To take an infant camping...or not?

[Pretty in Pink]

Some friends of ours invited us to go camping with them this weekend. Dh and I discussed it and decided that he would take the boys and camp with them and I would stay home with the baby. She is 7 months old. The reasons I don't want to camp with her:

 

• it's going to be sunny, hot (upper 80s) and humid all weekend
  
• she is still almost exclusively formula fed and it's going to be hot
  
• at home she is on the go all day long (she's nearly crawling so she's on the floor scooting around all day); she won't be able to do that if we are camping; she doesn't like being cooped up in the pack n play
  
• she's particular about her nighttime routine
  
• I would have to sleep on top of a sleeping bag on the ground with her -- comfy, no?
  
• the campground is 2.5 hours away so I can't just jump in the car and run home if she is miserable
  

 

She's at that stage where she just cries and cries when strapped into the carseat so the 2.5 hour drive is a deterrent for me, I'm not going to lie. I don't really love camping to begin with so the prospect of doing it with a miserable infant isn't all that appealing.

 

My friend is adamant that the baby and I go, too. I just don't think it would be enjoyable. I don't want my daughter to be uncomfortable (hot, sweaty, fussy) all weekend.

 

I would go without hesitation if it weren't for the baby. Does anyone camp in this weather with a baby and find it enjoyable? Any tips to make it more enjoyable for baby or would you just not go?

 

ETA: I emailed her and told her that if we can camp closer to home then I'd bring the baby and try it out. There is plenty of camping w/ in 30 minutes of us. At least then I can bring baby home if I need to.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Pretty in Pink

[Paintedlady]

Not for all the tea in China. :ack2:

[Dobela]

I took my son camping at that age and he loved it. But he was an easy kid. We also kept fans plugged in all the time, carried water to make formula, and slept on a blow up mattress while he slept in his pack and play. He loved being near the water's edge as well. He could move and play in the sand.

[fairfarmhand]

h e double hockey sticks no stinkin' way!

[Mrs Mungo]

I've taken my babies camping, BUT I like camping *and* they were breastfed. I never took a pack and play camping. Baby was always being toted around while we did stuff. We also take an air mattress.

 

Ultimately, I would guess that your friend probably invited your family along to hang out and wanted you to keep her company? She may be afraid that she's going to be stuck with more work with another man and some extra kids instead of extra help from another mom? But, if you don't like camping and you don't want to go camping, then don't go. :)

[Juniper]

I took twins and a 1yr old camping at that age. I even stayed at the site by myself when dh went into town for church services. He still remembers taking a ton of flack from little old ladies, "You left your wife where?!!!!!"

 

I'm a rather independent sort though and love being outside. :D

[Kalypso]

I have gone camping with babies, but somewhere around the 4th baby, I said, "No more."

 

If I were you, I would stay home. There will be other camping trips when she is easier to care for.

[Pretty in Pink]

Ultimately, I would guess that your friend probably invited your family along to hang out and wanted you to keep her company? She may be afraid that she's going to be stuck with more work with another man and some extra kids instead of extra help from another mom? But, if you don't like camping and you don't want to go camping, then don't go. :)

 

I'm sure this is it. She wants to hang out together.

[momofkhm]

• it's going to be sunny, hot (upper 80s) and humid all weekend

• she is still almost exclusively formula fed and it's going to be hot

• at home she is on the go all day long (she's nearly crawling so she's on the floor scooting around all day); she won't be able to do that if we are camping; she doesn't like being cooped up in the pack n play

• she's particular about her nighttime routine

• I would have to sleep on top of a sleeping bag on the ground with her -- comfy, no?

• the campground is 2.5 hours away so I can't just jump in the car and run home if she is miserable

 

 

She's at that stage where she just cries and cries when strapped into the carseat so the 2.5 hour drive is a deterrent for me, I'm not going to lie. I don't really love camping to begin with so the prospect of doing it with a miserable infant isn't all that appealing.

 

With all this going on, no.

