Camping with a 1+ year old

[Becky61]

Hi again lovely ladies,

OH & i are going camping this saturday (we only booked it today, very, very last minute!) Im worrying about so much!

We are going with his 9 year old daughter, & my nearly 19 month old son. All we have so far is a tent!! (& even that hasnt been collected from the store yet!) I plan to take my LOs travel cot, but what else will he need sleepwise? He usually sleeps in a nappy & a GroBag at home in this weather. OHs DD will be on a camp bed in a sleeping bag. OH & i need to purchase a double airbed & a double sleeping bag. I think everyones pretty much sorted sleepwise- just my LO! & how did your LOs sleep in a tent for the first time? Im so worried its going to unsettle him & the trip is going to be a disaster! He is normally a good sleeper though.

What else do we need to buy? Are camping chairs necessary? Cooking equipment? Oh gosh in a panic!!

Also, im researching online 'things to do in the area' & making a list of 'rainy day ideas' & 'sunny day ideas', as there isnt anything on site. But what do you do of an evening when the kids are in bed? Especially if its raining (which hopefully it isnt!)

Please share your comments/experiences/advice... Im getting in such a state! I thought we had weeks to plan this trip, but OH can only get next week off work!

Thanks for reading

 

[Caite]

Can't help with the baby side of things - sorry! - but would say something to sit on is essential, else you'll be sitting on the floor all the time. Camping chairs are quite cheap. For cooking, it depends how long you're going for, really. If it's anything more than 1 night, I'd say you probably need something to cook and boil water for drinks on. I used a gas bottle with a screw on top thing (like this: https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/coleman-f1-power-stove-pz-p129863), and I used that to cook for a week for 3 people. We only used one pan the entire week - lots of things you can cook in just one pan. Then just your usual cooking utensils - ladle, spoon, whatnot, and plates etc. A cheap water storage things (you can normally get them from the poundshop/discount stores) to obviously store water rather than going back and to.

In the evenings (fortunately we had nice weather all week) we just sat outside talking. We would have sat in the tent if it rained. I've been camping with my sister and it rained a lot. We had a barbecue cooked under an umbrella and just stayed in our tents afterwards (two small, separate tents), with our heads by the door, chatting and listening to music. Beach toys were good on the campsite for my friend's little one (I think he was 5 at the time) as it didn't matter if he kicked a ball a little too hard. I think there were also indoor things he could play with, too, for if we were confined to the tent in the evenings.

And I would probably get a mummy sleeping bag each, as they are so much warmer if it gets chilly. I love my mummy sleeping bag.

 

[Becky61]

Bump!

 

[Gc85]

I am currently on night 11 of 15 in South Wales camping with our 2 year old. We've been camping with her since she was about 9 months old.

You'll defo need camping chairs, you can normally pick them up pretty cheaply from supermarkets and you can get kiddie sized ones too.

You'll need a small stove, I'd recommend the suitcase type ones that take the aerosol style canisters, these are cheap to buy, efficient and easy to cook with on the floor, canisters are readily avaible everywhere unlike some other gas types. I bought a smart price pan set with 3 different sized pans and a frying pan and that has been fine to cook everything I've needed, plus a small stove top kettle. We take melamine plates and bowls because things can get easily broken . You can normally pick up a plastic picnic set from the supermarket for a fewquid. If you not having electric hook up its worth getting a cooler bag/box to keep things cool for a few hours like milk etc.

When my LO was small she slept in a travel cot with long sleeve pjs and a gro bag. Take blankets to layer over if it get chilly. You and the older child will probably be better with sleeping bags, it's worth paying a bit extra for decent ones cause some of the cheaper ones can be really thin and not warm at all.

At night we just sit outside LO just plays by the tent, with her toys. We got some cheap beachy type toys from the local pound shop when we got here (golf set, truck, bat and ball) cause we didn't have room to bring any with us.

For showers my LO has her own little wash bag with all her shower stuff in so whoever is showering her that night just grabs this and a towel. Routine goes completely out of the window and she normally goes to bed when we do! It's hard to convince a toddler to sleep when it's still light and all the older kids are still playing!

I am sure you'll have a fab time, my LO loves the freedom and we always have a great time!

 

[Gc85]

Forgot to say I've always found it handy to pack a bag of food essentials so that when you've arrived and set up you don't have to go on a mad dash to find the nearest supermarket! There is nothing worse than searching for a shop when everyone's fractious and hungry! Here is my basic list of essentials that I always take:

Squash
Milk (UHT can been stored un chilled until opened)
Tea, coffee, sugar, hot chocolate
Cereal
Bread
Those little pots of fruit or jelly with fruit as snacks/puddings for LO
Cereal bars and dry snacks for LO that don't need chilling like raisins etc
Tinned stuff (my LO loves the Heinz little tins with characters on, we don't really have them at home so it's a bit of a camping treat)
Easy to cook stuff like tinned soups, beans, packets of pasta and sauce, pesto, savoury rice (stuff that you can make quickly and easily in one pan)
I know it's not the healthiest but it makes your life so much easier for a quick lunch or dinner when everyone's hungry!

Not forgetting washing up bowl, liquid, scourer and tea towel!

*typed as I sit in front of my tent eating beans on toast*

 

[Eternal]

no advice but going camping for one night tomorrow for the first time, i have 4 kids, 4 years, twins 2 year and an 11 week old lol!

 

[Becky61]

no advice but going camping for one night tomorrow for the first time, i have 4 kids, 4 years, twins 2 year and an 11 week old lol!

Oh wow! Thats probably equivalant to me going 7 nights with just 2 kids (3 including my OH )

Whats on your list to pack?

 

[Becky61]

GC85 youve been a massive help. We leave in a few fays so if you can think of anything else (even if it seems obvious) please post.

Hope your having a great time! x

 

[Kay_Baby]

The first time we took DS1 camping he had just turned 1, we were braver with DS2 and he went at 3 1/2 months (we were part of a big family group of 21, including 4 under 1).

It's all about layers, tents can heat up quite a bit in sunshine but do cool a lot over night.

Routines do go out the window but I find any holiday or day trip tends to do that anyway. Neither of my 2 have had any trouble sleeping in a tent, yes they do tend to be up early but DS2 slept through the night for the first time ever in a tent!

Agree with what has already been said but don't forget a few other essentials

Mallet and some stronger pegs in case you get stoney ground
Pegs for drying your tea towel on the guys
Can opener (I have had another camper ask to borrow one before)
Torch for that middle of the night toilet trip
And of course a bottle opener (and the wine!)

I love camping once you make the initial investment in kit it's such a cheap holiday

 

[Becky61]

Kay_Baby the idea of clothes pegs for drying stuff is something i would NEVER ever of thought of. What a fab idea!! Thank you! X