Camping with a baby!

**Aspen and Misty** · 01-24-2005, 05:09 PM

When we go camping. We rent a Cabin. Most Camp Grounds have them. Our are always One room, One Queen sized bed and 2 bunk beds. It works out great! For people with more money (hey, we had 5 kids!) You can rent "lodges" which have 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a maybe a living room in them. Most Cabins come with a Airconditioner Too!

After camping in cabins I could never imagine going camping in a tent, where would you put the airconditioner?

Ashley

**LoudLou** · 01-24-2005, 05:58 PM

Camping is when Room Service is late.

**caseysmom** · 01-24-2005, 09:41 PM

The cabins are nice but we like to camp so we can take our dogs...that kind of why we started getting into camping.

**Tonya** · 01-24-2005, 10:03 PM

I took Jaden camping a few times when he was younger. Bring lots of water and baby wipes for clean up and a portable crib. It was not to bad before he could walk, but it was hell when he was 1-2. At that age, they're into everything and there are so many hazards in camping. It wasn't relaxing at all because he was constantly running towards the water or fire, putting sticks and bugs in his mouth, etc.. I won't take Tyler camping until he is at least three.

But then again, I hate camping! Even when we went last year when Jaden was 7, I moaned and complained.

**Fox-Gal** · 01-24-2005, 10:11 PM

Our idea of camping is a little different then what everyones talking about here. We are the ruffing it type people, tent, canoe, sleeping bags, charcoal, cooler and flashlights. Throw the chicken in the fire and go enjoy nature till it's done.

But we have camped with babies many of times. It all going to depend on the age of the child and the child's personalty, on how it's going to go.

As to the sleeping in a tent, here's what we did. We got one of those portable cribs in the bag. Worked great and didn't take up that much room. Also sense we went canoing a lot, we learned how to make a baby swing out of the life jackets. With some good rope and 4 jackets, a good tree branch, the baby was ready to swing away.

**Aspen and Misty** · 01-24-2005, 10:44 PM

Originally posted by caseysmom
The cabins are nice but we like to camp so we can take our dogs...that kind of why we started getting into camping.

We took Breeze (a Old Foster of ours) and Nova (my current dog) camping in a Cabin. They did fine, they loved it! And boy was it nice to have a safe place to leave them when we were gone! There were locks on the cabin doors and a nice air conditioner inside. I was 100% sure my doggies were safe while we were gone!

Ashley

**chrangharris** · 01-25-2005, 06:46 AM

Debbie- I talked to DH last night about a pop-up- he didn't say no but he didn't say yes! I'll have him convinced to get one- then we just need to start saving up for one! I did talk him into a bigger tent so we could put Misha in the pack 'n play! Bryan's idea of camping is the less gear, the better. He would be happy without a tent, sleeping bag, etc.

Richard- Do you know of any companies that rent out pop-up or trailers? That would also be something to look into. We could try it before we spent the money on it!

Fox-gal- Do you have any pictures of your make-shift baby swing? That is to funny!

Thanks for all the input!

**caseysmom** · 01-25-2005, 10:44 AM

There is also a company here in CA that will take a trailor to your site for you and set it up...its kind of pricey to rent like that though.

I looked into cabins here in CA and I could not find any that would allow dogs...we have one place we stay in with the dogs but thats the only one I found under $250 a night.

**Cataholic** · 01-25-2005, 10:57 AM

FIRST- go to the nearest mental health provider you can find..as not only are YOU nuts to want to camp...he he he...but, taking Misha, too? LOL>> I dread the day Jonah says, "let's sleep outside, Mommy".

Think I can convince him camping is staying at the closest 5 star hotel? Maybe if I build a small fire in the hotel room? That saunas are really geysers? That room service has s'mores?

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 01-25-2005, 11:16 AM

Originally posted by Cataholic
FIRST- go to the nearest mental health provider you can find..as not only are YOU nuts to want to camp...he he he...but, taking Misha, too? LOL>> I dread the day Jonah says, "let's sleep outside, Mommy".

Think I can convince him camping is staying at the closest 5 star hotel? Maybe if I build a small fire in the hotel room? That saunas are really geysers? That room service has s'mores?

Too funny, Johanna.

All you need to do is buy a little pup tent and set it up in the backyard and say Jonah, you're sleeping outside tonight, and no, you can't have one of the kitties out there with you. He'll think it's cool until the first outside noise, then he'll be back in the house so fast you won't even know he was outside for awhile.

Chris, I know the places that rent RV's are kind of expensive and they don't rent pop-ups that I know of. You could do a search on Google and you might come up with something, or go to a local dealer and maybe they will know someone if they themselves don't rent.

