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Hi All

Just wondered what age your kids where when you first took them camping we have a 5 month old and we are debating wether or not to camp this july. thank you in advance for your help .

Thanks

Ian

Pretty much everything that Tomsmum said +1.

The only thing I would add is on co-sleeping.  We have co-slept from birth with all of our kids, and when we camp have had them in their own sleeping bag (actually, it was a gro-bag) on a SIM right next to ours.  I have only once shared a sleeping bag with one of them, and that was an uncomfortable night for all concerned!  (having said that, my sleeping bag is a snug fit for one person so having me + baby in there was quite squished...)

we took our youngest to France at 7 months though it was a pre errected tent rather than our own.

Challenges for us included the fact that he was used to eating home made baby food which we would blend but in France we left the blender at home and tried baby food.  This failed totally and he lived off wheat a bix for a week.  (in those days you could give babies wheat a bix from 4 months, he is now 18yrs)

We took a baby bath for the obvious reason as he was too young to take into showers but a washing up bowl would do the same if no room for a bath.

Sleeping won't be too bad at that age as you can use travel cots, camping cots, carry cots or child airbeds as they are no good at escaping until a few months older than that.  You just need to be sure that you can keep your baby warm and even in July I would recommend taking the warm sleep suits that you can get and using if needed. 

Sterilising might be a challenge but again this used to stop by 6 months in the past as they can pick things off the floor anyway defeating the object but you can always pan boil bottles/cups/spoons etc if you don't want to take a steriliser and actually still use one at home. 

I am a die hard camper, we went camping last year when OH was 8 months pregnant, she hates camping but as long as the toilet block is close then all is good, William was born Nov 2010 and his first camping trip was at Freshwater on the hot bank holiday weekend at Easter so he was approx 4 months old :)

It was very easy and he loved it, it was his first time in a swimming pool too, we always get EHU so took kettle, steriliser and a travel cot, that's about all you need really, he slept in his own pod in our Vango Kura 600 and he slept from 8pm till 8am even when it got windy one night and the OH was worried about the tent lol.

We went to weymouth for the day and he went in the sea, also had his first Ice cream which went everywhere, one of the best holidays I have had so we are off to Parkers farm next Friday for the bank holiday :)

Some pics to follow.

By the car

The travel cot with baby monitor

ter Easter Pressies

Me and Will at Weymouth

First Icecream :)

1st time in sand, on Weymouth beach

Wiull trying to bite through my brothers Vango Diablo 600

We took our little one camping, taking full advantage of the hot spell at the beginning of May. She was 10 weeks old and positively loved it. The light play on the canvas fascinated her and the sea air helped her sleep all night!

We have electric hook up which was invaluable as it meant we could take the sterilising unit and we had a heater on at night to be on he safe side. 

She has a pop - up cot that has high sides so we can be sure as she gets more mobile she won't be in any danger. We put the cot on top of a folded sleeping bag to keep her off the floor and her nanny kindly knitted her a super warm gro-bag which made sure she was toasty warm! The cot fits in by the air bed so we all bunked up together.

We only went for 2 nights to see how we found it but it was a really positive experience and we can't wait to go again. We're booked in for the May bank holiday for 4 nights this time!

Quote: Originally posted by Flame Grilled on 23/5/2011This very subject has been a worry on my mind for a while now. We are taking our 11 month old away for the first time this Friday and I am worried that he will get up in the night and not only wake us up but other campers around as well. What are peoples general consensus of being woken by 'younger' campers.

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Great pictures BTW RonnyUK

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thank you so much for all your help we are going to take our little ruby for her first camping trip up to waren mill in northumberland for the august bank holiday

ian

Aww thanks we think he is too hehe :)

Last word from me, if your going to take a baby camping make sure you get EHU, without it you will be struggling to keep little one at right temp during the night, and kettles and sterilizers are much easier then disposable bottles.