 

I tried taking ds camping at 6 mo. We had camp set up and then I sat down and nursed him. As I was finishing feeding his cereal and thinking, "My. He ate that really fast!" He threw up on me and him. We were going one night, so I only had the one pair of shorts for me. I took him to the bathroom, cleaned us both up. DH took down camp, packe dit in the car and we left. Like you said, 1/2 hour from home was a good plan in case it didn't work out.

[LaxMom]

I've taken babies and toddlers camping. I think it really depends on the particular baby/toddler, whether it's doable or sheer madness.

 

Formula and open play area are workable (put a sheet/blanket down and let her scoot... Or just let her scoot. Getting dirty is really ok. ;) ), but a little person very attached to a specific bedtime ritual/routine could go either way: either she'll be so far outside her norm that the "usual" won't occur to her, or so far outside her norm that she's beside herself the whole time.

 

You know your baby. Only you (and your husband) can really make the call. I'm not really a fan or pressure/guilt to make parents do something with their babies that goes against their gut.

[redsquirrel]

I have done it with a baby that age..and cloth diapers. I would never do it again. It sucked. I love camping, we go ever summer, but that was a mistake. What the heck was I thinking?

 

The worst was at night. I didn't sleep well because it got cold and I was worried about the baby. I remember waking up and he had kicked off his covers and was ice cold. Dh and I put him between us to warm him up. We went again with a toddler and that was worse! He was toddling and falling down on tree roots and couldn't be left alone for a second or he would die some horrible death.

 

I think after that we took a couple years off. We started again when he was 4. Our rule became, "no camping unless all family members are potty trained, weaned and sleeping through the night."

 

I say, let the menfolk take the boys camping and the women folk stay at your house with the baby.

[regentrude]

I have taken babies camping and let them crawl around as well - no pack&play, they can crawl in grass and sand, not sure why that would be a problem? I was breastfeeding which made things easier. Not sure what the heat has to do with formula feeding - you'll boil the water anyway, won't you? I mean, you're not going to pre-prepare the formula bottles for a weekend?

 

But since it sounds as if you do not like camping and just look for somebody to confirm your POV, you should not go.

[sassenach]

We camped with dd at that age and it was fine. She was a VERY easy baby. We went again at 1 1/2 and that was a nightmare. It was all I could do to keep her out of the fire all week. Never again with a toddler.

 

Your reasoning is totally sound. Stay home, send dh. Your friend will get over it.

[snickelfritz]

Not under the circumstances you describe. It's easy for orher people to insist. YOU will be the one dealing with a miserable baby.

 

I did take an infant camping and we had a great time.

 

BUT

 

She was bf only still. Very easy.

 

She wasn't crawling. She, happily, stayed where I put her.

 

It was still cool enough that she needed full sleeper pj's at night. We had a nice, shady, breezy spot.

 

We were close to home and we tried 1 night.

[EKS]

I vote not. Emphatically.

[snickelfritz]

I have taken babies camping and let them crawl around as well - no pack&play, they can crawl in grass and sand, not sure why that would be a problem? I was breastfeeding which made things easier. Not sure what the heat has to do with formula feeding - you'll boil the water anyway, won't you? I mean, you're not going to pre-prepare the formula bottles for a weekend?

 

But since it sounds as if you do not like camping and just look for somebody to confirm your POV, you should not go.

 

Ticks. Ticks. Ticks. Ticks.

 

Around here, crawling around on a campsite means you get lots of little buggars crawling on you.

[ktgrok]

I know people who do it. I'm not one of them. No way no how. IF the baby was much younger, and not crawling yet, sure. But a crawler? No way on earth. NOPE. And I do like camping. But not with a crawler.

[LaxMom]

 

But since it sounds as if you do not like camping and just look for somebody to confirm your POV, you should not go.

 

We love camping, did an extended trip all over Maine one year with our then 1y.o., in cloth diapers... but the idea of a weekend spent with a miserable little person, while trying to balance all the work that goes into caring for said little person in a comparatively resource-poor environment (no bath tub, no flipping on the light and stumbling along for nighttime duties, etc) does not give me the warm fuzzies.

