Camping with a Baby

When we first announced that we were pregnant, everyone said that our lives would change, we wouldn’t get out as much as we did, and we would slow down a lot. We decided not to let the nay-sayers wrong get to us and share the love of the outdoors with our baby girl. In Kaylee's first year, she had over 35 nights of camping under her belt. That's more than some people have in their lifetime. Now that winter has hit again and we sold our camper, we have slowed down some, but are already planning out the spring and summer to catch up and get out in our new tent. Camping with a baby has definitely been a little challenging, requires a lot more thinking, planning, and packing. It has all been totally worth it, when you see her smile and be completely enamored with the outdoors on our hikes. If you are expecting or have a little one already and have questions about camping, here is some tips from us.

It is never too early to introduce the outdoors! At 2 months old, Kaylee went camping in temperatures as low as 4 degrees. You might be thinking we were crazy, but by doing little bursts of outside, having a heated camper to get back to, and bundling up, she was a champ. In fact, this was the first time she slept all the way through the night. Besides at such a young age, I imagine it is actually easier because the baby isn’t walking yet so they can’t run around or wonder off, she was breastfeeding so no extra meal planning for her, and she is more likely to fall asleep during a hike.
Compromise and be flexible. Having an infant can throw curve balls in your plans at any moment, but if you are flexible and can compromise, you may still get in some adventuring. We planned to go camping for a weekend in the midst of high 90-100 degree weather (yeah, I know timing wasn’t the best, but we needed to get away) and the fantastic fan in the camper just was not cutting it for Kaylee. She was super fussy. Wasn’t sleeping good and we knew, it was best for everyone’s sake to only stay that one night and pack it on home the next morning.
Sleep when you can and let others too! One of the things we always look forward to is sitting around the campfire in the evenings and chatting with our friends. After having a baby, this hasn’t changed, but it has come at an earlier time. Having a baby, you often worry about the baby crying and bothering the neighbors, well the nice thing about boondocking the majority of the time it that you don’t have neighbors to worry about. But if it comes down to it, try and do your best to calm the baby quickly. When the baby is having a bad night and is up often, so will you. You will want to try and get as much sleep as you can. Which means once the baby is down, we are down too. Sometimes we finish off a movie while cuddling with her, but the night is usually done once we lay her down in her portable bassinet (we highly recommend getting one if you don’t have already). This way, we are right there for the midnight breakdowns if and when they occur.
Location-Yes, boondocking is our preferred and we still do it with our infant, but we plan ahead and locate the closest medical facility’s name, address, and phone number in case of emergency. Or we try to do places nearby. We quickly found out that anything more than 6 hours of driving, and Kaylee is angry with being stuck in her car seat. Start out close by or try it in your own backyard first and then expand by 30 minutes the next time to work your way up. One tip we found that works very well if you do find yourself on a long drive is to find a place to stop and visit every few hours. Make sure to get to camp and set up with plenty of daylight. If you have to get away and aren’t quite ready for full on camping, try glamping. Get a cabin or spend a little more money to make your tent more comfortable with an air-mattress or your memory pillows.
Packing! Babies require a lot of stuff. I mean a lot! You need diapers, wipes, extra wipes, clothes, extra clothes, bibs, burp clothes, toys, pacifiers, bottles, formula, medicines, hats, and sunscreen. Double or even triple check when you are planning a trip that you have everything you use on a daily basis for the baby. It is much easier to improvise for an adult, than for the baby, it is easiest to have it all and have extra. Have stuff for warm weather, cold weather, and water play, it’s a very fine balance between having enough and over packing. Be prepared for accidents, blow-outs, and clean-ups! Bring a padded mat or pack-n-play so baby is comfortable and has a place to nap, play, or hangout when you need your hands free. Be aware of critters and look around before laying them down. Babies’ skin is more susceptible to bug bites and irritation and the last thing you want is your baby to be uncomfortable. If you use a sound machine at home, bring your sound machine camping. Babies often need a familiar place to sleep so if you have some home comforts, the transition could go smoother.
FOOD and hydration!!!! Depending on our destination and budget, we try to mix up with eating out and cooking. Cooking while camping is not much different than cooking at home. But we have learned that things that don’t require a plate and silverware are much easier for cleaning up. We do a lot of tacos, quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, or finger foods and every once in a while will splurge with a delicious dutch oven deep dish pizza or juicy campfire grilled steak. Try to do more canned foods or veggies that don’t need refrigeration so that you have room in your fridge for plenty of drinks (milk, water and adult beverages).
Wives (moms)-rely on your spouses to help out. Don’t forget to admire your partner’s amazing parenting skills and don’t think that you have to do everything. Camping is time to get away, relax, and enjoy. Not to stress about the small stuff. So ladies sit back, take a breather and let your man entertain the baby as well!

All in all, you will surmount unexpected challenges, your trips may get cut short, but you CAN go camping with a baby. You can still enjoy the life you had before the baby arrived. At times, it is even more enjoyable because you see the world in your baby’s perspective. Babies are natural born explorers and the outdoors has a lot to see and will easily entertain them. There are times where Kaylee is just gazing at the tree canopies and you can’t help but wonder what is she thinking? Every opportunity you get to get out, take it! It is a chance to create a memory of a lifetime so take your cameras and take as many pictures as you can.