Taking a one year old camping

Wrong from the start

When we go camping, we put our kids in multiple layers of clothing. Make sure they have a well insulated bed base to prevent the cold rising from the ground.

Bedding can vary as to what you have available, I would use the sleeping bag if needed. Both my kids were very active when they slept so trying to contain them in a sleep bag didn't work LOL

Experiment before you leave and go from there.

Cheers Kev

.....its just camping!!!!!!

shees....some people will turn anything into an argument!

all our kids have been camping since they were a couple of months old,our latest little one was only just weeks old when we took him to the national gathering at St George.
what better lifestyle could you as a parent offer your kids than camping????

i'de prefer our kids to grow up knowing the best country in the world and showing it to them first hand rather than them seeing it on tv in between watching video games and the like.like i said...its just camping.

We have taken all our children camping, from age 6 months.
Now 28 years and 24 years, so they survived, and both over 6', so they survived well. No fingers or limbs missing. :o)

Few memories on what we did.

If cold (we have had them out at age 1 at down to -5 deg), we have plenty of layers (2 or 3) as mentioned above, with the last layer being a track suit. Found the problem is if they crawl out of their sleeping back, or arms and chest get out, they get cold. We used a middle/light weight sleeping bag and layered them up to compensate for the final temp.

Wife and I share a double sleeping bag. If they were cold, we brought them in with us. Yep, even the one who had to always end up sleeping sideways. You know the story. :o)

Up to 9 months, we had alight folding basinet.
We got a cheap child's sleeping bag, for sleep overs. Light to middle weight so it would be useful for all weathers, or as you suggest, fold over or tie the end off with rope.

On one trip we think we went overboard. It was really cold at night, and we think we put too much on and he was hot. Also had neighbours who put up camp right next door. (We usually like plenty of space so if there are a few cries or whinges we don't need to worry too much. It only keeps us awake.) Anyway, wife was breast feeding and doing all the usual things to keep him quiet through the night, and it was just one of those bad nights. Declared the next day a lazy day around camp. He was playing all day while we took turns having naps catching up on sleep. Grumpy kids and you can survive. Grumpy partners, and it is a bad camp. :o)

Go and enjoy. The best memories we have.

Oh yeh, we worked on the principal we had them clean once a day, for about 1/2 hour after a wash. Otherwise it builds their immune system.

Much agree with Oldplodder - very sensible approach.

We had our eldest with us at 6 months when we went to Bali. Our kids have gone camping with us since they where in nappies. It means as parents you just have to be vigilante. For kids it really helps bond with parents and teaches them so much about real life activities. So many kids now days spend the weekend battling dragons with just a mouse - thats not living.

Remember before the advent of the motor car all people travelled in camping mode, and for thousands of years all people virtually camped their whole lives. It is only in the last couple hundred years we have the luxury of living indoors.

David

Hi Mark,
Our kids have been very well travelled from only a few months old. in response to your sleeping pjs .... we bought kid thermals from kathmandu DFO. they are a $50 outlay but we have got 3 winters of camping out of them and if you buy neutral colours or stripes then it doesnt matter if the next one is a girl or boy he he. then i used to put a pair of Thermal mountain designs socks on them and tuck them over the leg thermals and in at the waist. then I got the grow suits from best and less you can get them up to size 4 now and when we were in the simpson last year and high country year before I actually got Nan to sew some big enough for the kids who are now 4 and 5. You can buy the patterns for them at spotlight for your future reference. then we bought a beanie with ears that flop down. they can be pulled right down further than normal beanies. now we can put a little tie on them under their chins to keep them on all night but at 12 months I used to just pull it on when then woke up coldish. Not sure if a tie would be safe at 12 months. we took a portacot for the first child in the gulf of carpentaria BUT you have to get out of YOUR sleeping bag to resettle bubs so I may recommend getting a little swag made up. Again initial outlay alot but if you plan to continue its worth it! It took as much room as the portacot and all the blankets (and PJS and nappies and wipes) for the next night were ready to go when it unfolded. Then we would just sleep next to them and it was very easy to roll over and give a little pat at night. We never sleep with our kids at home but camping is our exception. Generally our kids do not use blankets. At first we tried mittens but ours did not like them. Let me know if you need any more help. I know I used to ask on this web site about alot of things so those questions might still be in the archives. Enjoy!

We took out twins camping from about 6 months. They slept in either a couple of cardboard boxes on the front seat of our troopy with us in the back or in a portable cot if we were in the tent.
Having lots of mates helps as someone will get clucky and want to play 'pass the parcel' which gives you a rest :)
Folding the sleeping bag back under itself is good, get an old bag and sew it up, or just do the same as if you were at home.

