Camping with babies

31 October 2016

When people found out we were still going camping this year — with two under two in tow — the reaction was usually some combination of shock and awe. John and I weren’t entirely sure what we were getting into, either, but figured our general parenting strategy of keeping our expectations low would serve us well. And it did! We had the best time with the Rays and our little ladies, and can’t wait for the next trip. (We’re even considering upping our frequency to twice a year!) Here are a few thoughts from our experience camping with an eight-month-old and a 1.5 year old, along with a few photos from Nancy! (Except the ones at the end, which are obviously by me :))

camping-babies

camping-babies-in-chairs

— Had we not camped recently and been familiar with our gear, I think bringing the babies would have been much more overwhelming. Since we were, the only new aspect was the girls.

camping family

— We upgraded from our ultralight backpacking tent to the REI Kingdom 6 thanks to a generous Christmas present. It felt like a palace! It zips down the middle to create two separate rooms, which made coming and going while June was sleeping much easier.

camping family

— Milly’s and June’s ages both had pluses and minuses. Milly, at 1.5, could walk, so she could more easily explore the campsite, whereas June would sometimes get frustrated because she wanted to move but it was uncomfortable to crawl over the rough terrain (pinecones, stones, etc.). She was mostly confined to the big blanket we spread out.

emily camping

— Milly being older, however, made sleep a little harder to come by in the Ray’s tent. She was more aware that she was IN a tent (and thought it was a bit weird), and that her parents were sleeping an arm’s length away (party!), whereas June just went down in her pack and play and had a normal night’s sleep.

camping family

— Make sure you allow even more time than you think you’ll need to set up camp and get everyone fed before the sun goes down. Previously, John and I would have set up our tent together, but since someone was on June duty the whole time this time, set-up took longer that it used to.

camping family

— We were not confident that the kiddos would nap in the tents during the day, so instead of trying to put them down, we opted to drive to a hike that was about 45 minutes away. They both slept on the way there and on the way back, so although they didn’t nap as long as they might have on a normal day at home, they did have a chance to sleep.

family camping

— Packing in big, clear, plastic Rubbermaid tubs is the best! They’re easy to stack, don’t rip like paper bags, and make it easy to see what’s stored where.

north-carolina-camping

— As you’re considering campgrounds, weigh nicer bathrooms pretty heavily in the equation. The ones at Blue Bear are clean, well-appointed, and single-stall, which just makes everything much more pleasant. We also opted for one of sites closer to the bathrooms (though still half a football field away) because we knew we’d be making more frequent trips.

camping

I hope these observations and tips encourage you to give camping a try, whether or not you have kids! I look forward to our camping weekends all year, and I imagine they’ll be even more fun as our crew gets older. I would love to answer any questions you might have or try to allay any concerns, so feel free to ask away!

P.S. Me and camping and our camping essentials.

P.P.S. I love our conversations here. Last week I added a reply button in the comments section to make it easier to respond more directly to individual contributions, so feel free to try it out!

Subscribe
Notify of

9 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
October 31, 2016 7:34 am

I love this because a lot of your overall thoughts were like mine on traveling internationally with a baby.. if you’re familiar with it, adding your child will make it sweeter! Also I’m now packing every road trip in Rubbermaid tubs. :)

October 31, 2016 8:02 am

LOVE seeing photos and reading about this all over again after hearing how it all went in person!! :) Y’all are champs! And #besttentever! ;)

October 31, 2016 4:07 pm

I love this! My husband and I live on the road full-time in our camper, so we literally camp every night :) We’re not planning on having kids for a few more years, but I often wonder what our life will look like when we do. It’s always encouraging seeing people with young kiddos camping and doing outdoor activities that most young families avoid!!

October 31, 2016 4:34 pm

As a passionate anti-camper, I don’t appreciate this post because it gives Dave more fuel ;) But I do love all these fun photos of y’all!!

Rob
October 31, 2016 5:57 pm

Gamers, that’s what you are.

Marget
November 1, 2016 11:19 pm

June’s smile in that next to last pic – UGH. So sweet! Fresh air is good for everyone, especially babies!

Ashley H
November 2, 2016 11:45 pm

Love this! My parents are very outdoorsy people- they actually took me on an overnight canoe trip when I was six weeks old. SIX WEEKS. Absolutely bonkers! I spent a lot of time in tents as a kid, and aside from a couple years in college I still go on camping trips with my parents at least once a year (although my parents are now 59 and 60 so they recently invested in a camper. Sleeping on the ground apparently isn’t as comfortable at some point). My dad said he knew my husband was “the one” when he survived a Reed family camping trip that involved a site in the middle of nowhere with no bathrooms, 100* heat, and a torrential downpour for about 18 hours straight. If that doesn’t scream family togetherness, what does? ;)

November 14, 2016 8:29 pm

[…] Emily’s blogpost about this trip was PERFECT. I loved reading her perspective […]