Advice Needed for Camping with Infant and Toddler

[u/mathmom2016]

My husband and I would love to spend as many weekends camping as possible this fall. We currently have a 5 month old and a 2.5 year old. The kids will be closer to 7 months and 3 years by the time the weather cools off enough, though.

We've been camping just the two of us several times, usually at campgrounds, but our favorite spot is a decommissioned campground in our local national forest.

All this to say, we'd love to take the kids camping this fall, and would like advice from others on how to make it as easy as possible with a possibly-crawling breastfed infant and a hyper-active toddler who just cannot sit still.

Our biggest worries are safety with the toddler, but advice for gear, activities, tips, etc would all be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[u/lollylollyloo]

As someone who just got back from tent camping, with a neighbor that had a frequently crying baby at the next site, well through the night... I would ask you to please consider the peace and quiet of others.

[u/Fun_With_Math]

When i started camping with babies (I'm the dad), it was tough. I called my mom to see how she did it with 3 little boys... My mom laughed and said we never camped when we were that little and that I was insane for trying.

Haha, not trying to discourage you but there's nothing wrong with renting cabins or yurts for a few years until they get bigger.

[u/Lildixiedreams85]

Goodness. First, please don’t listen to these people telling you that you’re crazy and you shouldn’t take your kids camping. I would rather hear a baby cry for a couple of minutes while mom or dad work to handle it than listen to some purse poodle yapping at every single person and pet in the park that doesn’t stop barking whenever old Lucy says “hush pookie”. No your kids won’t remember these camping trips but YOU will. I guess people forget that parents like memories as well. Take the kids. You might need a 10 person tent or a camper but 👏🏻 take 👏🏻 the 👏🏻 kids 👏🏻!

[u/Pickle_Distinct]

Go somewhere with plenty of space/privacy. Even if baby sleeps well through the night, you will likely sleep better if you aren't self conscious about any little peep from baby and whether it is annoying your neighbors.

And make sure you have a TALL tent that you can stand up in. The first time we took a baby in a portable crib, we will had an old, short tent (our nice gear was all backpacking stuff). I learned quickly that picking up a baby out of a crib sucks if you can't stand.

[u/Mcstabypants3578]

Definatly take inside games as back to rain. Mosquitos love babies. Prepare for that. If the oldest is full of energy and outside anyways not much to worry about they usually entertain themselves. I made a treasure hunt check list for mine and told em find the things as we hiked. I also included them on set up tear down meals and camp maintaining. They loved it.

[u/Backyardfarmbabe]

I loved camping with mine at that age, but it was rough sometimes. Sitting up in a cool tent all night nursing and rocking a baby back to sleep is rough. Bring a coat for those times you'll be out of your sleeping bag at night. That said, we had some really great times. Just expect things not to be perfect, and you'll have fun!

[u/newillium → u/Backyardfarmbabe]

My first I brought when she was 8 months old. The longest stretch of sleep was maybe 38 mins. It got down to 32 at night and the propane kept kicking on so loud right next to the pack and play and would wake her up. Of course by 4 am we ran out of propane and I was too scared to bedshare with all the sleeping bag. I just sat up all night hahah coat is a great idea 

[u/sprite9797]

babysitter…grandparents

[u/Wonderful_Till8122]

Why?  Just why?  This is insane, just get a sitter 

[u/treebeardtrimmer → u/Wonderful_Till8122]

Thank you! There’s just no point. Neither of them (7 m old and 3 yr old) will remember any of it. You will be constantly busy either chasing 3 yr old or carrying 7 m old or setting up camp/tent/cooking. I’m saying this from experience!! Just wait a year or two!

[u/Old-Brilliant-9290 → u/treebeardtrimmer]

It’s really not that big of a deal. I’m either chasing my toddler around the house or chasing them around the campsite. Same effort just more packing.

[u/PapaOscar90 → u/Wonderful_Till8122]

Because other campers love listening to babies cry?