As far as taking or not taking kids camping and at what age, the fact that you are here and that your ancestors must have stayed alive at least until breeding age, pretty much argues the caes that camping with children isn't lethal.
How do the doomsters think people lived before houses? Nomadic tribes? Indigneous groups etc. All this cotton wool for kids is only in the mind of the adult. Definitely take care, be responsible but don't wrap them in cotton wool, wipe the forrest in dettol. The biggest danger is in the mind of the parent. Kids, big and small, love dirt.

OK, 2 options we can recommend
1. http://www.merinokids.com.au/
2. http://www.artlaender.de/DE/kids/products/schlafsaecke.html (sorry for the German).

We got 1 from the German company (lucky us had it delivered to my In-laws in Switzerland on holiday). It is down filled and absolutely brilliant for cold weather. Baby is safe at all times and can move around to their own comfort without getting wrapped up.

BTW, whole nations of people have raised kids in sub-zero temperatures for 1000's of years. Don't let people put you off.

Cheers.

Hi ML,

Make sure he is rugged up with warm clothes. The outdoors is the best place for kids to grow up away from the city in the fresh air.

They are very impressionalable at that age and getting out and about will benefit him for years to come.

Cheers Wilko

Mark,
We've taken our kids camping since they were 3 months old. I'd recommend many layers of clothing finished with the kathmandu jumpsuit.

.

As the baby will be 1 year old I think the SIDS risk is greatly dimnished.

We ekpt our kids in portacots, but some friends also have these mini tents / cots where their kids sleep. Just make sure they are inlsulated from underneath.

R.

ML

I say if you want to take your baby camping go for it!! Best thing for a baby is growing them up in the bush from a young age, its like when your a bub and your parents used to take you to the beach and you would get a gut full of salt water, its all good learning.

I would say just dress the bub in some nice warm clothes and let him/her sleep between you and the cook (thats only if you dont want to make more babies on your trip) and it will be fine.

No good not going camping just because you have a young person in your life. Kids love camping, i know i did when i was a wee tacker but we never had the problem of sub zero temps we had the problem of the exact opposite, to bloody hot and the crocs coming up in the night walking through camp

Go for it mate you will figure it out because your a parent and thats what we do


Cheers

Our Daughter is almost a year old now, and has been on several trips, including a month on the road camping taking in -4 nights, weeks of constant rain, and then warmth.
She was only 5 months then.

I made up a small swag to roll up her cot mattress sheets and blankets, and she just loved being on the road and sleeping in the tent with us.
If she moved around, and got her hands out of the blankets, and they got cold, it didnt bother her, and we would roll her into our sleeping bags to keep her warm, but she was happier by herself. If they get uncomfortable, they let you know, as you would already be aware.

Layers for warmth, put her in the bottom of her bedding, or tuck the bag under as required, lay her on her back etc just the same as being at home.
We found that there was no issue with getting sick/ colds etc, as we had minimal contact with other germ bags/ er kids, and people.
When we got home, she was quite out of sorts, as she was used to traveling.
She loved the routine of watching us pack up the tent around her, and having a good few hrs sleep once on the road, then it was feed/ fun time, and lunch, and some more traveling.
I would lay out a travel rug, and put her bassinet on it whilst setting up camp.
She loved that time together.

As you may already be aware, you cant do the miles that you once did, we found 450 around the max for a day once you took into account stop time for feeds etc.
If your little one is on the bottle, it would be easier to feed and drive, where as if she is on the natural milk bar, you cant drive and feed at the same time.

Get them out there, get them used to your routine, and enjoy the wonderful time you will have with your young one.

Yes there is always the risk of her getting sick, just as there would be if you were home. *(not talking about colds, but other complications)*, however if you worry about all those things you would not get out of the house.

Kids are surprisingly durable creatures, if you have good food handling, and sanitation, your risk of sickness is reduced significantly.

I say this having faced serious medical complications whilst remote camping traveling before, so I am not blaze about this in anyway.
However I treasure the time we have had together whilst out from the house.

Infact our little one has been more sick whilst home than the time she has had out on the road :).

Trains

Ps, yes they go downhill pretty quickly, but seem to bounce back just as quick.

Mark,

One thing to be aware of is that no matter how well rugged up they are, they will still be breathing in very cold air. This can bring on croup in small children (our oldest son used to get it).

Listen out for a nasty dry cough, amost sounds like a seal barking.

Cheers,

Jim.

Go camping and enjoy your trip. We took our 6 week old daughter to a fishing village north of Lancelin. The village in question was Wedge Island. We were one of the many original squatters crayfishing that area.

Our water came from a shellgrit pit (hole in the ground) the kangaroos also drank from same hole. We had the long drop toilets.
We lived in a shack with shellgrit on the floor.
Our daughters bed was made from driftwood bed picked up from the beach with a new mattress on.

