First camping trip with 7m old - travelcot or not?

[Rugbylovingmum]

Hi all,

I am very excited - we are taking DD camping for the first time in May when she will be 7 months old. I'm just not sure about where she should sleep - do we take a travel cot or not? I had been planning on buying a travel cot but they all look huge, will take up loads of space and don't look very warm/cosy. I did think we could put her in her gro-bag, on one duvet and under another (with the thermarests down too) and she can sleep between us but is that warm enough/safe? If it makes any difference she sleeps in her cot in her own room just now (unless I fall asleep feeding her and we end up co-sleeping for a few hours) and sleeps in a travel cot at my parents so she will probably be fine with either option.

We need a new tent anyway so we can buy one that is big enough for a cot. On that note, any recommendations for a tent for 2 adults + 1 baby - we have a Vango gamma 250 (sorry can't do links) just now and really like it but need something bigger. We want a decent sized porch, prefer a tent that you put the outer up first as it's easier in the rain and need something fairly long so DP (6ft3) doesn't stick his feet/the inner against the outer and get wet feet!

Thanks!

hi wen my girls wer yng we took them camping an we put them in with us. wen we just had the 1 it was easier but wen we ad the 2 we wud have 1 each in each room of the tent. i found it more reassurin 4 me an them as i was paranoid bout bugs an things and i cudnt relax so them sleepin with us i was able 2 relax and enjoy the trip away an we all slept well an wer nice an cosy. we got 2 sleepin bags an zipped them up 2 make a double bag an then put the babies in blankets an then in the sleepin bag with us it was gr8. hope this helps

We used a travel cot when my DTs were young (although not that young). I liked that we could use it as a playpen while you're packing up. I put them in a baby grobag inside a proper sleeping bag and cover with a fleece blanket.

I use a pop up travel cot for camping as you can zip it up so you can sit outside with your wine in the evening and know the baby isn't rolling around the tent getting into mischief and you can drape a bit of blackout lining over it so you don't get woken at the crack of dawn

I've not taken dd camping but ds always slept really well. In the uk when it was colder he slept in fleece suit plus grobag in a baby vango (someone gave us the vango, wouldn't say you have to buy one could just use blankets) and in France when a lot warmer he would just be in a nappy in a grobag.

I used a travel cot with black out material fixed to the tent inner, fleece beneath, then his normal sleeping bag with him in lots of warm clothes. We could use it as a playpen/some where to dump him when tiding up. Much easier!

Pop up travel cot definitely. I wouldn't want to have a baby on the floor of the tent as ours always seems to get quite messy and DH has clodhopper feet and always gets up in thenight to go to the loo.

When ds was 7 mths was we used our phil&teds cocoon for his sleep bed and put this on top of a small lambskin rug (or similar) to stop the cold coming through from the ground.
Now that winter's over you can prob pick up these cocoons quite cheaply. Otherwise we would put the lambskin rug on top of our dbl air matress and let him sleep on that - between us when we slept.
Having said that the travel cot sounds great. esp used as a playpen whilst puttingup/packingup tent.
Our alt. was to take the carseat out to the field strap him in and give him food. he loved the entertainment of us putting up the tent.

i took ds camping at the same age and used a travel cot. for about 2 hours lol. i got so bored of trying to lever my way off an airbed to fish him out (knowing how much wailing travels in the open air ) that we spent the rest of the holiday co-sleeping.
(and i am not, never, ever a co-sleeper at home. )

We took a travel cot last year (we went twice) and didnt use it, DD ended up in with us.

We satretd ds4 off camping when he was 5 weeks, whitsun before last.

TBH I'd go for a baby bag on a thermal camp mat next to you as babies get very cold cam,ping adn that was my biggest fear with ds4. I certainly could not have coped with him in a travel cot outside touch range tbh.

He actually sleeps with us but won't recommend that as it isn;t the safest option guideline wise.

I took my DD camping at the same age & she slept really well on a thermarest next to me. Keep the tent floor clear of "stuff" - straps, bags etc & sleep inside your own sleeping bag zipped up rather than unzipped like a duvet so there isn't the hazard of a big fluffy,slippy down-filled thing going over her head. Think about dressing in layers for sleep - mine wore an undershirt, PJ's & 2.5 tog Grobag & was warm enough. Grobag don't recommend putting a duvet over a Grobag as baby can overheat - have some extra light layers on hand & remember that your body heat will also be warming. In cold weather a light hat would be useful & you can buy warm down-filled bags for infants.

Pop-up travel cots are great & I would def. use one camping with a younger baby or if I felt the tent was a bit overcrowded with mum, dad & other wriggly kids. We have a Peapod & used it upto 18mths instead of those big heavy playpen things. Also provides UV protection & a place away from biting bugs! But be aware, some babies don't like them once thay can move around.

Have a great trip!

The otehr option of course is oneof those kampa inflatable travel cots that most camping stores stock now. They look good.

Tried a nomad travel cot, but all my girls ended up in with me. last yr they were 6mth, 2 and 3. my dh ended up on the other side of the tent... don't know who got the better deal ;)

i tried childrens sleeping bags but the older two didnt like them. ended up with using quilts and my youngest slept in the double sleeping bag with me, she had a fleece sleep suit on and her pjs etc. she was totally fine, but then she was used to co-sleeping.

enjoy! we have so much fun camping...

Thanks for all the replies - sorry I haven't been back on but my broadband hasn't been working. I think we will look for a cheapish travel cot so we have that option but won't have spent too much if she ends up in with us. We are taking the car which is an estate so for this first trip we will just take the travel cot, duvets, thermorests and sleeping bags and see how we feel at the time.

I'd say that generally a travel cot is a good investment that you can use for years - we still have ours so friends can bring babies to stay with us - and I can have LOTS OF CUDDLES!