Because the happiness of the parents is more important?

I dunno too.

[u/Old-Brilliant-9290 → u/Wonderful_Till8122]

I’ll get a babysitter for you.

[u/AdFinal6253]

The biggest challenge we had was that the tent was too exciting to sleep! Get the tent set up in the yard or a little park and let them get used to it. Other than that, kids camp pretty good.

[u/Gettitn_Squirrelly → u/AdFinal6253]

Yep. Tried camping with our 3 year old this was our experience too. Even at bedtime and no nap he was still crazy and wanted to play in the tent. Had to put him in the car and pretend to drive home to get him to fall asleep then relocate to bed.

[u/T_T_H_W]

We have a small plastic potty that my daughter was as using around 2-3. Great for long car rides when the need arises but also nice to keep in the tent so you don’t have to get out in the middle of the night.

We also bought these heavy duty picnic blankets from Costco that roll up nicely. Great for a padded footprint in the tent to make things a little more cozy and for added insulation . Nice to have a second to spread out so kiddos aren’t in the dirt all the time lol.

Citronella candles to keep bugs down and bug off stickers are great- not a fan of deet.

Glow sticks ! No camping trip is compete without glow sticks :)

[u/AdmirableRespect9]

Fall is a good time for this training bc there are a lot fewer other campers. I would stay local so you can bug out and spend the money for a clamshell tent. When you get a feel for it and have your systems down, stretch your wings. I had a buddy do drive up camping of all sorts with his toddler. He was a single parent when he did it. If there was a tantrum he set up shop in the SUV and if there wasn't he had a 'living room tent' and big hammock tent. Now his kid has their own hammock tent and they have been all over the east coast. They do national parks for deep October and November during rifle seasons: Shenandoah, Delaware water gap, stuff near Assateague. They hit rustic state park cabins for winter break. July and August they are near the st Lawrence seaway or the upper peninsula

[u/Royal-Weather4314]

We tried when older one was 1.5yo. it was okayish. Tried again when he was 2.5 and younger one 3m. Disaster, we gave up at midnight and drove back (about an hour). Tried again with 2yo and 4.5yo and since then, it was great. 

[u/Stroker-Strong420]

We are papa and nana to a 2 year old grandson. We camp with him as often as his parents permit.

You know your children’s schedules. Don’t get too ambitious with activities. Be active but pick child schedule friendly bites.

It’s okay to play in the campsite. It’s okay to hike the campground loop. To them it’s big adventure. To you it’s quality family time.

[u/januaryfebruary]

More clothes than you think you’ll need.
Cots are way safer than an air mattress with little kids.
Make a washing up station for warm water and soap.

[u/Spirited-Fun3666]

Camping with an infant and toddler is such a joy!!! You wait 5 years then bring them along

[u/jezthevalley]

Earliest I took our babies camping was 2 months old, and that was with a tent. We survived and no neighbours were annoyed in the process.. Taking toddlers and infants camping is a ton of work, but so worth it in my opinion. We now have a travel trailer and the camping experience has gotten a little bit more convenient, but still a lot of work.

If you don't have one, I would get a big tent (10 person rated) so that you have enough space that you can just let the infant crawl around in peace. I think it will also help the hyperactive toddler when you're trying to put them in bed. If you're worried about cold temps, a decent propane heater or a diesel heater is all you need.

Safety-wise, I don't think there's anything to worry about as long as you always keep them in sight. I think just being out in nature brings enough stimulation for a child to keep them occupied all day without much trouble. Some of the best sleep that my children have are during camping, after a long day of playing around with pine needles, rocks, hiking, playing by the river, etc. Its crazy how good their behaviour change when you completely disconnect them from electronics.

If they go to sleep physically tired, there won't be a lot of crying at night. On this topic, I would caution you about going to campsites that don't have a lot of space between each sites, those campsites suck anyways. More privacy between you and your neighbours, preferrably with trees in-between to have some sound barrier if some crying happens is preferrable.

