Camping with an infant

[mach8274]

Hello all. Just wanted to know if anyone out there can offer some advise about camping with our new little one. We are planning a camping trip for Labor Day weekend and this will be our first time out with him. He will be almost 7 mos. old. We love camping and want to introduce him to it. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Dave  
 :usflag:

[tlhdoc]

You might want to introduce him to the camper ahead of time.  Take him out there to play, take a nap, etc.  so that the camper isn't something new.  Make sure you take his favorite sleeping buddy from home.  Are you planning on using a portable crib?  Have fun on his first camping trip.

[fishncamp]

We use a pac n play for our son to play and sleep in.We also tried to stick to a similar routine as home for meals,naps,and bedtime.Good luck and happy camping .

[Jeremy]

We're planning a 10 night trip from Chicago out to New Mexico and back with our daughter. She'll be 3 months old when we go. My wife just ordered one of these

from www.babycenter.com
 
Link to product: http://store.babycenter.com/product/safety_baby_care/safety/travel_safety/5525?sku=206087&s_evar2=206087&s_prop2=206087&_requestid=58297
 
Other places have it for $50, here it's $25.
 
The baby will sleep with DW in one bunk and I'll sleep in the other bunk. The sleeper is pretty nice as it includes mosquito netting for bugs at night. We've got pleanty of fans packed to keep everyone cool (no a/c in the 85 Palomino), and blankets to keep everyone warm at night (no heat either!).
 
This will be our first big trip with the PU since we picked it up.  We are planning a short (& close) weekend get away before the big trip just to check for mechanical (and baby) problems that may arise before we shove off.

[zamboni]

We also use a portable playpen (Graco - sounds similar to pack n play).  It sits directly on the ground, so we just put it on one bunk of the popup.  It has a door on the side that unzips for getting our 1-year-old daughter in and out (roof is stored in side pouch, so we only put it on outside to keep the sun out):


We've been camping with her since she was 3 weeks old (very easy initially, as she slept on our bunk between us).

Be sure to bring several layers of pajamas, if your baby is not used to the concept of "covers" (our daughter isn't yet!), depending on where you'll be camping.

We also bought a single "bed rail" (like $20 at Toys R Us), and it fits perfectly across the opening of the other bunk in our Niagara (toilet on one side of the aisle, chest of drawers sitting on top of the heater cabinet on the other).  This way, we can "block off" the bunk and the baby can reluctantly stay on the bunk if we need her out of the way such as for cooking, etc.  It makes a large bunk-sized "play area".

We've also used a Baby Bjorn to carry her around since birth, but she is getting too heavy for it, so for our last campout, we upgraded to a nice hiking backpack - she rides up high enough behind me to look around at the world (and we bought the one that has a sun/rain cover!).  I still use the Bjorn for walking around shorter distances, such as campgrounds.

Oh yeah - we also have a stroller that has large, air-inflated tires, so it can go over any rough terrain at any campground (Jeep Liberty Urban Terrain):

[mach8274]

Thank you all so much for the suggestions, they will really help out alot, especially with putting my wife at ease. We are planning on using the pac-n-play
in between the dinette benches if it will fit. If not, that sleeper might not be a bad idea.
Thanks again for your help.
Happy Camping to you all as well! :U

[griffsmom]

We are planning on using the pac-n-play
in between the dinette benches if it will fit.

That's exactly what we did with our DS who was a year old when we got our pop up and started taking him camping and is now 4 1/2. It worked out great and he loved having his own little private space to sleep or play in.
 
Camping is harder when the kids are little--at least it was for me--and just wait until they get mobile and you're trying to either set up, take down or just fix a meal!!! :eyecrazy: My DH and I got to the point that when it was time to pack up and go home, Dave would take Griffin to the nearest McDonalds for breakfast, while I hustled like a crazy woman and packed up everything I could before they got back!! But it's all worth it--if your kids are anything like my monkey boy, you are instilling in them a love of camping and giving them some great memories. It does get easier the older they get, and if you camp with groups like we do (NNC and SCC) the kids start making all their "camping friends" and once you get to the cg, you actually get to have more than 5 minutes of rest time b/c all the kids are off having a great time together!

[Dee4j]

our DD Kara went on her first Campout at 2 1/2 months old in a Tent..we used a pack and play for a crib and put her in layers to keep her warm (not heater in a tent) and shade they burn so quick..

[kathy&fred]

Hello all. Just wanted to know if anyone out there can offer some advise about camping with our new little one. We are planning a camping trip for Labor Day weekend and this will be our first time out with him. He will be almost 7 mos. old. We love camping and want to introduce him to it. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Dave  
 :usflag:

i have four small children,so i've been there.you might what to sleep inthe camper at home first so he can get use to it?some time when babies are taken out of thier little world(the crib)they get scared.also a play pen helps out a lot.i use to put a screen net over the top because of bug.you can get that at walmart.also have a plan for warming bottle if you need to.i was lucky enough to find a small micr,at a rummage.let me know if i can help in any other way,good luck