Help! What are your essentials for camping with a baby?

[BelleSeuss]

DH and I have spent years backpacking and camping just the two of us, but this year are going to take our 8-9mth old son for the first time

What does he need to sleep on/in?

Any handy hints - what have you done about early rising/noise etc?

We have got a 2 man Vaude that we are going to have to replace for a family tent, but anything we need to look out for when we are choosing?

Thank you o mumsnet wise ones

DS4 has camped with us since he was 5 weeks (he is 14 mnths now)

bas sleeps with us, but the alternatives are either a travel cot or a carry cot- vango do decent baby sleeping bags for a sensible price.

When shopping for tents, look for SIG or bucket as they prevent baby / toddler escapes much better. Think about room placements (different people like different set ups), and add 2 to the actual number of likely occupants to get the berthage you need.

Otherwise it's taste. Try and consider a tunnel as easier and simpler to pitch whilst caring for a baby, also maybe a porch or day tent for cooking in if it rains.

Would second the Vango baby sleeping bag, dd still fits in hers at 16 months and she is quite tall, cheapish here.

Re noise issues I would make sure you book at a very family orientated site, that way most people have kids and are in the same boat as you ie they are in bed at ten and up at six. So early rising is not an issue, you don't want to be on a site where people are wanting to party until three and then lie in, as arguments will ensue.

They look cool! What do you dress them in to sleep then = ds is a hot baby so sleeps in a t-shirt and 2.5tog at home , but his bedroom won't go through the temp range a tent will do.

I wasn't planning on having him sleep with us as he starts playing with my face/hair etc when he wakes, where as if he is on his own he just quietly babbles, and may fall asleep again!

What was your ds like with dawn - was he awake at 4am (ds will currently be quiet until 7am)

Last year when dd was 5 months, she slept in

Vest
Babygro
Fleece jumper
Hat (we would sneak this on her once she was asleep)
Sleeping bag with wool blanket stuffed in it to fill any gaps.

This was in August and fairly warm at night, babies and children (and adults) can get really cold in tents, take far too much then is ds doesn't need it thats fine, but if he is cold it will be horrible.

As far as waking goes, with kids I find the first night they are hard to settle and wake early, after that mine are shattered every day and asleep by eight, and usually sleep through until sevenish, depending on how noisy everyone elses children are! I am usually up at six anyway, I am an early bird.

I like to buy a decent fleece pyjama set for ds3 and ds4- the sort of all in one thngs you get in Mothercare. I find that those and a vest are fine, with a poncho on top as well (make or buy, we got ours from The Poncho Shop as it is a local if online place).

get baby changed straight after dinner- the temp drops dramatically in the evening so it can be awfully cold then.

DS (now 8mths) sleeps in this travel cot. I use a blanket under the cot, blanket on the mattress and a blanket over the cot, which keeps the heat in during the night (that was a very useful tip from one of the Mumsnetters).

He sleeps in a vest, pyjamas, fleece pyjamas, sleeping bag 2.5tog and if it's really cold we put a blanket over him.

About early rising - we take him in our bed if he wakes up early and he quite happily sleeps with us till about 7.30. We don't normally do this at home, but I do feel sorry for the other campers so would do anything to keep him quiet.

I take a bag full of his favourite toys and books and during the day he plays on a picnic mat outsite the tent or in the main living area of the tent.

Good ideas MrsVW thanks my ds is 8mths next week - will I get my money's worth from the travel cot? Is it spacious? (it looks good)

Travel cots make excellent playpens also, esp. when camping.

You might get one on freecycle though if you anted to try it first

BelleSeuss - We are doing the same thing this summer with our ds who will be 10 months (and probably crawling, argggh!) so I'll watch this thread with interest. We're taking a wind break to act as a barrier to the road.

What do people do about bathing their babies? I was thinking of a small paddling pool which could double as a bath, as sometimes the showers can be a bit unpredicatable (too hot/cold)

DP is one of those campers who thinks a chair is a step too far and he's going to be horrified at all the extra stuff we'll have to bring this year.

Some campsites have a baby bath so it it might be worth checking. If not I have bathed mine in the sink, but you do need to be sure that they are secure. DS1 is 2.5 sleeps in a fleecy babygrow and the duvet from her cot at home. the fleecy babygrow is great as she is a mobile sleeper and often ends up on top of duvet or blankets. DS2 is 8 weeks and slept in a vest, babygrow, growbag type sleeping bag and the cozytoes of the pushchair

I bath both of mine in a trug, I take several camping they have a miriad of uses, and kids being bathed in them makes for some great photo ops .

Wde aslo used a sink when poss, but now use a simple washing up bowl qhioch we picked up close to the site for £2.99.

We used an orbileb folding bowl to bath our 11 month old (then also used for washing up/storage etc).

Does your LO crawl? If not you may get away without a travel cot this year and just use a mattress. (And be also able to use your tent?)

Use pegs and toys on the guy lines to create a bashing type play mat toy.

For bathing I had thought using a washing up bowl, but also ds enjoys showers so may on the occasional night take him to the shower block. BUT, I have only camped out of season, this is the first time during the summer hols so this could turn into a nightmare - how busy are the showers?!

Do I take the high chair or not? He does eat when sitting on the floor, but I tend to need to hose him down afterwards

I think it depends on the site you go to BelleSeuss. The showers can get very busy but if you try and use them outside of peak times you should be fine. We're not going to take a high chair, but I'm a bit worried about all the mess as we're doing BLW and ds's meal times tend to be a whole-body experience. A folding bowl sounds like a very good purchase Pootlepod, and I love the idea of the toys on the guy ropes.

hi, this is a v small packing up travel cot and friends daughter is still using it at 3.5....with thermarest type mattress so good investment as will work for sibs as well

www.pushchairs.co.uk/acatalog/nomad_travel_bed.html

used washing up bowl for bath as ds didn't like showers... used pushchair for feeding instead of high chair not perfect but meant 1 less piece of kit to lug... if really messy could put in all in one waterproof! which I would recommend taking anyway as great top layer if muddy/ damp grass/dew esp if crawling... like this

www.littletrekkers.co.uk/shop/index.php/flypage/1481/b1bf32e7bb484066926151ba8f9f72de

easier to wipe down! ..although if you can get a fabric tot seat they can work with some camping chairs if ds good sitter

Someone told me that a layer underneath is worth 2 on the top. I put a sheepskin under my baby when we took him camping aged 4 months. He slept in warmest grobag, vest, snuggly fleecy sleepsuit, hat, cardigan, extra t shirt.

He was well toasty!

Sorry all, been away for the weekend

I was going to avoid the pushchair for feeding as we do a mix of BLW etc so it can be messy. I like the idea of an all in one suit - we have been given one so I need to remember to pack it.

As far as sleeping goes, I think I will need to track down a fleecy all in one and go for layers - I know jojomaman do some good ones!

DS is not crawling yet, but looking more and more likely - only 3 weeks until trip, but I think he will be by then