Camping with babies and kids is such a good way to connect with your children in nature. With little distraction from daily life and errand lists, camping allows you to get that quality family time that is good for the soul.
If this is your first time camping with your kids, be prepared with these tips, lists of things to bring, and things to look out for. The most important thing is that you are relaxed and don't stress. You are leaving your home and normal routine, so don't expect things to go exactly as they do at home--if you are adaptable and enjoy the change of pace and go with the flow, you and your children will enjoy the experience so much more.
When can I start camping with my baby?
I get asked how early you can start going camping with your baby all the time. This is so personal and it’s all your own comfort zone. Don’t compare yourself to what others are doing because every parent has their own parenting style—so follow your own instincts.
For us, we took our youngest camping when he was about 1 week old. My philosophy was, we’re not sleeping anyway, so we might as well go camping! For our first, he was 2 months old, and our second was 3 weeks old. I wouldn't recommend camping at 1 week old--I did it our of desperation as I lived in Vegas and it was 117 degrees out every day. I was desperate to escape to the mountains and cooler temperatures.
Helpful items to have camping with babies and kids
A crazy creek: These are small fold up camping seats that are used for minimalist campers. After giving birth, I had no stomach muscles and needed the back support for middle of the night feedings, and this did the trick. It was only necessary for the newborn/early infant stage, so it's not a must-have item if you're starting with older kids.
Something to separate you and your baby while sleeping: We have an infant lounger at home, so that’s what we use camping with our infant as well. These products make it abundantly clear that they are absolutely not recommened for sleep, so using it in a way that it is not intended for is at your own risk.
There are also travel bassinets that work and will be useful for camping in the later months as well. I recommend the KidCo Peapod. As your child grows, you can opt to get them an adult sized sleeping pad (I will forever recommend the Exped Megamat) or a blowup toddler bed might be more useful for you.
To help your baby adapt to sleeping in a tent, it's better if they are used to what they are sleeping in. If they sleep in a baby lounger, bring a baby lounger. If you want to use the travel bassinet, have them sleep in it for a few nights at home to get them used to it.
Something to keep your baby warm: I honestly wouldn’t camp in really cold temperatures with a newborn, but again that's my comfort zone. When we’ve gone camping with our newborn, we were dealing with 50-60 degree temperatures at night which is totally doable. With these temperatures, we put our kids in Baby Deedee PJs and their Travel Sleep Nest sleep sack.
If you are planning on going to really cold temperatures, Patagonia makes a really warm bunting for newborns, but it's pricey and won't fit for long. Northface makes some for infants and toddlers. as well. We used these when we were camping with infants in cold tempertures. We chose these because it has the added bonus of doubling as a snowsuit.
For infants and small toddlers, there is also the Morrison Outdoors brand that makes toddler sleeping bags that are highly regarded and the best sleeping bags for babies on the market. They have a 20 degree sleep sack for babies 6-24 months and also a 20 degree sleep sack for kids 2-4 years old. We used 40 degree toddler sleep sack while we were bike camping in New Zealand and love it. It kept our little one very warm and cozy all night.
A carrier: To get things done around the campsite, calm a cranky baby, go for a hike, or bounce your little one to sleep, carriers are extremely helpful to bring with you.
The Ergo Omni Deluxe Carrier is a great choice as it grows with your child until they're 45 pounds and you can carry your baby in a variety of positions.
If you're planning on hiking and have a baby 6 months+, I highly recommend investing in a good hiking carrier.Â
A place to put your baby down: You can bring an outdoor blanket to put on the ground with a toy or two, or a large playpen to give your little one shade and keep them contained.
A sound machine: If your baby is used to sleeping with a sound machine at home, this is something easy and small you can pack with you to better simulate life and sleep. at home. The sound machine we love and bring everywhere with us is the Babelio White Noise Sound Machine.
If you need a way to charge your electronics while you are camping or on the road, I highly recommend an Jackery Portable Power Bank. The Explorer 300 is great, but if you're looking for more juice, the 500 or even the 1000 are great options. but there are many , We use ours all the time, even at home, and it comes in incredibly handy while camping.
Keeping bugs away
If you're camping in an area with a lot of mosquitos and ticks, I highly recommend treating your tent, clothes, and shoes with Pemethrin. This is better than constantly spraying bug spray on you and your child. For bug spray recommendations, I feel like it's your comfort zone. For me, if I'm not in a place with mosquito borne illnesses, I stay away from deet and just use bug spray with picardin in it. Though I have those all natural bug sprays, I don't find them all that useful.
Tent and sleeping pads
If you're looking for a car camping set-up, I highly recommend getting a 6 person tent. This will give you plenty of room for your clothes, baby changing spot, a portable crib if you need it, and whatever else you need room for. Big Agnes' Big House 6 is a great tent and has a separator if your kids are used to sleeping on their own.
For a sleeping pad for yourself, I recommend the Exped Megamats. These pads are probably one of my favorite things I own and argueably more comfortable than my bed at home. These pads will keep you warm and so comfortable at night, I think people have the idea that air mattresses from home are the most comfortable thing to sleep on camping, and I couldn't disagree more. They aren't insulated to keep you warm and they seem to deflate through the night. So if it's all you have, that's fine, but if you can spring for some new pads, I'd go with good camping ones that will last forever).
Keeping your baby clean while camping
If you are camping for a few days, you are going to want to figure out a way to keep your baby clean. They sleep better and stay warmer when they’re not covered in mud at night.
If there are no showers available in your campsite, set up a warm bath for them. We have these collapsible sinks for washing dishes and clothes in our camping box that we take with us.If you don't have these, I highly recommend getting at least one--they come in incredibly handy.
While we use them for dishes and washing clothes, these are also very helpful for washing infants. First, boil some water (we have a jetboil that boils water quickly and comes in handy when we make hot drinks). Put regular cold water in the tub then add the hot water. Be sure to feel the water and add more cold water if necessary to make it the perfect temperature for your babe. And voila! A nice warm bucket bath for your baby!
For towels, I always bring a microfiber quick dry towel while camping that will dry your baby off fast so you can get them warm and cozy in their pjs quickly. For older toddlers and kids, we also love our Advanced Elements solar shower or if you're serious about your showers, check out the Geyser Systems Portable Shower with a heater. We don't have this, but I have dreams about it. It has amazing reviews and everyone seems to love theirs. For privacy I'd recommend a pop-up privacy tent like this one.
Routines while camping
Don't expect to keep the exact same routine while your camping. If you have those expectations, you may leave your camping trip disappointed. What's important is creating a new normal and new routine for camping that your children can adapt to.
I think the key to it all is to not stress. Don't stress if your kids are staying up later, or their naps aren't as long, or they're waking up with the sun. Their schedule and routine will be right back at home waiting for them.
Set yourself up for success
Get them used to what they will sleep in at home. Whether it be a travel bassinet or a Pack n' Play or a Dockatot, if they are accustomed to sleeping in what they'll sleep in camping, the adjustment will go a lot smoother as everything won't be brand new.
Bring comforts from home. If your child sleeps with a sound machine, or a blanket, or a stuffed animal, definitely bring it.
If your child sleeps in a car or a hiking carrier, plan naps around long drives or hikes. Even though schedules are hard to keep up with while camping, biology is biology and your child will get sleepy and hungry at their usual times. Make note and plan your day accordingly.
If your child isn't used to co-sleeping, make sure you have a big enough tent to allow separation between you and your baby. Bring a portable crib so they have their own space.
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