Camping with a Baby!

[Ginge248]

Hi all ☺️
We're due to go to a festival in August (postponed from last year!) and our son will be 6 months old. We'll be camping and it's hard enough just going for a day out, never mind a weekend!! There's no electric hook up at the site, just wondered if anyone had any tips or advice to make it as easy as possible?? He's bottle fed so got that to consider and also may be weaning then as well.
I can't wait but I'm also dreading it a little so any help would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance x

Oh dear this isn’t helpful but I’m not sure I would go.... are you going with friends? Do they have kids? Do u have a chance to fit in a camping trip somewhere a bit easier first?

@Ginge248 maybe take the pre-made formula bottles that you can buy to make feeding a bit easier?

Coming with a baby is pretty easy because they don't really need much. I recommend getting the ready-made cartons of milk so you don't have to worry about boiling water etc. They can sleep on a self-inflating mattress next to you. A normal baby sleeping bag that you would use in a cot is fine, along with a blanket if it gets chilly.

*Camping, not coming

Hey, we went camping when my little one was 3 months old. Even though it was the summer it was very cold at night so lots of blankets and hats. She slept in a Phil and Ted cocoon carrier, next to us and was snug and warm and even slept through.
We took a Milton travel bottle steriliser, sterilising tablets etc.
Had a great time, only two nights but really enjoyed it

You will be fine, I took my DS camping for a week when he was 4 months. He was also bottle fed, I used premade milk and took a tub where I could sterilise with Milton. He slept in the cot part of the pram and I popped a fleece onesie on him. I agree with that it was easier as a baby we have been every year until Covid and 5 was by far the hardest.

And assuming you go somewhere in the UK you are never to far from a supermarket so don’t panic if you forget anything

@Toolateplanting I hear you, I'm not 100% sure but if I don't do it while he's little I'll never get used to it! We're going with my parents and there's a fair few people there we'll know so we'll have plenty of help. Hard getting in anywhere else at the minute, they're all booked up with everyone going on a staycation!

@mooloop I have thought about ready made formula but wasn't sure what to do about warming it? He won't want it cold, cold milk makes him gag 🤦

@BlowDryRat Why it didn't occur to me I could just take his sleeping bag he uses now, I don't know haha. Good idea, plenty of blankets!

@Terrysmyorange I think that's my worry, what if he wakes up crying all night. He sleeps through at the minute so praying he does the same. Hoping he'll be shattered from all the days antics so won't notice where he's sleeping. Mum has a travel cot that I think we're going to take. We have a dog so don't want him sleeping out in the open (just in case) need to look into sterilising stuff. You can get cold water tablets, can't you?

@FuzzyPenguin thanks for the reassurance ☺️ We're only a 40 minute drive from home so if we REALLY needed to we could go home if we'd forgot something, but like you say, supermarkets are everywhere! How did you warm the milk?
I thought about him sleeping in his pram top, that's what he'll do now if we're out but he's long so I think he'll have grown out of it by then so opting for the travel cot

We did a week when DD3 was 8 months and then a friend joined us for the last weekend with her 2 month old. DD was weaning at the time so I made up loads of stuff like Glamorgan sausage, Welsh cakes etc so there was a handy supply of bits and bobs. We were really lucky with the campsite as it had 3 fridges available for use along with plug sockets etc which meant that my friend could take her entire perfect prep machine with her! It was an adventure for sure and at the time I’d never have done another wet week camping if you’d paid me but we do look back very fondly now 😂

• Lots of wet wipes and a solar shower attached to the side of the tent for hand washes/cleaning your DS
• emergency clothes and spare blankets etc
• handy supply of easy food if weaning

Oh and definitely a travel cot! It was the one thing I wish I’d taken, we’ve used one since for trips and it’s been an absolute godsend!

@Ginge248 we used a small camping stove and a pan of warm water proper old school!

We went to a festival when DS was 8 months. Didn't have bottles to worry about but if you have a small camping stove could you warm one in a pan of water?

Sleeping wise we had him in a lightweight pramsuit plus a star wrap blanket then he wasnin his Sleepyhead on top of a blanket on top of a bed may with another blanket on top of him.