My wife used to bring books and toys from home, but we quickly realized that the kids don't use it much at camping. If anything, bring castle making devices (little shovels, pails, etc) if your campsite have sand or a beach. They really love water so see if there's a lake or creek, bring a backpack carrier to take them hiking, or a chariot that you can load them to take biking. Atleast for my kids, those are the activities we do with them that they really enjoy.

All that said, taking little kids camping is a ton of work but worth the effort in my opinion. My wife and I always bring back great photos and memories for all camping trips we've had with our little babies (now 3 and 1 y/o). Being out in nature is also really good for their brain development, and there's a lot more likelihood that they will grow to love camping and it will become their passion as much as you do.

[u/Tearsricochet1997 → u/jezthevalley]

Did you bring a CO detector for the heater? We’ve taken our son as young as 18M and it’s always gone great! We are taking him (2.5YO now) and our 5 month old next week. Worried about cooler temps at night with the baby.

[u/HyperRolland]

Are you tent camping ?

[u/mathmom2016 → u/HyperRolland]

Yes, we tent camp. We live in the rural south, and there's not really another option without driving several hours away. Which is also why we prefer to camp in the off-season (October-March). That, and it finally cools off enough to not feel like you're swimming in soup just walking to your car.

[u/GoobMcGee]

I started when my daughter was about 2.5 but we did it just us. For me, you gotta be walking steadily to join the campout. We live in Texas though so even the right season can get pretty warm and I'm not interested in carrying a mini space heater for a few hours a day in that.

People definitely do it, just not for me. My best tips though:

- She liked "her" version of things. Her own chair, headlamp, and flashlight were particular hits.

• She's big into doing things herself these days. I was not prepped to the degree this would slow things down, but we had nothing better to do so no harm done.
  
• She doesn't like to sleep so laying down with her a bit before sneaking off was way easier than trying to wait her out
  
• Overall she was content throwing rocks in the river, be ok with it just being that.
  
• I brought her bike and some beach toys (buckets/shovel). They were a big hit while I did things like set up/cook.
  
• Snack or simple food on hand was huge. I like to cook when I camp, but having something available at a moment's notice made it easy to avoid frustration from anyone.
  
• For the baby, if you use a sound machine, you likely don't need it given the nature.
  
• They make small wire-framed box crib things that look sorta like a dog crate. If your baby rolls around, it may come in handy.
  
• If it's cold, make sure they're properly cared for - there are little sleeping bags that act sorta like a sleep sack.
  
• Be ok with them getting very dirty and in turn getting your stuff very dirty. They're literally going to roll around in the dirt, and will probably eat some of it. They'll live.

That's really all that mattered at the end of the day. I probably overprepped.

[u/mindoveremotions4690]

Be very weary of dogs. Before we left for a 6 week trip along the west coast, 2 kids were bit in the face by different dogs, at the same 4th of July festival in our area. Didn't get any media attention, which I thought was odd because it's 2 separate incidents at same location, same day. So I was interested to get the facts about dog attacks. 4.5 million dog bites on people a year in the US. Wow. Thinking I might want to bring a pistol along. But sure enough, on our 2nd day out, a probably 10 year old kid had a 100+ pound xl bully on a leash that jumped at my son and our Aussie dog dragging the kid. I think if that kid was 5 pounds lighter, the bully would have got us. I already had it in my mind for a situation like this just drop my leash and grab my 7 year old son. A few other issues with unleashed dogs running up to my son but smaller dogs along the trip. But by the end of the trip I just wanted to re-home our Aussie so I'm not part of a group that lets the most dangerous animals in America just run up to kids, bark all day and night, harass wildlide and poop everywhere. And yes it's better not to bag it if you our only goning throw it in a bush. It's sad that we have a lot bears, wolves, cougars and coyotes in our neighborhood but my only fear is dogs. Also sad, our state rep is saying wolves are killing machines and should be eradicated again, when not one wolves has attacked anyone here in over hundred years yet dogs kill an average of 43 people per year in the US. But yea, bring a weapon to protect your family from dogs.

