What sleep systems do you use for children under 5?

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Planning more family outings and would like suggestions for sleep systems. Temp range? Location? Type of excursion (hunt, car camp, backpacking, etc...)

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[oldgrowth]

I have been using an exped synmat and a 0 degree slik bag for my granddaughter since she was born. She's 6 now. We have used this setup hiking in the mountains and camping out in the bed of the truck. Lowest temps have been in the low 30's and she has always stayed warm and slept well. Better than I thought actually because I would start to feel cold around 30 degrees in the slick with that mat, but she sleeps a lot warmer than I do so it has worked very well for her. Plus it is a bulletproof bag. She can beat on it and it has held up great. I had to go with a down bag and mat to stay warm enough. I always figured if the temps got to low I would just switch setups so she could stay warm at least. Haven't had to do that yet though (thankfully).

 

[Becca]

We've been getting this dialed in since we started camping with our daughter (now 8 mo) last spring. We were gifted an amazing kids' sleeping bag made by deuter, with a zipper that allows you to shorten the foot box for smaller kids. My biggest problem currently is that molly won't stay inside it consequently we have been layering her in wool socks, fleece footy pjs, insulated bunting suit with flip over hands/feet, beanie, and an awesome thick merino zippered sleep sack over the top. When temps drop below freezing I have been putting hot hands in the fold over parts near her hands and feet (but not touching her skin). She sleeps in a kidco peapod (which is like a little pop up tent, to substitute for her crib), and while it has an integrated pad underneath, I have been adding a folded thermarest z lite for added r value.

We are headed out for moose and caribou again Thursday, and temps are supposed to be cold. I have packed her sleeping bag again, so maybe I will be able to get her to stay inside it When all else fails, we use a double bag and if she wakes up cold she can sleep between us, but it's definitely not my first choice.

 

[Becca]

You can see the Peapod here inside our MSR Elixir tent:

Sleeping in her deuter sleeping bag inside the Peapod, back before she started moving too much to stay inside the bag

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

You can see the Peapod here inside our MSR Elixir tent:

Sleeping in her deuter sleeping bag inside the Peapod, back before she started moving too much to stay inside the bag

Thanks Becca, i was hoping you'd chime in. You just answered a ton of questions about how to manage with my youngest. So much for light pack weights.

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[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I have been using an exped synmat and a 0 degree slik bag for my granddaughter since she was born. She's 6 now. We have used this setup hiking in the mountains and camping out in the bed of the truck. Lowest temps have been in the low 30's and she has always stayed warm and slept well. Better than I thought actually because I would start to feel cold around 30 degrees in the slick with that mat, but she sleeps a lot warmer than I do so it has worked very well for her. Plus it is a bulletproof bag. She can beat on it and it has held up great. I had to go with a down bag and mat to stay warm enough. I always figured if the temps got to low I would just switch setups so she could stay warm at least. Haven't had to do that yet though (thankfully).

Good info there thanks. That gives me a good starting point.

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[Backpack Hunter]

For backpacking typically my girls use the lower temp rated bag no matter the temps expected as they sleep colder than I. So usually a 0 degree bag in the winter then couple it with whatever pad they prefer...lately that has been the Big Agnes Q Core SL...not sure if that is because they like it or if it because it is orange. Either way it works for them just fine. Summer through fall usually means a 20 degree bag with it sometimes being used as a blanket. Pad choice is usually the same.
Car camping all bets are off and we take queen sized blow up mattresses, sheets, pillows, etc. Basically everything imaginable including a portable kitchen sink. With car camping we only limit ourselves with what we are able to fit in the vehicle.

Esse quam videri

 

[Becca]

Thanks Becca, i was hoping you'd chime in. You just answered a ton of questions about how to manage with my youngest. So much for light pack weights.

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Well, it's not as bad as it sounds. Even lots of clothes for her don't weigh a lot since they are small. The Peapod weighs in at just less than 3lbs, which sounds like a lot until you realize that a pack n play weighs 25lbs we haven't done much true backpacking with her, but I think it's doable. My goal for next season is to get her sleeping without the Peapod so we can leave it at home.

