Anyone been camping with a 10/11 month old?

[cat811]

I'll be in a big tent - do you take travel cot? Or do they sleep on the ground? How do you sterilise bottles? Or feed them if they're used to a highchair? Is this just a crazy idea?!!!

We took our DS when he was younger, more like 6 months I think, but I was surprised how well it worked!

He slept in his travel cot, we just put some extra layers on him and took extra covers; and we took his Ikea collapsible highchair to feed him in; he also liked sitting in there to "watch the world go by". He slept really well, not sure if it was all the fresh air or what!

We mostly avoided sterilising as he was still BF, but we took Milton liquid and the microwave steriliser so that we could do cold-water sterilising if necessary; just fill it up and leave it overnight (somewhere safe if you have a mobile toddler!).

There's also a Camping board in the travel section where you'd probably get some more good advice too.

We took ds at 4m. We were only out 1 night but that was because of lack of campgrounds where we were, no other reason!

It is much colder than you think it will be so we had him in tons of clothes and a grobag; he slept on a pile of blankets between me and dh.

We didn't sterilise anything because he was still 100% bfed. (We took him again at 15m and didn't worry about sterilising then either.) At 15m we didn't worry about the highchair - he just ran around and when he went past I shoved food into him (usually he'd feed himself but camping was exciting!)

Think it's a matter of trial and error, figuring out what works for you. And the Camping boards. v helpful

We ytook ds4 at 5 weeks (I should add we had my aprents, sister, BIL there for help as well).

It was fiiiiine. He slept with us but a travel cot and a proper baby sleeping bag (Vango, widely available) will coope admirably. RE high chair a buggy will do I think, and you can get both disposable bottles and disposable steriliser bags if you browse boots and mothercare.

It is too cold now, despite the sun, we start at easter when they'reolder but Whitsun until about 3.

A layer of blanbkets on all bed pod floors insulates wonderfully, esp. under a travel cot (which also has the bonus of being raised above ground).

We took DD on Scout Camp when she was 9months. She slept in a travel cot in her grobag with long sleeve vest and babygrow. Once we went to bed, we'd put a little cardi on her as she'd got a bit colder by then.

Sterilised bottles using Milton and a large tupperware box with lid. Found that bit the hardest because washing up water when camping always seems to have grass floating around in it and I worried the bottles wouldn't be clean enough. DD never got sick though, so obviously all ok.

Feeding - we purchased one of those booster seats from Argos and just threw in a folding chair with the rest of the Scout equipment for it to sit on.

Yes and 2 year old twins.

We had a travel cot and an old tupperware box for cold water sterilising.

If you can fit it in(I suspect not) a playpen is good as they do like to roam and camping seems to involve a lot more jobs iykwim.

Word of warning our 3 were up until 2am(normally fab sleepers) very,very excited (in their beds) but we were still singing Wheels on the Bus to get them to drop off. I felt soooo sorry for the tent next door.

We took several bottles of wine,cards,books etc didn't touch them once.

Having said that we had a lovely time,great memories and photos.

We've taken our son since he was a few weeks old and it's always worked brilliantly. We never bothered with travel cots, just put him inbetween us, so it was easier to settle if he wakes/ check if he's warm enough, etc. Sterilising - do you need to any more? I might be remembering wrong, but we didn't from 6 months on . Sit him on your lap to eat, or do finger food on a picnic rug. Keep it simple and camp as far away from others as you can in case your lo's noisy in the night. Biggest problem you'll have is if it's cold and wet. If it is, I'd say don't do it, wait for warmer weather.