The first night we were there was the first time he slept through! He went 10.45 to 5.15 and it was amazing. Think he liked the fresh air.

I went to Camp Bestival when my daughter was 11 months old (and her big sister was 4).

We had a travel cot and pre--made formula cartons.

We didn’t stay the whole festival but it was totally do-able.

@Blueballinthegarden god help me if it rains, hoping it'll be nice with it being August but who knows in this country!
I'm going to take a load of the top to toe wipes Johnson's do, they're a god send for messy nappies so will be good for a wash down as well.
I'm hoping he's not weaning yet as he'll be just under 6 months but was thinking jars might be easier? At least they don't need refrigeration

Warm the bottles in a pan of warm water. Travel cot good - one tip is to take a spare cot bed mattress fitted sheet, and you can put the baby in the travel cot and the fitted sheet over the top as a lid, and it’s a shaded playpen! (V useful when you’re trying to put up a tent with a semi mobile baby in high sun!)

@FuzzyPenguin gosh, my LO is far too impatient for that!

@DappledThings @zoemum2006 you're making this sound a lot more doable than it is in my head haha

Which festival is it? I went to Glastonbury with a 9 month, it was amazing. Happy to tell you about it if it is

@Talipesmum it's defo warming the bottles that's the issue. If I'm having to use hot water to warm it, I might as well just have boiling water to make it fresh anyway. I have a flask so was thinking of taking that and just filling up from one of the coffee places if I can. If not, I'll have to use the stove to boil water but the flask stays hot for 24 hours (I only use it for 12 max) so I'll only have to boil in the morning

Won't covering the travel cot make it too hot? My parents will have the tent up before we get there so not too worried about that 🙂

@elf1985 wow, would love to do Glastonbury! It's the dog festival in Derby, only the second year we've been but it's an awesome weekend. If you can do Glasto, I can do this! ☺️

We went camping at the may bank holiday with our 6month old. Bought her a 3.5tog sleeping bag from Amazon to keep her warm at night (she was fine in it). She's breast fed but if I we bottle feeding I'd take ready made formula if I were you and serve it room temp - that's what we did with our first when we did quite a lot of travelling with her. That way you won't have to worry about heating it up or pans of water etc! Have a great time!

Just read you're going to a dog festival - the travelling we did with our first was to dog shows! ☺️
Another tip is to check out what cavities you have got - our campsite the other week have a family room with shower and baby changer in it. After a hot sticky day I had a shower with our baby - DH then dressed her while I finished showering and got dressed.
Take a snow suit for the early morning - it can still be quite chilly!

Facilities not cavities!! Auto fail there!

@onlyreadingneverposting8 ahhh, of course. It's room temp! I think I'm going to buy the ready made formula before we go and give it him to see how he takes it without warming.
I'll have a look at the higher tog sleeping bag, he's quite nesh anyway so will do for winter if it's cold. When he was first born he needed a 2.5 sleep bag and a blanket, bless him.

[quote Ginge248]@Blueballinthegarden god help me if it rains, hoping it'll be nice with it being August but who knows in this country!
I'm going to take a load of the top to toe wipes Johnson's do, they're a god send for messy nappies so will be good for a wash down as well.
I'm hoping he's not weaning yet as he'll be just under 6 months but was thinking jars might be easier? At least they don't need refrigeration[/quote]
We did jars and pouches too, they were great! We did the last week of august and barring the last weekend it rained most of the time. I took everything to a laundrette when we got home as I couldn’t bear the idea of so much washing 😂

It is all do-able, you will have a lovely time 😊

[quote Ginge248]@elf1985 wow, would love to do Glastonbury! It's the dog festival in Derby, only the second year we've been but it's an awesome weekend. If you can do Glasto, I can do this! ☺️[/quote]
Glastonbury was amazing with a baby. They have family camping so everyone is quiet once it gets late, but no one's bothered by child noise. They also have a baby tent set up with bottle facilities, sterilisers, microwaves for food, high chairs and changing facilities. They also do really cool classes like baby yoga throughout the day. The one thing I would suggest is get a really good off road buggy and cover it with lights and tinsel etc. It distracts baby but also makes them really visible when you are moving around. The camping side of things is really easy.