If you plan to take a baby, my best advice is to try naps and even overnights at home in the same sleep system. We started Molly napping in her Peapod at 3 weeks old. It's definitely helped her adjust to sleeping in different locales. We've used it in cabins, tents, hotels and other people's houses. The few times I have tried to do without it she didn't sleep well, so it's 3lbs of worth it for us.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Backpacking with kids gets a lot easier once they are out of the diaper stage!

Esse quam videri

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Backpacking with kids gets a lot easier once they are out of the diaper stage!

Esse quam videri

Ya I imagine packing poopy diapers is lots of fun.

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[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Well, it's not as bad as it sounds. Even lots of clothes for her don't weigh a lot since they are small. The Peapod weighs in at just less than 3lbs, which sounds like a lot until you realize that a pack n play weighs 25lbs we haven't done much true backpacking with her, but I think it's doable. My goal for next season is to get her sleeping without the Peapod so we can leave it at home.

If you plan to take a baby, my best advice is to try naps and even overnights at home in the same sleep system. We started Molly napping in her Peapod at 3 weeks old. It's definitely helped her adjust to sleeping in different locales. We've used it in cabins, tents, hotels and other people's houses. The few times I have tried to do without it she didn't sleep well, so it's 3lbs of worth it for us.

Our little guy cosleeps with us most of the time. Have you guys tried the double pads like exped makes or just strapping the 2 together?

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[kparrott]

You can see the Peapod here inside our MSR Elixir tent:

Sleeping in her deuter sleeping bag inside the Peapod, back before she started moving too much to stay inside the bag

Thanks for this post, Becca. I've been talking to my wife about how to take our daughter(2 months old) on camping trips.


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[Becca]

Our little guy cosleeps with us most of the time. Have you guys tried the double pads like exped makes or just strapping the 2 together?

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We have not, mostly bc we sometimes go separately or sleep on cots where we need single pads. We use a Velcro coupler from exped and it works fine for our uses. The true double pads have always intrigued me though.

 

[Becca]

Ya I imagine packing poopy diapers is lots of fun.

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The diaper thing is a big hassle. We use disposables at home, but I actually picked up a few of the reusable hybrid diapers made by g pants. The outside is reusable but the inner liner is biodegradable/compostable so it can be buried. Haven't ended up using it much, but the few times we have used it it worked fine. Biggest issue is they aren't any lighter than disposables for packing in...in fact the covers plus the disposable inserts actually weigh a few oz more than disposable diapers. But the trade off is you don't have to pack the dirty ones out.

Interestingly enough, we have had a lot of success burning dirty diapers. I had been told they wouldn't burn, but when we finally got around to trying it they burnt up fine. Not even any black smoke I wouldn't throw them in a lightweight stove, but if you have a campfire that's one way to get rid of them.

 

[AXEL]

What neat photos, my former "Paeds" RN wife, also "Outpost Nurse" in the YT and NWT, mid-70s, will love these. Molly, is now my "mascot" and I am sure she sends me "good vibes" so I will get an Elk the size of a Lord Derby Eland, next week at home in SE BC.

I hope you post a lot more info. and photos on kids hunting as that is the best option for support in future attempts to ban our traditional activity.

 

[SLDMTN]

You can see the Peapod here inside our MSR Elixir tent:

That's about the cutest thing ever, just saying.


Here's our setup:

North Face Tigger 20* bags for summer months, not sure if they make them anymore. Seems to keep them warm down to about 35-40*.

Marmot -40* Adult Length bags for winter camping. Put their jacket/pants inside the sleeping bag in the bottom, then slide the NF Tigger inside. If they're still cold, boil some water and put it in a Nalgene, slide that in the bottom of the Tigger. This is the hot ticket for hunting Haul Road caribou in the winter.

I also have a full-size polar fleece bag liner from REI that I can slide the NF Tigger inside of. That bridges the gap between 35-40 and needing the Haul Road setup above.

Sleeping pads, get them full-size ones. They'll get cold the second the roll off of a small one.


Spring bear hunting in the tree stand this year. Temps were hitting high 30's at night early on.

Winter hunts up north.

 

[SLDMTN]

Ya I imagine packing poopy diapers is lots of fun.

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It's not much fun during potty training either....

We bought one of those little plastic toilets and took that thing all over the place car camping and with the wheelers. Pro tip: use a black contractor bag as a liner so you aren't trying to wipe it clean. It's way big and overkill but they don't leak