The fact that Bryan doesn't like packing and unpacking all the gear could be one of your strongest arguments for getting a camper of some sort. You pack it up in spring and mostly everything just stays in the camper until you unpack it in fall! The only thing you need to pack up would be food - which you don't want to leave in the camper while it's parked because it will attract mice - and clothes and any toys or crib for Misha that she uses at home. But even toys you can start leaving some of them in the camper so you have camp toys and home toys. But all the bedding, canisters of gas for camp stoves, and most other gear you just leave in the camper.

Another thing I forgot to point out yesterday that is that most pop-ups are light enough that you don't need to worry about a tow vehicle. Most any car, light pickup or SUV can tow them. If you start looking at trailers, you start talking about more weight and then you're going to get into the thing like Caseysmom mentions. First of all you need a bigger tow vehicle, then you'll decide you need a bigger trailer which will mean you'll need a bigger tow vehicle....and the cycle never ends.

I think since Bryan didn't say no, you just keep doing your research, start pointing out all the points that will appeal to him - like the not having to pack/unpack thing - and before you know it you'll be camping in style!

**Logan** · 01-25-2005, 11:56 AM

Originally posted by LoudLou
Camping is when Room Service is late.

Amen to that!!!!!

I camped with my first husband. First, we did a tent. Then we graduated to a pop-up camper. It was fun until it was time to do dishes or wash my hair. We always ended up in campgrounds that had no electricity, no warm water, no showers. I learned to hate it even more when people started coming along with us, so that the cooking and cleaning for two turned into cooking and cleaning for six or eight. And I had dirty hair!

The "straw that broke the camel's back" was when we had a baby. Helen went on her first camping trip when she was about 8 months old. It was her last one, too. She got sick (it got cold), and I was miserable. I never went again. I never will.

Guess what? Husband #2 loves camping too. We have a pop-up camper also. Have I even stepped my foot in it? NOPE!

He knew from the beginning that I had no intention of leaving my house and precious pets to camp with him and the kids (5 people in one camper

). I did agree to go with just him and the dogs (all four of them) sometime, but somehow that took the intrigue out of it for him.

NO CAMPING for me!!! LOL!!!!

Logan

**Logan** · 01-25-2005, 12:01 PM

Johanna's response brought back a fun memory for me.

My parent's had a "late in life" baby. My brother was 13 years younger than me, the first boy. Our sister was 4 years older than me. Chip and Dad decided to go camping....sorry I can't remember how old Chip was at the time, but I'm thinking around 9 or so. They went to the mountains, set up their tent, built their fire, ate, talked......got cold, so they went to bed. They got colder. Couldn't sleep. Finally, my dad, who has never been a "camper" says, "I make too much money to be this cold and miserable. Let's go find a motel!" First and last camping trip for them!!! LOL!!!!!

**sirrahbed** · 01-25-2005, 10:45 PM

heehee what a funny thread for me to discover

Bryan was raised on camping from the time he was a few months old so guess it is in his blood. I also know his idea of camping is sleeping up in the trees, in a hammock or just on a bedroll under the stars!!

When the babies were still nursing age - we kept them with us but we were all used to the communal bed anyway. But, once they were a bit older, the next step was a bigger tent that we could stand up in. I was happier because I had my little porta-potty in a corner and room for a kid in a sleeping bag across from our double-zipped. (it had a baby in it too by then

) Some of the cabin tents also have a privacy flap so you can make it into two rooms. Eventually we added two little "pup" tents for the boys - Missy was in the big tent with us, and set all the tents up in a close circle so that all openings faced inwards and the boys could either share a tent or have their own rooms. Since they usually wanted to share - that third tent was often filled with our extra gear. Later on, the boys were older and camped on their own a bit away from the homesite. Then Missy got one of the pup tents or poptents. Most of our camping trips were fairly close to home and the longest we would camp is a long 4 day weekend.

We always had a "kitchen" on a picnic table - bring dishwash tubs for storage and then to use as wash and rinse. Heat the water on the campstove. Cooler was the fridge, etc. Set up a clothesline between trees. Yes Logan, you can even wash your hair in a dishwashing tub

Or wear a hat.

For just you guys and Misha - I think a cabin tent would be the minimum to have and she could sleep in the pak-n-play and there should still be an area in between to walk around a bit. I think ours was a two room - 8x12.

We did rent a pop-up once - but did not really care for it and our van had trouble hauling it - but I think it was a 4-cylinder. It also did not feel like "real camping"

But those days are now past!! Hallelujah. My current idea of camping is Holiday Inn with a Holidome. So, not to worry about inviting Grandma & Grandma along

**chrangharris** · 01-26-2005, 06:31 AM

Johanna- To funny! DH knows I will only go camping as long as we have running water- I HATE not having a hot shower in the morning. He grumbles that it is not real camping but I always get my shower!

Debbie- Good idea- all the perks of a pop-up! I'll bring him around eventually!

Mom- An 8x12 should be big enough for us and the pack n play? Are you sure you don't want to join us?