I feel like such a traitor! We are going on holiday this year to Cornwall (yay!) but the Mrs has said we can't camp in our brand new inflatable tent that I bought as our son is too little to be camping (he'll be 18 months by this time) instead we are borrowing our friends big tin tent with two wheels on and it has to pulled by a car..... it feels wrong....
but I am taking the surf boards..... and its still sort of camping......
18 months...no problem with that, our youngest grandsons 1st camp with us was spent in a waterproof all in one, with knots in the end of the legs to keep feet dry while crawling on the grass at 14 months! He slept like a dream in a little arc cot.
I camp with a friend who brought her 2 along from the age of 6 months old (and would probably have brought then along younger but they were both born in the winter!)
Three cottages booked so far this year but will be camping in between times. Site fees are such these days that renting a cottage isn't so expensive but a lot more comfortable.
------------- Getting old isn't fun but the alternative is much worse.
I find it quite bizarre that 18months is considered too young to stay in a tent.
Our Barney, now 7 yrs was 4 months for his first camping trip to Cornwall under the canvas and slept 12 hours every night we were there. Ironically it was the worst weather we have ever experienced there and put us off for a while. Mind you we had 3.5 years in the Middle East after this.
Kids are never too young for camping allthough I appreciate the anxiety associated with the young ones.
We did take a microwave for sterilising his bottles and heating milk. Apart from that no other mod cons.
It depends on the tent.
I think it would be hard work with a small toddler in a small tent without a living area or with a v small living area, and that you couldn't stand up in.
A roomy tent - fine.
Our son went at about 15 months but he has a bigger brother and sister who were 4 & 6. He was so exhausted he slept well. But i can understand being worried about children eating dirt etc etc. all the things that the littlies do.
Allan, thank you for not saying the 'c' word to someone who does camping 'properly'!