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

Original poster

How cold is too cold - 1st camp for 3yr old

29 replies

Tangle · 21/04/2010 10:34

We're all very excited after we went and bought our first tent (Outwell Nevada M last weekend. Its currently sitting in the garden (OK - filling the garden ), trying to tempt us into spending in the night.

DD is 3. She's also very excited and has spent the last two nights sleeping next to her normal bed on her new pink bed in her new pink sleepingbag. She's never slept under canvas and is desperate to try.

We're just a bit worried about the temperature. Round here the forecasts are still getting down to freezing most nights. Is that just going to be so cold we put her off for life? What do you reckon? Do we just go for it (tomorrow night works logistically but is still meant to be cold), or do we pack it all away for now and try again in a few weeks?

OP posts:
MyBoo · 21/04/2010 11:14

I am a bit nesh but unless you have super tog proper serious camper sleeping bags I would put it away for a few weeks. We woke up to a ground frost this morning and it is forcast for the same tonight.

If your DD is excited can't you set something up inside as a bit of an advanture?

Its up to you though

Lovesdogsandcats · 21/04/2010 11:23

Put a blanket on top of the blow up bed (under the sleeping bag), and a quilt on top of the sleeping bag and she will be warm as toast.

dreamingofsun · 21/04/2010 20:07

only if she drinks several bottles of wine first lovedogs!

nuttysquirrel · 21/04/2010 22:46

We live in Scotland and camp with our DS, a hot water bottle is the way to go!

Original poster
Tangle · 21/04/2010 23:36

Is that me or DD drinking the wine?

She's been sleeping in her sack on her air bed for the last 3 nights - but she's desperate to sleep under canvas. Having eyed up the weather it looks like it might get a bit warmer at the weekend, so we'll try and hold out till then.

Thanks for the suggestions, though - we might still need to do some toddler warming before we're done

OP posts:
DomesticG0ddess · 22/04/2010 19:59

Tangle are you going camping?? We are also thinking of going for the first time with DS, also 3, this weekend. We are getting a new car, it's not a camper, but the seats in the back fold down to make a double, so kind of a cross between camper and people carrier. It arrives tomorrow and we are really excited, hence the camper, and loads of stuff we ordered from Amazon (stove, windshield, etc) arrived today. We have not been since I was pregnant with DS! I am pg again, so the idea is I sleep in the van and DH and DS sleep in the tent.

I am worried about the cold too, but I guess DS can always come in the van with me if it is too cold? I am terrible at the moment though, I have a hot water bottle every night! DH very keen though!

Honeymoonmummy · 22/04/2010 23:41

Thanks for this post Tangle as I was about to start a new thread asking the same thing! We're thinking of trying out our new tent (outwell montana 6 with kids room-so excited!!) and we have the same pink inflatable mattress for our 18mo but the nighttime temp is down to 6. We took her camping for the first time in Aug last year and the nighttime temp was 15 and it was freezing!! But I didnt take hot water bottle last time and got electric hook up now so gonna take fan heater (with thermostat and wont leave on overnight). Am I insane????

Honeymoonmummy · 22/04/2010 23:43

Also, we were just gonna use a baby sleeping bag for her, rather than buy a "proper" sleeping bag, then take a cot bed duvet to put on top and put a warm hat on her head and warm fluffy sleepsuit underneath - sounds sensible or too much or not enough?? (sorry for hijacking Tangle!!)

Lovesdogsandcats · 23/04/2010 13:39

Sounds just right Honey, bet she'll be toasty.

DomesticG0ddess · 23/04/2010 19:00

Well guys, we are def going camping tomorrow, just for the one night - wish us luck!!!

HairyMaclary · 23/04/2010 22:30

We look our 2 year old, (and 5 year old) two weekends ago, it was chilly but fine! I put ours in normal pj's with fleece all in ones over the top, they then slept in normal sleeping bags on thin airbeds. We put a wool blanket down first before the airbed.
We have the Montana 6 too and love it!!

Honeymoonmummy · 23/04/2010 22:59

We're definitely going tomorrow night too! Sooo excited!

Original poster
Tangle · 24/04/2010 10:12

Good luck for those camping tonight - I think we're braving it tomorrow night in the garden, so we'll see what happens!

OP posts:
serinBrightside · 24/04/2010 23:06

We camped a few years ago during May Half term and although it was warm during the day the temp dropped to 2degrees during the night.