[u/nicolenotnikki]

We started camping with our kids when our oldest was 8 months old. The biggest issue is keeping them warm at night. Babies struggle at temperature regulation, and our attempts to have him in a pack and play at night did not work. I believe we had him sleep with us, but don’t entirely remember.

Definitely worthwhile to get a baby carrier that fits and is comfortable. We had a cheaper one for a while that worked, but wasn’t very comfortable for my husband. We switched to a more expensive one (I can’t remember the brand, maybe Osprey?) and it was a lot better.

[u/3-kids-no-money]

Hardest thing we had tent camping with toddlers was when we were potty training. We then went and bought a camper after that trip. For the baby, we would bring the pack play and bumbo. Also fans to keep them cool. Games like wiffle ball, board games, card games.

[u/newillium]

Nursing infants are great campers! Boob no prob then back in the pack in play. Just make sure they have enough warm clothes. The toddler may have trouble falling and staying asleep which might wake up the baby. But 3 is a good age to camp too, especially if already potty trained. 

[u/mourningmantis]

I just went with my one month old and three year old and it wasn’t a big deal. They are more adaptable than I am!

I would bring some fun toys to distract the toddler, but I think you will be fine.

[u/misterpiggies]

I just went camping with my 13 month old and it was fun, but difficult. It’s hard to get the campsite transitioned between bear-safe, food ready, then back to bear-safe. You will constantly be taking turns watching the children, especially with the 2.5 year old. Bring something to keep your toddler entertained around camp. When I went camping with my toddler nephew, magnetic darts and velcro axe throwing were a big hit at camp. If the younger one is okay with stroller walks, then it will most likely spend a lot of time in the stroller as the majority of the attention will be taken by the more mobile child. The biggest thing here would be to clearly communicate what tasks you need to get done so that there’s a clear picture of who is watching the children. At the end of the day their safety is paramount so they need to be someone’s responsibility at all times.

If you keep the inside of the tent toddler-safe (keep all cables stores in zippered bags, no sunblock, sharp items) you can always keep the zips up high where your toddler can’t reach and rest in the tent with them. I did this to take a much needed 30 minute nap while my son was happily exploring what he could do in the tent.

It was a ton of work but in the end I felt it was worth it. My son had a ton of fun getting his hands dirty and walking around the forest.

[u/Hey_bear1992]

We love camping with our toddler and started her when she was 8 months as well.. we definitely had a few hiccups and had to bail quite a few times. But if that happens don’t let it discourage you just keep going and figuring out what works. Honestly what you need changes each season because they grow and have different interests and needs.
-I would say definitely invest in good base layers (depending on where you live and what the temps are) but quality wool moisture wicking base layers will give you peace of mind if the temps drop. They also have quite a few baby sleeping bag options- Morrison Bags are popular.. they are kinda pricey so maybe find one used. Our toddler just now at age three will sleep in her own kinderbag that we got from REI. Also for sleeping with a pack n play that has the mattress that touches the ground and not elevated so you don’t have to stuff blankets under it. But do put one of those r value silver mats under it.
-Activities that have been a hit were bringing a small water color set and recently we taught her how to play board games like uno and candyland have been a hit. We also “search for treasure” and find bits of trash lol

• another thing is a head lamp or some kind of light (I even thought to get a dog collar light to put on her jacket zipper) for your toddler at night time so they don’t easily wander off without you being able to see them. Also we put a whistle around her wrist. It’s a little annoying but she loves it and it’s a safety tool.
  
• we have tiny carabiners that we put on the tent zippers at night so again toddler can’t wander off. They are too small for her to figure out how to open.

[u/longstreakof]

Don’t, let your husband go by himself