My husband and I are trying to make the most of this summer. Last year we had an awful summer, check out The Top 5 Things I have Learned About Grieving to read why. This summer we are trying to go camping every chance we get. We live in a beautiful part of the United States and we want to share it with our kids while trying to give them a love for nature.
We have four kids of various ages, About, Camping with kids can be difficult but camping with a baby brings its own challenges. Our sweet baby girl, E, is eight months old. I was really nervous about camping with her. She has so many needs and being away from the house could complicate some of those needs. We have been camping twice now. I have learned a few things to make camping easier with a baby (or young toddler).
- Crib=Pack’n play Our E needed a place to sleep. Somewhere she would be safe, not fall off of. We bring the pack’n play that we borrow from my mother-in-law. I like using a pack’n play because while we are setting up our tent or taking it down, she has a place to play. The pack’n play is also nice because it folds down to a reasonable size to travel with.
- Highchair= folding chair Our sweet little girl has started eating foods, mainly baby food. She is unable to eat a lot of the foods we do. Plus she needs a chair that will hold her, so she won’t fall out of it. I found at Walmart in the baby section a Summer Infant Pop’n sit Portable Booster. It looks like a tiny camping chair that comes with a tray and carrying case. When the chair is folded, both the chair and the tray fit in the carrying case.
- Baby Food= Extra Food As I previously stated, my baby is eating food but she doesn’t eat the same foods that people with teeth eat. She eats baby rice cereal, baby oatmeal, mushed up bananas, pureed baby peas, etc. On our first camping trip I thought it would be easier to take the Gerber cereals instead of multiple containers of baby food. I make all her baby food and use our reusable containers. By taking the cereal I would only need to bring a bowl, spoon and bib. However, I found this so much harder. I needed something to mix formula in, to mix the cereal with. On our second camping trip, I brought prepared foods in containers. One container for each meal. I also brought one bib and a spoon. I found this so much easier! There wasn’t any mixing that needed to be done like with the cereal. With the second camping trip I just needed to pop open the container and start feeding her. This is how I plan to feed her on our remaining camping trips.
- Changing Table= Changing Pad At home changing the baby is easy. I have a designated table with all my supplies right there. With camping (or traveling in general) there was no designated table with all my supplies. I needed to make sure I brought plenty of of diapers and wipes to last the whole trip. I also needed to determine a place to change her. I picked my bed/sleeping bag. It just seemed easiest and it was. I could also store extra diapers and wipes under my bed (we bought the cots from Costco).
- Number of Days= Number of Outfits Babies can be unpredictable when it comes to their clothing. Diapers leak, lots of spit-up, dirt, water, etc. It could cause them to need a new outfit. Whenever my kids are going on a trip I try to always pack at least one extra set of clothes. you never know what could happen. And having a blanket for warmth and comfort is always nice. I will admit that I’ve been having a hard time sleeping on our camping trips because I’m afraid the baby won’t stay warm enough. I can’t give her a warm sleeping bag like I do my other kids. Camping is always an adventure. We get to experience new places and new things. But camping can have challenges. I shared some of my top challenges I have faced taking a baby camping. What are some you have faced? Please comment below or send me a message!
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