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 Topic: Camping alone with toddler?!
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17/5/2016 at 8:13pm
Location: North Devon
Outfit: Robens Fairbanks Coleman Phad X3
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Mainly logistics I'd think. Cooking/washing up/washing etc.
Are you likely to end up having to go to bed very early if you're sharing a sleeping compartment?
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17/5/2016 at 11:16pm
Location: Derbyshire
Outfit: ElddisAvante462 Honda CRV SE2.2 i-Dtec
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You could of course do a 'quick camp' for the weekend, no need for cooking or washing up, something like fresh baked bread and honey for breakfast, sandwiches or a shop bought salad for lunch, maybe a takeaway in the evening, or a main meal in a supermarket type cafe earlier in the day, and plenty of fresh fruit and cakes for snacking?
Use disposable plates and take plenty of kitchen roll and antibac wipes for wiping down a chopping board and prep knife, so no need to carry lots of dirty pots over to be washed up. Take plenty of bottled water or soft drinks with the 'drink from the bottle' type caps, and treat yourself to a nice coffee whilst out and about.
We used to do this regularly when we were younger, and found it good fun as we could be packed and on the road within an hour of deciding to go somewhere, and no need for loads of gear or lengthly set up time once on site.
Julia
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Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
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18/5/2016 at 7:02am
Location: hartlepool
Outfit: Sterling Excel 520
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I camp with my 3 year old nephew regularly. I normally cheat and set my tent up first, then his mum drops him off at the site. He's pretty good about playing with his toys while I cook and wash up. I'm not strict on bedtime I put him in his jamas around 6.30 but let him play round the tent until he's tired and he usually goes to bed voluntarily around 8.30. Bucket loo during the night is a must. The only thing we sometimes have problems with is when I go to the loo. He sometimes has temper tantrums about coming with me, but obviously I can't leave hi m u supervised.
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Good cakes aren't cheap. Cheap cakes aren't good
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18/5/2016 at 1:19pm
Location: West Yorkshire
Outfit: Karsten 350 CA FW RA :)
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I think it would depend on how good the toddler is at obeying orders. I know when we camp there are times when it is hard to do a job and watch a child. If you think they wil do as they are told and not wander into danger then it will be easier. Personally I would use reins and fasten them to my belt when I needed to make sure they didn't run off. We used reins until our son was 3.5 and we could pretty much trust him to do as he was told.
I wish he would do as he was told now 😂
Only you know your child and how they will react, it is doable if you plan carefully :)
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18/5/2016 at 2:16pm
Location: West Sussex
Outfit: Obelink Familia 6 Alpkit Ordos 3
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I took my eldest "backpacking" last year when he was 4 - a little older than yours, but faced similar issues. We took a train to the New Forest and walked to a Ashurst Camp Site from the nearby station.
We were limited as to what we could take as we were carrying everything, the only toys we had for him were his favorite ted, some pens and paper and a pack of cards (to play a game of our own devising called "highest number").
We were away for two nights. I had hoped we'd be able to go for a walk and explore the area but it was hard work to get him to leave the camp site. We spent most of the time in the tent drawing snakes and ladders boards!
Pitching and taking down went fine - we took a spare picnic blanket and he sat on that drawing or playing with tent pegs while I did most of the work.
Toilet / shower trips were done together, though we pitched very close to the toilet block and I felt comfortable popping off to the toilet by myself once he was asleep.
I pitched the tent with a tarp to one side. Once he was in bed I sat under the tarp reading.
Cooking was done using a small gas stove - with strict instructions not to touch. Washing up was a "team" effort.
We're hoping to get out again this year, we're got some new lighter weight equipment and he'll be able to carry some of it now.
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19/5/2016 at 10:50pm
Location: Manchester
Outfit: Vango Maritsa 700; Isis 600 + canopy
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When my kids were little, they did best if they had 'jobs' to do. So one would be the 'peg elf' and have the very important job of handing out pegs. Then they'd have to 'set up' the bedrooms.
Key was giving them something to do that would take quite a while, but keep them interested, and in roughly one place!
I would hope if you were on a site with others, you might get offers of help too. I know if I saw a mum putting a tent up on her own with a toddler - I'd offer to help.
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20/5/2016 at 11:01pm
Location: Northern England
Outfit: Coleman Mosedale 5
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I have camped on my own with my kids and I think if you an experienced camper you will be fine. It pays to be a bit more choosy about your site and your pitch. I always preferred to be around other people when I was the only adult.
I do remember once deciding to have a bbq and once it was lit realised I needed the loo. Major dilemma as I didn't want to take the kids to the toilet block and leave the bbq unattended but I couldn't leave them alone with a lit bbq either! I had to cross my legs for ages before approaching another camper and asking for help!
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