DS2 had an asthma attack on the second night

Honeymoonmummy · 25/04/2010 20:57

Well we stayed out last night. Our new tent which I bought 4 months ago has a rip in it so has to go back They said they'll take it and told us to stay out overnight. It was pretty cold over night. My DD wouldn't settle in the inflatable bed, she ended up sleeping between me and DH but she must've been awake for two stints of 1 hour. Sooo tired. She loved it in the day tho but we're taking the travel cot next week so she feels more familiar. Was a lovely site really close to home, only a small site but had a playground and a load of geese in the next field. Oh and a pub next door

DomesticG0ddess · 26/04/2010 09:43

Well, we too stayed out on Saturday night. I was in the van, and DS and DH in the tent. I wasn't convinced he should be there at all, but if he had gone to sleep in the van then we wouldn't have had anywhere to sit after he went to bed and DH insisted he would be fine. Anyway, I was so warm in the van with 2 hot water bottles, duvet, etc, and at 3am DH brought DS in with me - he was coming down with my cold and all snuffly! DH went back to tent and was cold/uncomfortable for the rest of the night!

We woke up to drizzle!!! Which was a pain.

But it was overall v successful as a first trip - we hadn't been for 4 years, 1st time with DS, 1st time with new van, only took teeny tent.

Tips:

  • definitely take a fire for this time of year (or non-disposable BBQ) - we didn't bother as we weren't going to cook on it, but actually you need it for warmth
  • don't need to boil water for hot water bottles - they were fine from the campsite taps and were lovely
  • maybe an extra ground sheet - the bottom of the tent still seemed damp by morning
  • damp air not good for asthmatics at this time of year if in tents

Brightside sorry to hear about your DD's asthma attack - I heard DS coughing (not sure if he is asthmatic yet, but DH is), he was fine once he came in the van. But DH suffered during the night too.

Recommend Burnbake campsite nr Swanage, possibly too many trees for this time of year (ie too much shade), but great for the sunnier months.

DomesticG0ddess · 26/04/2010 09:45

Honeymoonmummy, we may brave it again next weekend if the forecast is good (I think part of the problem was we were expecting much warmer weather this weekend), with some modifications. Tangle did you sleep in the garden??

mybabywakesupsinging · 26/04/2010 21:59

We took the dc last September, when the forecast said 9-10 at night.
Ds2 was 2. He went to bed wearing:
vest
pyjamas
fleece suit
thick baby gro-bag
woolly hat
socks
and then popped himself into an adult sleeping bag as well.
He was warm, but it was freezing in the evening in the tent; DH and i went to bed not long after the dc as it was too cold to sit around and drink wine chat.
It may have been colder than was forecast, but i am holding out for at least 9 degrees at night before we go this year.
Perhaps I am a softie.

Honeymoonmummy · 26/04/2010 22:25

I think it was about 9-10 degrees on Saturday night Mybaby. I've heard the weather this weekend is not great. what a great tip re hot water bottles Domestic - the water at our site was piping hot, I can't believe I didn't think to use them!!!!

Oh by the way folks, Aldi currently have a few camping supplies in their stores. DH has just been and picked up a new pan set. I've been hanging off on buying a proper camping stove (have a one burner at the moment) becuase Aldi one supposed to be very good, but it's not appeared this year yet...

DomesticG0ddess · 27/04/2010 07:40

We don't have an Aldi round here, and tend to get a lot from Amazon - we bought this one www.amazon.co.uk/Campingaz-Camping-Chef-Stove/dp/B0014BSDXU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1 272350334&sr=8-1

We bought the table/larder to go with it, but we're already wishing that we bought the one on legs instead, with the larder/table as extra prep space. It was great, really nice to have toast in the morning too.

Original poster
Tangle · 28/04/2010 22:09

We made it to our Big Adventure in the garden

DD was absolutely fine. She'd been sleeping in her sleeping bag on her air bed for a week so that side of things was familiar. We stuck her in a couple of extra layers and then wrapped the (full size single) duvet around her just in case.

I, on the other had, was freezing and had to use DH as a hot water bottle most of the night .

So I'm now trying to work out whether a roll mat on top of an air bed would help, or whether I need to persuade DH that something like this is required.

I'm also lusting after on of these for no real reason (other than if we've got to cook outside we may as well have a BBQ as a gas cooker)

OP posts:
MilaMae · 28/04/2010 23:47

You're all making me nervous,have booked 2 weeks in Cornwall in Aug erm 1 being the last week .

Not supposed to be that cold in Aug -sticking fingers in ears-la,la,la.

LadyBiscuit · 29/04/2010 00:11

I took my DC a few weeks ago - was so cold at night there was ice on the fire bucket in the morning

My 3YO wore thermals, brushed cotton PJs and a sleepsuit. Slept in bed with me with loads of blankets and a hot water bottle etc. I think I was colder than he was - he certainly slept very well

tootootired · 29/04/2010 00:13

Do put something on top of your airbed. It's a great big heat sink - your body can't warm up that mass of air so insulate yourself from it. I'm sure a £2.99 tesco mat would do. (that's an amazed face) at the downmat!

LadyBiscuit · 29/04/2010 00:16

Our 'mattresses' from the bottom up were: double thickness heavy duty cardboard, plastic backed picnic blanket, fleece blanket, us, duvet, wool blanket x2, opened out 4 season sleeping bag