Camping with young children?

Question

Can it be done? We're thinking of getting a tent and all the gear and going camping (just locally, in South Wales or the West Country) this year, but our son will only be 18 months old in May (we'd be planning to go around July/August time).

I'm just not sure whether it would be a good idea to do so with a little one - worries about insect bites, it being too cold for him at night etc. I'd appreciate advice from any experienced campers on this, also what sort of equipment we'd need to get.

We just love the idea of the fresh air and countryside and being able to go to visit historic monuments, famous sites etc! I think my son would enjoy it and he loves being out in the fresh air, its just the basic little things that worry me like being too cold, getting sunburnt or insect bitten and so on.

bubbas - yes, we already have a Pack n Play (couldn't live without it!!!)

Answer 1

ive been camping with my parents every year since i was born, i'm 20 now. i think its fine and it would be a good experience for him. you can bring blankets and clothes to keep him warm, make sure theres a bathroom around and about insects theres not much to worry about. talk to a doctor about insect repellant...we use skin so soft on our nephew and hes only one. because it doesnt have deet in it, its safe for children under two.

Answer 2

Camping is a wonderful experience for families. Just don't be The Grumbles, the family that won't buy the gear and clothing needed to be easily comfortable yet constantly complains about how uncomfortable and difficult camping is.

Definately spend more money for the kind of insect repellant that does NOT soak into the skin. That way, you don't keep re-applying it to baby and use less total poison.

And invest in some microfiber towels which pack small, absorb big, and dry quickly. My favorite is the extra large McNett towel which is big enough to serve as a fairly modest sarong or a lite blanket yet folds smaller than a can of soda.

If you are in a campground with a bathroom, you will want a 'trust rusty' bike with a baby seat for EVERYBODY's quick trips to the pot. A "sun shower" or other arrangement for baby washing near the campsite might also be a good idea.

If car camping, extra table(s) of some sort are handy. Also, whether car or not, some sort of chair or other back support that lets you sit up in your tent. Remember, you can't lean against the walls, like in a real house.

I know that you can good, free advice from www. REI.com. Their outdoor advisors will be happy to help you, whether you are a member or not. I don't know whether they have stores in the UK.

Answer 3

Camping with children can definately be done no matter how old they are you just have to be well prepared and research where your going to camp. If I was in your situation I'd make sure I camped somewhere that you could drive to easily (by that I mean on roads where you don't need a 4wheel drive to acess them and that aren't subject to flood or anything that could leave you stranded), was not too far away from a town where you could get help if something did go wrong however unlikely. As for the temperature and type of equipment there are so many different types of camping gear and accesories that you can enjoy most of the comforts of home whilst you camp from flushing toilets to portable ovens, there's different grades of sleeping bags for different climates too. When you go shopping for you camping gear be sure to let the sales people know what your planning and they'll be able to help you figure out what you'd need. Have a good look around yourself too. With the insect bites and the like you might want to think about taking your son in to see your doctor to make sure he's not alllergic. You could also purchase an epi-pen in case of anaphylactic shock they're easy to use and come with instructions. You could ask your doc about those too.

Answer 4

Hi, I'm a very experienced camper, camping is sadly one of the only ways i go on holiday, although i do go almost once a month. Last trip was beginning of December to west coast of Scotland for 8 days.

To avoid insects you will be better off going in late June early July because of midges, i know there's not as many in wales as there is in Scotland but they seem to be everywhere now. Airbeds are very comfy but they attract alot of moisture top and bottom when its cold, Get a camp bed or better yet a roll matt with a travel blanket on top of it.

Make sure you get a ground sheet for under the tent unless you are going to spend £hundreds on it the ground sheet prob won't be that good.

For the baby, if you can, get a travel cot or similar and don't be shy when it comes to spending on night ware. (I'm sure i don't need to tell you that one).

As that other person said talk to doc about insect repellent, but everyone is different and some people including myself don't always have problems with them. Keep all food in the tent or in the car and do the tent door up securely, last thing you want is any of our furry friends visiting in the night, can give a nasty shock. Ha ha

Answer 5

omg that is awesome!

we took our son camping when he was 18 months old too!

and i was worried about mosquitos, everything.

but we had a wonderful time! he saw me wiping off the picnic table and he grabbed the dishcloth and started washing down the trees! LOL, we had the cleanest campsite

we were in another province. we spent our days going around the amusment parks, the beach. we roasted marshmellows. it was the best time of my life.

oh, re: the insects, i think there is a repellant but if i remember right, the youngest age as 3 years. so i think we just put a hat on him, long sleeved shirt, and light pants, tucked into socks.

he won't be cold, just tuck him inbetween you guys :) he'll love that and will help too, where it's a strange place and it's dark.

the only equip you need is some familar toys, a good car seat for the trip. other than that..go have fun. let us know how it went :)

Answer 6

My parents took me camping since I was tiny. My brothers' feet didn't yet reach all the way down to the ends of their sleeping bags so my crib was placed across the bottoms of the sleeping bags, just below their feet.
We slept bundled up, complete with hats, mittens, and socks.
Kids adapt to different environments better than most people think.
However, when I was toilet trained, I was scared to death of the outhouses and refused to use them. If you are camping where there are outhouses, I suggest you go to places where there are HoneyBuckets or other such portable outhouses, like at parks, and get the kids used to doing their thing there so that big scary hole doesn't look so alien and spooky when you're out in the wilderness.