 

And, frankly, if the OP doesn't enjoy camping in the first place, and dreads it with an infant, why is that not valid? I don't understand why people seem to think that, if you're not inconveniencing yourself to accommodate their preferences, you'd better have an unarguable reason. Why can't a person just say, "I just don't want to"? When I had infants last, I was exhausted. I can't imagine packing up all their daily stuff to drive hours from home and work harder than normal to get the activities of daily living done. And, again, I enjoy camping.

[Carrie12345]

I've taken babies camping, but I love camping. If you don't enjoy it to begin with, you'll hate it with a baby!

[Soror]

I have taken babies camping and let them crawl around as well - no pack&play, they can crawl in grass and sand, not sure why that would be a problem? I was breastfeeding which made things easier. Not sure what the heat has to do with formula feeding - you'll boil the water anyway, won't you? I mean, you're not going to pre-prepare the formula bottles for a weekend?

 

But since it sounds as if you do not like camping and just look for somebody to confirm your POV, you should not go.

 

:iagree:

 

We just went camping this past weekend, dd is 2.5 now but we have camped before with babies at various ages. We slept very comfortably on a sleeping bag w/ a cover on top. I actually prefer that to an air mattress myself.

[catz]

We took both kids camping at all ages from birth on up. Yes, it's more work and gets easier when they're 3 or 4. The kids always slept great though - all that fresh air tired them out! I don't blame that other mom for wanting you to go. I wouldn't want to spend the weekend camping with another man and his boys without someone to chat with. Yuck. Maybe you should all decline as a family?

[2_girls_mommy]

I have always taken mine camping too, starting about 8 mos old. I have even taken a 7 wk old once for a short 2 nighter.

 

With one that was formula feeding when it was hot, we found that she actually liked it ice cold from the cooler. She was about 10 months old, and she preferred it like that until she switched to cold milk a couple of months later.

 

With my other, I was always bfing.

 

We used a pack and play for a safe place for them to sleep in the tent next to us.

 

We all stay in the shade or go swimming when it is really hot.

[Tap]

Ds was pretty easy to camp with, but we had a VW Westfalia (think small motorhome w/o bathroom). We would put a blue tarp on the ground and an old comforter on top for him to crawl around on. The tarp kept the comforter clean/dry. He was fine with boundaries so it was easy to keep him on the blanket.

 

DD13 was miserable to camp with as a baby. She hates confinement/boundaries so it just led to a horrible weekend.

 

DD5 ate everything off the floor she could get her hands on at that age, so no camping for her.

 

I didn't wear my babies, but that would have made it easier I think.

 

Formula is not a big deal to camp with, just use bottled water. I didn't boil bottles at this age, so I just washed them out appropriately and reused them. If I was boiler, I suppose I would have just washed and boiled them there. It isn't like there is much going on while camping that would prevent that (unless you are in an area that doesn't allow a fire).

 

I would not send the family without talking to the other mother about her feelings. It is much more stress to have others around, and without you there to keep her company, I don't think it is fair to pile all of that on her.

 

I think the crawling stage is the absolute hardest age to camp with. On top of that, it seems like I always ended up holding the babies more, and then they came back a bit spoiled and off schedule. No thanks!

[Acorn]

We camp every year. The years with 8 - 10 month old babies were much more enjoyable than being pregnant the year before. We didn't use a portable crib. Just brought a sheet for them to play on and slept with them next to us at night.

[mom2scouts]

Sure! All of my kids started camping by the time they were a few months old.

[2_girls_mommy]

Oh for the crawling, we used an empty screen tent. We just put some toys in for her to play with and she could crawl around to her heart's content.

[Impish]

Boo is the easiest, happiest baby ever. He wakes up smiling. He's just a little younger than yours.

 

And there is no way on this green Earth I'd go camping w/him this yr.

 

Wolf and I have actually discussed camping this fall. And neither of us want to attempt it w/a little one that should be very mobile by that point.

