camping, travel cots and where to put the baby...

[bohemianbint]

Hello,

apologies if this has been covered before, but we're supposed to be going camping in the next couple of weeks with our 9 month old baby and I'm getting my knickers in a knot.

Firstly, we recently bought a 2 bedroom tent and we were sort of thinking we'd put DS in his own room (all sounds a bit more glamourous than it's going to be eh?!) so that we don't disturb him at night as he's used to sleeping by himself. Thing is, have now got all neurotic due to recent events in Portugal and think I'd rather have him where I can see him. Not that I really think anyone would snatch him in the night but ya know...

This kind of ties in with the other dilemma about the travel cot. We bought a little pop up one but I'm now thinking it's not going to be that suitable on the ground. But if I get a big one, it won't fit in with us...

So how on earth does this camping malarkey work with kids? I'd be really grateful for any advice!

fold up a blanket and put it underneath the pop up cot. Or, just put in baby sleeping bag on a pile of blankets next to your airbed

we just took ds camping (2.3) I know what you mean, he could have had his own room but in the end we thought it safer to have him with us. The bedrooms were big enough for 2-3 anyway so he slept inbetween us.

It worked well, we would get him off to sleep then sit outside on rug, or in living area for drinks etc, then slot in with him at our bedtime.

You could use your extra room for all the stuff youre taking

HTH

We always had the littlest one in with us, even if they are used to sleeping alone, a tent is very different from a room in a house. If there isn't enough room for you all I'd have one of you with the baby and one adult alone.

apart from worries about safety, you can easily check whether they're warm enough or not too warm if they're next to you.

this is assuming that camping with a baby isn't going to make it the greatest sexfest holiday ever.

Pop up one should be fine if ds fits in it. You can put a foam mat down if you are worried about bumpy ground or dampness/cold.

Regarding security - I think you would hear the zips being undone, it is impossible to undo a tent zip quietly...

DS is used to sleeping by himself but slept on DH's chest 99% of the time when we camped as was a little unsettled by being in a tent...

Camping malarky works by realising than nothing you planned/intended/expected is likely to happen quite that way

yep, ds slept in gro-bag on a foam cushion and blankets next to us (until he woke up and moved into our bed)
Issues with him rolling off and waking himself up (not due to hurting himself, just the 'flump' of slipping onto the floor), but it did mean I could check he was warm/cool enough etc

I'd take the big travel cot and put it into the second bedroom - you are going to be within earshot all the time - in fact we can hear our 2dds breathing through the tent walls!

You can zip his bedroom compartment up but leave a small gap at the top that you can peep into.

The big one may well be a godsend of you need to 'confine him to barracks' at any time too.

Lucycat....interesting point, it hadn't occurred to me that the big one would be helpful if we ever need to put him down. He's not quite crawling yet but he still manages to get into everything and it is hellish trying to keep an eye on him...

The thing that worried me about the smaller cot is that we put it on a duvet at my mum and dad's house because they have wooden floors and the mattress is really thin. Only next thing we know he's managed to topple it over somehow. I would be tempted to just let him kip on blankets but I don't think he'd stay there judging the antics he gets up to in his cot.

Fennel...giggling re "the greatest sexfest holiday ever" comment...

Am really looking forward to going but it amuses me that other non camp type friends think that I've gone slightly mad and must be a masochist.

Cheers for advice so far! Need to have a few camping weekends to refine technique because we're going to a festival for 5 days in August and I'm not exactly well known for my organisational skills...

it's not mad, lots of us camp with babies and toddlers.

apart from the sleeping, some of my tips for camping with a baby include getting some wellies if he's crawling or walking- those soft baby shoes will get soaked on campsite damp grass in about 2 seconds. Also get a good all-in-one waterproof suit for him to crawl around in.

I usually sleep on my own when camping, DP sleeps with one dd and the other two sleep together. Suits me, I get lots of rest

cheers fennel.Where would I get all in one waterproofs from? Am total baby camping virgin, I know absolutely nothing!

Regatta do them. I think you get fairly expensive ones from Jojomamanbebe catalogue, and maybe cheaper ones from Millets. not sure, sorry. maybe someone else has bought them recently. ours mainly came from second hand sources.

This is a good place to start but I can only see fleece-lined ones in his size... mind you the weather we've been having they'd probably be quite sensible

loads here as well

Millets is great for family camping