Camping with 18m old - tips?

[Petrie99]

We are fairly regular campers - have a 5 man airbeam tent with a decent blackout sleeping area, living space and porch, plus kitchen, electric hookup (sometimes we use, sometimes not), mini fridge etc. Our friends have invited us camping with them and their 3.5y old. Our little one will be 18m by July, is walking but still falling a fair bit. We also have a cocker spaniel who can sleep in a crate or with us. Any tips for 3 night camping trip? Likely no electric. Particularly around sleeping, as the travel cot not likely to fit, along with sleepwear to be warm enough. Plus a little worried about general containment as he does tend to wake on the early side and is v active. We have a rucksack/toddler carrier which we use regularly so not worried about walks/hiking, plus an all terrain 3 wheel travel pram. Anyone done this with a similar age toddler or are we bonkers, should we wait until he's a bit more able to follow instruction and a bit less destructive?

Don’t! 😂

My DD slept with me on the airbed in her PJs, fleece all in one and a sleeping bag (not an actual sleep in bag - the baby ones!) or in her own ready bed.

Fresh air should help him sleep and for a bit longer.

Keep a bag of toys in the sleeping area so he can play with them in the morning. Crawling around the bed area will keep him busy!

Put a picnic blanket under the ready bed to insulate it a bit.

We first went with DD at around 9m and throughout her childhood.

She got cold easily at night, but other than that she loved it.

We always use those plastic backed picnic rugs as carpets in the 'bedroom' for warmth and comfort. You can get excellent toddler inflatable beds with raised sides that might help contain him, and then just layer vests, PJ's/onesies and baby sleeping bag??

They also all love those tiny kids camping chairs with animal faces on. It will be £10 well spent!

Try and pick a campsite that's not too basic- some have communal kitchens with a microwave for emergency warm milk, and heated loo/shower blocks

We always use those plastic backed picnic rugs as carpets in the 'bedroom' for warmth and comfort

I read that on here a few years ago and it does make the rooms a lot more cosy.

TAKE THE TRAVEL COT!!!
seriously how else are you keeping the 18 month old safe?
Even if it does not fit the tent, it's a good place to park LO while you have a cuppa!
I often used mine as a playpen...

I went camping for a month when dd2 was 18m 😂 the first night she didn’t go to sleep until we me and her sister went to sleep 😴

we all slept in together with sleeping bags on big comfy mats, I think that reassured me where they both were. Dd1 was only 7/8

i did take toys for her to play with Andy tbh I don’t think she ever went to bed much before me and her sister- but slept in well - so I just went with it

warmth wasn’t much of a problem as we were in Spain and France

id been camping the year before and she was 6 m I wrapped her up and popped in a small travel cot that time, and took travel cot outside in day and used as playpen when cooking

I think I used to pop mine in the buggy when I was cooking, that was when she was 18m and i didn’t take travel cot. I don’t recall safety concerns or issues tbh. Her sister would often push her around in buggy so that entertained them both

Mine slept between us at that age. It's fine

Definitely take the travel cot.

I've just read the thread and it was the first thing that came into my head, too 🤣

Agree with @DancefloorAcrobatics , travel cot is key even if you put it in the porch area!

If she is a highly mobile escape artist, zip both zippers of the door to the top, out of reach.

Rain suit and wellies to protect from wet Dewey grass in the morning.

Keep the sleeping compartment zipped up during the day to keep grass, mud off the bedding.

Loads of wipes, maybe a plastic tub to stand her in and sponge her down if you don’t want to do a full on shower trip for every sticky muddy mess.

Avoid bowls of cereal, they always spill the milk everywhere.

This! You need the travel cot to keep the kid safe while you put the tent up!
Does the campsite have a kids playground? Small pool? Campsites with a few bits for kids are wonderful places. You can walk down to the playground with your toddler whenever you feel like it.