[Kathryn]

Absolutely not for me.

[regentrude]

I never boiled the water for formula. .

 

Sorry, I was thinking of wilderness camping with the water source being a stream or pond - we would boil ALL water for human consumption (or these days use a ceramic filter, which we did not have when my kids were babies). If you car camp, you could take bottled water of course. (I just would not want to carry bottled water in addition to baby and camping gear if it was not car camping)

[KungFuPanda]

I've taken my babies camping, BUT I like camping *and* they were breastfed. I never took a pack and play camping. Baby was always being toted around while we did stuff. We also take an air mattress.

 

Ultimately, I would guess that your friend probably invited your family along to hang out and wanted you to keep her company? She may be afraid that she's going to be stuck with more work with another man and some extra kids instead of extra help from another mom? But, if you don't like camping and you don't want to go camping, then don't go. :)

 

:iagree: I would enjoy camping with a breastfed infant, but I really like it and the heat doesn't bother me. I can't imagine throwing bottles into the mix.

 

OF COURSE your friend is pushing hard. She doesn't want to have nobody to talk to and get stuck caring for two families if you're not there.

[Seeking Squirrels]

I would, but I love camping. DD was 11 months the first time we took her. That was at the beginning of camping season that year or we would have taken her sooner. She was breastfed, so no formula to worry about. We used cloth diapers, so that was an issue, but we ended up ordering some gdiapers which are hybrids so that was manageable. We always take an air mattress so it's comfy. My parents have a trailer and we usually go with them. We played it by ear but DD and I ended up sleeping in the trailer with them. Where we go gets hot during the day but very cold at night.

 

Oh and DD wasn't walking yet the first time we took her. We just put her in tough jeans and a thin long sleeve shirt and let her crawl around the dirt area. Of course she got filthy, but she had a blast. And we didn't use a pack n play or anything, she was right with us the whole time. We have a Kelty carrier for when we'd go on hikes.

We camp as often as we can manage. DD and I continued to sleep in the trailer until we felt she was old enough to tell us if she was cold. But that's just when we go up high in the mountains with my mom. We've gone just the 3 of us and DD slept in the tent with us fine. I think she was around 14 months the first time we did that. When it's just us we camp lower down the mountain so the temps don't drop as far.

 

We're considering going once this year. I'm due July 2nd. We can't go before baby because it's much too far from immediate help in case I went into labor early. But we're thinking toward the end of the season when baby is about 2 months we might go. DD is asking to go already so her and DH might go with my parents once without me. Or maybe she'll end up going just with them for a short weekend.

[hollyh]

done it with a 6 mo old and again with a 2yo and twin 6 mo olds. work but doable.

[Pretty in Pink]

Thanks for the ideas. This really wasn't meant to be a JAWM thread. I don't mind baby getting dirty but am concerned about her putting everything she touches in her mouth. She is not interested in boundaries at all and doesn't even love being held a lot of the time -- she's super wiggly and always wants to be down on the floor exploring so long as she can see mommy. :001_smile:

 

Ticks are a concern in this area but we'd be checking everyone each night anyway.

 

My concern with the formula is that she essentially has a tummy full of dairy all the time and it's going to be hot outside. I don't want her to get an upset stomach. I am sure there will be shady areas but with the humidity you just can't really escape the heat.

 

We may or may not have electricity at the campground in question. We will have toilets and sinks with running water to rinse off if needed.

 

The air mattress is a good idea -- I hadn't thought of that for some reason. If I go then I'll definitely take that along.

 

I don't have an empty tent that I can set up for her to play in but maybe I could borrow a small tent from a friend for the weekend. I also hadn't thought of that.

 

I hadn't considered that my friend may feel put out at having my husband and kids along but not me. I don't think she'd be stuck caring for my family but she might feel that way. I wouldn't want her to feel put upon.

 

This will be a lot easier if they agree to camp closer to home because then I can go out in the mornings and evenings with the baby and bring her home during the hottest part of the day and at night, if needed. There are many places to camp within 30 minutes of here. I'm not sure why they chose the location so far away but I have asked.

