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Original poster

Tips for camping with a baby

14 replies

SquidgersMummy · 01/06/2013 22:20

Hi all, we have just come back fm our first camping trip with our 10 mth old. Of course she loved it all but I am just thinking we need to make a few changes before we camp again in July. As it was cold, and we are still bf and cosleeping I just had her on the air bed and under the duvet with us but I didn't sleep well with checking she was ok all night. What does everyone use for babies?? I can't see how she'd be warm enough in a travel cot on her own. I think we need a travel cot or play pen next time as she is crawling and needed constant supervision. The Baby Bjorn was great for taking her for a wash and for sitting on my knee whilst I had a wee. Anything else anyone finds helpful with a baby in a tent? TIA xx

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AllSWornOut · 01/06/2013 22:43

We have a pop up, enclosed, travel cot with zip up mosquito net sides so we could zip DS into it to stop him roaming around the tent at night. It also retains the heat pretty well so we would have him sleeping on a couple of blankets (or a duvet when he was older) and have him in a sleep suit and he seemed to be warm enough.

Other than that I can't think of any special equipment we used for him particularly.

HappyHippyHippo · 02/06/2013 04:54

Haven't honestly done it myself yet as we splashed on a caravan this year in place of our spring camping trip. However my friends got their 7 mo old a proper sleeping bag (I don't mean a gro bag style one, I mean a proper sleeping bag for grown ups, from a camping shop, but in baby size). They did a dummy camping run in their back garden last weekend :) and said he was warm enough in that and a normal (cheapie) travel cot. Have seen lots on eBay for about 10-20 quid so might be worth exploring.

Vajazzler · 02/06/2013 06:15

We camped when our ds was a crawler and the best thing we did was use some windbreakers to create a fence around our pitch. It meant that ds could crawl around safely and I wasn't constantly trying to keep him safe.

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Missingpate · 02/06/2013 20:27

We are also just back from our first camping trip with our ds, 9 months. It was a dummy run for Glastonbury later this month! We have a large bell tent and it was fab as he could crawl about to his heart's content. We just had to section off the stove area and hang up anything he shouldn't have access to from the central pole. We also have a pop up cot, great for keeping him contained when required, but he also has his own sleeping bag and shares with me for the second half of the nights.

A tip for staying warm on airbeds is to 'carpet' the tent floor to insulate. We use picnic blankets and a roll of plastic underlay, it really warms you up.

Also Ellas kitchen squeezy meals were great. At home I cook everything but camping these were fab.

And tea lights for some night light.

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SquidgersMummy · 03/06/2013 00:54

Thanks all. I really don't like the idea of sleeping in sep pods - this is night 1 of dd being in her cot for 5 mths hence still up at a ridiculous hour doing the pick up and put down routine but think I could fit the (new) mattress fm our battered 'gardening' silver cross above our air bed so she could sleep above our heads perhaps....

My MIL suggested I use one of the sleeping pods as a playroom to contain dd when needed - not a bad idea.

Missingplate - have a great time at Glasto - we tried but didn't get tickets this yr - what did you find helpful for screening off stove? That's my main worry p.s. BLW all the way: honestly you don't need Ella's anything, even at Glasto

Thanks again all xx

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Missingpate · 03/06/2013 12:19

Thanks we are very excited! We just sectioned it off with a little table and bags etc and kept him well away, it's a tiny stove and we found it easy to do.

We're getting braver with blw actually but still feel need to give meals to try and fill him up as he's not the best sleeper and blw doesn't seem to get much into him, but we are using it more and more.

We're just hoping it's not too hot or too muddy now...

PipPipPip · 07/06/2013 22:44

Haven't read all the comments above, but a couple of general camping tips:

hot water bottles are brilliant for keeping warm in the night, if you have access to hot water. If you were using one for a child's bed, obviously you'd only make it warm - body temperature - rather than hot.

air mattresses are cold! The air underneath you is cold (from the ground) so either make some insulation by putting some blankets underneath you (between you and the mattress) or use a foam mattress instead.

for your first night/meal, take something you've cooked at home (like chilli con carne) so you don't have to faff about when you're hungry and tired.

PipPipPip · 07/06/2013 22:45

PS. Take a bucket for midnight wees!!

BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 09/06/2013 22:17

We went last week, but temps didnt drop below 11 degrees so it was far from cold! Me and DH in one room in sleeping bags, DS1 (2.8) and DS2 (13m) in the other room, DS1 in child sleeping bag, DS2 in grobag and jacket, lying on a blanket. Both kids woke up in night and came in with us, as they would at home, but slept great in general :)

BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 09/06/2013 22:19

Missing, you don't cook in the tent do you??

Jenijena · 09/06/2013 22:28

We tried - scout camp (DH is scout leader) - the other week. First day DS1 (who turned 1 that weekend) was terrified of the tent (admittedly it was blowing a gale) so we came home about 5pm leaving DH there. Next day it was so hot that even at 8pm it was 25 degrees plus in the tent bedroom as it had heated up during the day. Hadn't a clue what to put him in as it was going to get cold over night, so planned blankets but he was still too hot to get to sleep so we came home again. Last night, I didn't bother. So not very successful - watching with interest!

parallax80 · 10/06/2013 08:10

Just back from camping weekend with 5 month old - Baby Boum sleeping bag (2.3 tog) was a definite winner, he loved it being snuggly and it can be zipped in 2 separate ways so acts as a sleeping bag or a jumpsuit. (Good for transfer into car seat, and for general hanging out in the chilly evening / morning.) The arms also zip on and off for more temp adjustment.

Standard pop up travel cot with extra blanket. Bath in a washing up bowl. Happily, still BF so food not an issue. I wouldn't go so far as to say he loved it, but he definitely didn't hate the experience, and his sleeping wasn't much different than it would be at home.

tazmo · 11/06/2013 20:50

Dream genii sleeping bag. Think there r little sleeping tents for baby as long as your tent is not too small.

wibblyjelly · 12/06/2013 13:28

I'm going camping in a couple of weeks time. DS is 8 months old and too big and active for a bubble cot, so we are taking his travel cot with us. I don't really want to use blankets, as he moves around so much in his sleep, I will be concerned about him getting caught up in it.
Does anyone know of generally (I know its weather dependent! ) if he will be OK in vest, long sleeved sleep suit, and a 2.5 tog sleeping bag? Not sure what else we can do otherwise?

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