With my own kids, I think glow sticks were my saving grace. The kids were scared of the dark so they would each get a fresh glow stick every night as their own. They could either hold them in their hands or I would hang them up and illuminate the tent. I always brought a few extras because there is almost always a dud.

Answer 7

I love taking my daughter camping since she was about 6 months. It's a little more work, but a blast. Completely worth it! THe other people are giving you some great advice, but one thing that I haven't heard talk about is TOYS! GEt a bunch of outdoor games. Coloring books, things like that. The kids have a blast for a few days expolring everything, but if you're gonna be gone for more than a couple days expect boredom after a while. Keep a few toys packed up and suprise them one a day or so. That way they always have a new thing to do. Bug collection toys, flashlights, crayons to do rubbings of the leaves and stuff. Or start a rock collection, blowing bubbles.

Answer 8

heck yes, it can be done! it's crazy, it's different, but it's awesome! you're giving your children some great memories and exposing them to the beauty of nature. we have two children, working on our third, and we go with them all the time. (4 and 1) we have ever since my first was a baby. you'd need all the normal things (bottles, warm clothes, diapers, wipes, etc) and you'll need a pack'n'play unless you want to chase a kid around all day in the woods. you'll learn what you you need as you do it more often. we don't bring a lot, but others bring their entire nursery. so, whatever works for you... your son will love it- just remember to always watch him when he's out of the pack and play or tent... my own son tried to get in the fire, the river, the food, etc... lol. it was NOT relaxing like previous camping trips have been without kids, but cool to see the children explore nature. it's so great. i say go for it!

Answer 9

As an avid camper and father of three (ages 13, 8 and 5 yrs) I might be able to offer some advice. This might be on the tame side, as my wife does not like to camp th way I do and is more of a "car Camper". As early a 9mos we had our children tent camping, no collosal remote hikes mind you, but they slept in the tent, sat around the fire and went on hikes in the backpack. We also live in the upper midwest of the US, so chilly temps are the norm.
over pack. that s one luxury of car camping. Plan on your child going through two sets of clothes a day at least. Layers are helpful to combat this, but if the accident is from the inside, then you'll be glad you threw in the extra leggings.
layer as you would for yourself, just add extra bulk as your young one will not be able to get up and jump around to generate his/her own heat when the chill hits. They will just get uncomfortable and cry. Closely monitor your child for signs fof chill or overheat. if they are a sweaty mess in too many layers at 17:00, then by 19:00 they might be damp and cold....a bad combo.
We had a sleeping bag/snowsuit hybrid that all three of our kids used. This was particularly handy when they were in the back pack.
http://www.rei.com/kids
check REI (or your local outfitter) for kids gear. REI has good quality for the kids sizes, not just small low quality gear.
At night the kids can either crowd into one of your bags (with you), as we did...or you can look for another child sized bag. I liked our child in a bag with me or my wife so that we could monitore the sleeping temps better. Nothing like cuddling to keep warm!
any good quality tent should work, as long as it is appropriate for the weather and not too big. I see people getting palatial tents with ROOMS in them. These rae a bear to pitch, haul and keep warm. Get a cozy three person tent...again REI has good quality (we have a geodome).
make sure to have sun screen, fleece hat, mittens that attach to your child's jacket. It does not hurt to have them bring a favorite blanket or stuffed animal...just make sure you do not leave it at a trail head after a hike.
Try to avoid a crying child at all costs. Not that crying is a problem, but you are away from home and they might not be able to self sooth the same way. So keep them WELL FED, HYDRATED and occupied. pre mix any formula (if you still use it @ 18mos) or baby foods to help keep things simple.


Since you are planning on JUly/August......keeping warm during the day is a non issue for the most part. Just make sure to have warm sleeping arrangements and extra fleece for the campfire times.
Camp with your children as much as possible! By the third outing you will be a pro. much of camping with kids is trial and error, finding what you can handle and what they like. try not to set an agenda based on how many activities you can squeeze in. Base your recreation on being together as a family and just poking around. Plan on slowing down your hikes and making frequent stops for exploration and eating/diapers etc.
good luck.

Answer 10

check out this forum - there's loads of advice on there & plenty of threads about taking little ones camping.

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/

We brought quite a bit tent with 3 rooms, one for us one for food & one for the little un in the end of season sales last year & plan to go quite a lot next year.

Our little one is 9 months old now so will be about 18 months old then too.

Some people more into camping that us by the sounds of it even took babies as young as 2 weeks! I guess at 18 months it will be even easier as you don't have to worry so much about sterilizing everything.

Check out the advice on that forum - go for it & enjoy :-)

worto.