 

Thanks for helping me think this through!

[jelbe5]

My kids have all been camping since they were babies. It is our favorite family vacation. But we have a pop up camper. No way would I have camped with babies if I had to sleep on the ground. I think the idea of trying it out closer to home is reasonable.

[Tap]

Thanks for the ideas. This really wasn't meant to be a JAWM thread. I don't mind baby getting dirty but am concerned about her putting everything she touches in her mouth. She is not interested in boundaries at all and doesn't even love being held a lot of the time -- she's super wiggly and always wants to be down on the floor exploring so long as she can see mommy. :001_smile:

 

Ticks are a concern in this area but we'd be checking everyone each night anyway.

 

My concern with the formula is that she essentially has a tummy full of dairy all the time and it's going to be hot outside. I don't want her to get an upset stomach. I am sure there will be shady areas but with the humidity you just can't really escape the heat.

 

We may or may not have electricity at the campground in question. We will have toilets and sinks with running water to rinse off if needed.

 

The air mattress is a good idea -- I hadn't thought of that for some reason. If I go then I'll definitely take that along.

 

I don't have an empty tent that I can set up for her to play in but maybe I could borrow a small tent from a friend for the weekend. I also hadn't thought of that.

 

I hadn't considered that my friend may feel put out at having my husband and kids along but not me. I don't think she'd be stuck caring for my family but she might feel that way. I wouldn't want her to feel put upon.

 

This will be a lot easier if they agree to camp closer to home because then I can go out in the mornings and evenings with the baby and bring her home during the hottest part of the day and at night, if needed. There are many places to camp within 30 minutes of here. I'm not sure why they chose the location so far away but I have asked.

 

Thanks for helping me think this through!

 

Please don't use a traditional air mattress for the baby to sleep on. They are a suffocation risk. Great for mom and dad, just not for little ones. I wasn't clear if baby would be sleeping with you on the mattress or not.

 

I am extra sensitive to how babies sleep since a friend's 5mo suffocated (not an airmatress) in bed and died.

 

From CPSC 2007:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This is the season when homes fill up with gifts and guests. When traveling, parents may choose alternative sleeping environments for babies. The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning families nationwide that air mattresses are too soft for use with sleeping infants. Never place infants to sleep on air mattresses or other soft surfaces (such as water beds and adult beds), which are not specifically designed or safe for infant use.

 

Since 2002, CPSC has received reports of 16 tragic deaths, mostly infants younger than 8 months of age who were placed to sleep on air mattresses: 11 suffocated in a face down position on an air mattress and 5 died due to suffocation after falling into gaps between the mattress and bed frame and mattress and adjacent furniture or wall.

 

Generic twin-, full-, or queen-sized inflatable mattresses are usually intended for adults and older children. Even properly inflated air mattresses are usually too soft for infants to maintain a clear airway. Air leaks and under-inflation also contribute to incidents.

 

Wherever your baby sleeps should be as safe as possible. CPSC

[Susan C.]

Do you know anyone who would watch your baby while you go camping? (That is if you like camping).

 

Both of my dc when they were infants were not good travelers even in perfect conditions..... from what you wrote, no I would not take the baby, it wouldn't be a good time. And if she cries a lot because she is unhappy, it will annoy everyone, stress, stress, stress!!!

[jelbe5]

My oldest now has her own tent when we go camping. Our camper is small and Dad snores. She slept on a yoga mat with her sleeping bag and said it was very comfortable.

[Hwin]

I think preparing the formula and keeping the bottles clean would be my biggest concern.

 

I hope your friend finds something closer so you can still go :)

[Pretty in Pink]

Please don't use a traditional air mattress for the baby to sleep on. They are a suffocation risk. Great for mom and dad, just not for little ones. I wasn't clear if baby would be sleeping with you on the mattress or not.

