Camping With Baby Tips

Joined
Jan 10, 2016
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578
My daughter just turned 8 months old. She loves going hiking, going to the archery range with me, and just being outside no matter the weather. I’m wanting to take her camping when the weather gets a little better. Just curious if any of you have taken a baby camping, and what worked well as far as a sleep setup for the baby in the tent.

I just have a Neo Air pad and mummy bag, so I can’t just have her sleep with me.
 
Joined
Feb 24, 2021
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Watching this! My wife is terrified for how this might turn out. Would love to hear how those who've been around the block make this work.
 

Wapiti1

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Sep 18, 2017
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Indiana
This will sound odd, but stay with me. Look at inflatable camp beds and sleeping bags for dogs. I used an insulted inflatable bed and bag from Ruffwear for my grandson. Add another top blanket or quilt and it was perfect. https://ruffwear.com/collections/dog-beds-blankets/products/highlands-dog-sleeping-bag

The bag zips around the pad, so he couldn't roll off it. My grandson could roll a mile if you let him. Worked great for us to go on short hikes and camp, of run across a lake in the boat and stay the night.

I also put down a half a Z-rest pad to add more ground insulation.

Jeremy
 

Gorp2007

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Dec 4, 2016
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Southern Nevada
I’m assuming you’re car camping. I’ll preface this with the fact that my wife works in pediatrics, so co-sleeping or putting a baby that size in a sleeping bag wasn’t an option for me. What we did for ours was bring a pack n play and I figured out how to wrap it with blankets to fully enclose and insulate. Babies (two kids different ages, I’m not brave enough for twins) wore a fleece onesie over their pjs for warmth and they both slept through the night no problems. We’ve used that method down into the low 50s at night and they stayed cozy. Pack and play also helps keep them contained during set up and tear down, so it’s a multitasking piece of kit.
 
OP
Michael Rankin
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Jan 10, 2016
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578
Thanks for the tips so far. Pack and play, and the inflatable mattress were a couple of my first thoughts. I don’t want the first trip to be a disaster. The wife might pump the brakes on my camping with the baby idea if it did😂
 

Unclemoe

FNG
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Jul 14, 2019
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Snacks and warm clothes keep the kid fed and warm and everything else will fall into place, we camped with our kids at that age often, also for some reason we always went threw more diapers when camping.... maybe it was the constant snacks looking back on it
 

Ratbeetle

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Jul 20, 2018
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Took ours for her first camping trip at around a year. Overlandish style car camping. She slept between my wife and I on a large air mattress. Worked ok.

Graduated to backpacking trips at 2 years old. She sleeps like champ in her own bag (big agnes duster 15) and on her own pad (nemo tensor insulated). The bag has a sleeve to keep her on the pad, essential with a toddler IMO.

We have a backpacking trip planned in the grand canyon in a couple months.
 

zacattack

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Aug 23, 2018
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Michigan
I’ve been wanting to take my son since day one. He’s about to turn a year and I’m hoping I can convince my wife that he won’t die to go camping for one night. Hoping this thread has some solid advice.
 
Joined
May 6, 2020
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Western PA
i am following this one closely. I just found out a few weeks ago my wife is pregnant with our first! We do a lot of camping with kids though, nieces and nephews on hike in trips, boat in and some car camping. I am going to piggy back off of Wapiti’s dog beds which is a great idea and suggest a small inflatable kids boat. Cheap and has sides so the kids dont roll out. Most are light weight to pack in. I have not tried this yet, but have seen people that have and it works great.

with the kids we have camped with... mostly just make sure you have enough food and two extra pairs of dry cloths. You could be in a desert and they will still find a way to get wet.

Here is a one man boat for $35. They make some real nice ones for under $100.

 

Ratbeetle

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Jul 20, 2018
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I’ve been wanting to take my son since day one. He’s about to turn a year and I’m hoping I can convince my wife that he won’t die to go camping for one night. Hoping this thread has some solid advice.

Tell her he will be fine!!

My wife and little girl, drying out gear and spotting sheep after a rainy day at 12,000'. This was a backpack trip not quite a month after her second birthday.

0726200845_HDR.jpg
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2015
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Start car camping and then stick close to the trailhead when you backpack. Keep the suck factor low as they grow older. Warm clothes, warm bedding, good food with some treats. Take some kid meds. Have a bail out plan that you can execute in the middle of the night. Like pack up in the dark and head to hotel Or hospital as the case may be. A kid with an ear ache or a bee sting is a shitty camping buddy.
 

FatCampzWife

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Mar 31, 2020
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The Plains
Pack n play, mosquito netting, 1000's of baby wipes... took all three of my kids camping (and trail riding) starting at 1 month old. Kids love it outside, & you can always set up a "pen," so to speak, to keep track of them. Had a backpack carrier to stick them in when I wanted them to stay put. It may seem scary at first, but after 3 or 4 times, you'll be a pro & know what works best for you.
 

Unclemoe

FNG
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Jul 14, 2019
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To also piggy back on the inflatables the wife reminded me we used to use pool noodles under the sheets to keep the kids from rolling off
 

Buffinnut

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Sep 9, 2020
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Arizona
We did it with my son at like 9 or 10 months. Brought his pack n play that he sleeps in at home and an electric heater. Ran the little generator with a long extension cord. Worked ok. He definitely didn’t sleep as good as at home but that’s just from being in a new place, not an issue with warmth. He doesn’t sleep as well when we go to the family cabin either.

After that I stole an idea from Luke (outdoor boys/catfish and carp) on YouTube. He trained his kids to sleep in a tiny tent at home and then when he travels they have a familiar place to sleep. I bought a cheap baby tent on Amazon and have been getting him comfortable being in there. You could do the same and put the little tent inside your tent when you go camping.
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
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With that big tent you have lots of options.
The pack and play or inflatable mattress with sides.
Have them sleep in warm fleece pajamas, the ones that zip up, have feet and hopefully even a hood.
No matter what you do they'll wriggle out of covers at some point or what up in middle of night and want to cuddle with you or mom.
Bring something to put warm water in and bath them. They get beyond dirty. Why this is just fine, momma feels much better when they are squeaky clean.
 
Joined
Nov 1, 2019
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Baby is absolutely doable. Its when they get big enough to crawl out of tent to go take a leak in middle of night that the problems start. Had one try to walk off in middle of night! Have fun! Get mom comfortable and you are set!
 
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