months and then again at around 18 months and I would definately say that the second time was more hassle.

Our tent is big enough for a travel cot so he slept in that both times. I did think that it would be useful to stick him in during the day when we were cooking etc when he was older but didnt like to be in it when everyone else was so close by.

Definately go for it, I wish we had gone more in that first year.

Kathy1972 · 24/05/2006 10:29

We took dd when she was 6 weeks and it worked out really well. She slept in her Moses basket on the airbed with me. (I made the mistake of taking a room thermometer with me, being a paranoid new mum, and the first night I hardly got any sleep because I kept having to check it! The temp never fell below 12 so I didn't have anything to worry about.)
This was July last year in the Lakes.

Little ones are easy because they're not aware enough of their surroundings to be unsettled by the difference.

Agree with JJ - take'em whenever you feel ready!

Original poster

Marshmellow · 24/05/2006 10:31

I'm feeling mucb more confident about the whole thing. I don't mind a challenge, just wanted reassurance that i wasn't mad for thinking we could continue the new camping lifestyle when we have a third. Thanks.

OP posts:

MeAndMyBoy · 24/05/2006 12:10

As soon as you want to. When we went last year it was a couple of other families and we had a baby of 3 mths up to the oldest kid of 8

expatinscotland · 24/05/2006 12:11

Age 6+

MeAndMyBoy · 24/05/2006 12:14

alligator that's a fab idea for feeding will keep that up my sleeve and pass it on to a couple of friends this year.

peachyclair pmsl at trying to get back out of the travel cot!!

Nemo1977 · 24/05/2006 12:15

we were planning on going this weekend with ds who is 2.7yrs and dd is 5mths. bought baby sleeping baby specifically for her plus am expecting no.3 so will get used again next year.

GIGWIG · 24/05/2006 15:03

We took DS first when he was 18 months.He loved it but I found it a bit worrying with him toddling around guy ropes and stumbling over the place.

Has been easier as he got older and more sure on his feet (and less interested in twanging guy ropes!)

ellenrose · 24/05/2006 16:29

we are going this weekend with dd1 who is now 16 wks - have travel cot etc. but imagine that the first time we took ds2 (2yo) was more hassle. Definitely do it as soon as you are ready, babies are not the problem

Mercy · 24/05/2006 16:45

We went camping with friends and their dd who was 5 weeks old! It was fine, especially as baby was breastfed. They were using reusable nappies but used disposables for this and all future holidays.

Last year we went with our dd (4.4) and ds (18 months). dd was fine and loved it but ds was a total nightmare - waking at the crack of dawn, and I mean literally, at about 3.30 - 4am. I don't think he liked the unfamiliar surroundings one bit, plus we constantly had to keep an eye on him.

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