 

<snip>

 

Wherever your baby sleeps should be as safe as possible. CPSC

 

Thanks. I don't know that I would have thought of that. If they agree to camp close to home I'll probably just bring her home at night to sleep then. There is no way to fit a pack n play inside the tent with all of us.

[KrissiK]

No, I wouldn't. Especially not a mobile one.

[Paintedlady]

I say, let the menfolk take the boys camping and the women folk stay at your house with the baby.

 

:iagree:

[Tess in the Burbs]

we took dd camping when she was 20 months old and honestly, it was a lot of work. She cried at bedtime b/c it wasn't the normal routine. She was wanting to crawl in the dirt/rocks/lake. The noise at night kept her awake. I didn't sleep much. I remember the trip overall as good. The pictures are nice, but it wasn't one of those things I was glad we did it. It was work.

 

Unless you have a large tarp with one of those large gates that could make a corral for the baby to crawl in without being in the mud skip it. Kids can't be in a pack n play all the time. Lack of naps hurt everyone eventually :lol:

 

If you had a nice camper...that would be different:tongue_smilie:

[mommymilkies]

I can't imagine going anywhere that long, even, without an infant. I took my ds camping when he was a few months old. No big deal. But that's just IMHO.

[higginszoo]

I think that your concerns are valid and your request for a compromise of a closer site or just sending all of the boys are both reasonable.

[plath]

We took our second camping at a young age, but I breastfeed. No idea on the logistics of formula while camping.

We co-sleep, too, so night time in a tent wasn't much different from at home.

[elfgivas]

i love to camp; i love to camp with babies, and toddlers and kids and teens and dh ....

 

a hint someone gave me that made it way easier and way more fun: go to a thrift store and buy two pair of sleepers per day. then, they can crawl/scoot/toddle around and get as dirty as they want, and at the end of a day you just throw out the sleeper.

 

if you find bottles at the thrift store too, perfect. if not, then do you have enough to just use a new one each time? or to only wash and sterilize once half way thru?

 

whenever we boil water for dishes, we dip in a paper towel first and wash faces and hands. its simple, and it works well.

 

for sleeping, a tent is just like a giant nest.... its lovely. toss in her favorite blankie and enjoy.

 

all that said, up until they were two years old, one of us would be up with the infant/baby/toddler about 4am the first morning when she woke up and everyone else in the campground was asleep. the next morning, she was usually exhausted and slept in....

 

frankly, i'd be way more concerned about the 3 year old..... and can understand how your friend might be concerned about one adult (your dh) trying to watch all of the kids at the same time.

 

hope they decide closer is okay : ).

ann

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Not for all the tea in China. :ack2:

 

:iagree: But, I don't like camping anyway, so that colors my answer. But, I'd never take a baby on a camping trip.

[Pretty in Pink]

The negotiations have headed south. I think it's safe to say that we're not going. I suggested camping closer to home; her response was that I ought to flip dd's rear-facing carseat forward to see if that helped with her crying during the long drive (we have an infant seat, not a convertible, and she knows this but apparently did this very thing with one of her children...?). She also offered for dd to ride with her so that I don't have to listen to her cry. She insists that dd will love camping once we get there. Sigh.

 

I just emailed her and told her that I'm not comfortable taking dd that far away to camp and that I'm not going to do it. If they want to camp locally, great. If not, no big deal.

 

Honestly, I'm tired of the whole thing at this point. I'm sure she is as well. Better luck next time, I suppose. :tongue_smilie:

[Starr]

It's hard to remember how we felt with babies. It sounds like you need to keep yours cozy and at home. Just be sure your friend still wants the rest of your family. She's really missing something here. She should send her kids with her dh and yours and go stay with you at your house. :D

[Abigail4476]

I would, but that's me. This isn't about me or anyone else or what we might do with our babies. It's about you and your baby going camping. If you aren't going to enjoy yourself and you're going to be stressed, worried and tense then I vote NO. Stay home and relax and go the next time.

 

Having a 7-month old baby is the perfect excuse to stay home, anyway. Enjoy it while you can. :) Blame her for everything. :D