Like you we had the knockers, you will always get them. They said we were mad, making baby formula from that water. We always boiled it.
So not sure and starting to have doubts. We sent a sample of water to be tested. The reply came back that the water we were using was more beneficial to us than the rubbish piped to the metropolital households.
It had no impurities in it alll.
As long as you cover all aspects, keep them safe and take necessary medical supplies.
For your own safety you could always make sure you have a uhf radio and if there is an emergency you have help at hand.

To all the for and against, we are not saying anyone is right or wrong. Just do your own thing. And take all precautions. Above all enjoy yourselves

Hi Mark I found the best way to keep them warm at night was to apply lots of layers, ie; singlet, bonds suit, Maybe another set of winter pj's and one of those little kids sleeping bags that they wear and zip up at the back then as you said put them in a sleeping bag that is folded back under the mattress and that will act as another layer of insulation between the ground and your baby.
I hope this helps you out, this is how we have camped when it is cold.
P.S. I think you can pick up the pyjama sleeping bags I talked of from Kmart, BigW or target.

Cheers

Clint

Look at the section taking kids camping on this web site and follow it ... you always think you need more than you do!!

Wow, Mark, I bet you didnt expect all that waffle re your query. Anyway, for what
its worth, I say go for it. Be guided by your own comfort if it is really cold.
Obviously protect the extremities. If using heating be very careful of fire & other
accidents. As you dont say what type of camping, I assume maybe under canvas.
Always allow some ventilation or you will drown in condensation. Dont forget the
hotwater bottle...very useful thing. Nothing more than common sense really,
& the little one will be fine...enjoy the trip......oldbaz.

My suggestion would be to use a double sleeping bag for you and your partner and a cold-rated "gro-bag"/sleep-bag for the baby (plus a nice warm jumpsuit) and have the baby in between you two. Just make sure it doesn't start slipping down into the big sleeping bag and/or start getting too warm.

Gday Mark,
We took our kids out in remote areas in extremely cold and hot conditions from a very young age and if anything it did them good.
We used to use the porta cot all the time...yeah it took up room but we found it well worth the hassel. Its not just a good place to sleep but a safe place to let them play when conditions werent ideal or you were busy doing something.
We used to hang wet towels over it when it was really hot ( 40 plus!) and it kept them off the ground in the cold. We also had a tiny sleeping bag with handles that you could pick them up and move them around really easily when needed. If it was freezing ( minus) we would put them in the swag with us.
Obviously dont do anything silly and asking questions is the best thing to do if your new to this sort of thing....but dont let people who obviously arent resposible enough to make their own decisions deter you. I reckon getting kids outdoor at a young age is a great thing and something thing that gives them a really good start to life. Good luck.

Cheers Hairy

Thank you everyone for your comments. I had no idea that I would invoke a response like I have and appreciate everyone taking the time to reply.

The view we have taken is that we want to get her out there to she this great country of ours and that the experience would be good for both her and us.

The trip we are mainly talking about is the Victorian High Country. We have chosen this as a location for an extended 4wd trip as this the sort of thing we like to do for holidays and we discounted the deserts because we were worried about being to far from medical help if something did go wrong. Similar thing with the cape with crocodiles and remoteness. At least with the VHC you are closer to medical help if needed with places like Mansfield, Omeo, etc.

Should also clarify something, when talking about a one year old, by the time of the trip she will actually be a 20 month old, which is actually closer to two. Probably should have made that clearer up front.

Will consider if we should seek medical advice before we go on the trip.

Thanks again everybody for your responses, we have got some good ideas from above.

Mark

My God Mark what did u start there!!! lol

We have taken our 2 year old camping since she was 3 months old. We layer her clothing and she used to sleep in a sleep suit similar to the one posted above, you just have to watch they don't overheat if your going to layer clothes. We put her in bed with us if I think it is too cold, neither of us r smokers so I personally don't think there is an issue with co-sleeping.
Now she is older she has a sleeping bag, I tuck half of it under the portacot matress so hopefully she won't slip down.
Get out there and enjoy the countryside and the camping. We can only try to raise children who appreciate these things and realise there is more to life than TV and Playstation games.

Happy camping :)

Most have recognised the importance of keeping the kid warm-- perhaps a MATINEE JACKET for those cold desert nights ;-)

Apologies for not the reading many replies before this one. Our three year daughter has been camping since six weeks old and she regularly asks us when can we going camping again! Here's how we've kept her warm.

1. when in cold areas she sleeps in a full-length fleece jump suit with cotton thermals [top & bottoms] underneath [plus nappie until recently].

2. she has a kindercot [small tent] with self-inflating mattress and we place an old wollen blanket under the kindercot [i.e. folded 2-3 times] to insulate from the cold earth temp below.

3. We took a single bed feather/down doona and sewed velcro strips along each 'long' side that allows us to fold it in half thus turning it into a 'bag' of whatever length we want [short for summer, long for winter]. Works fine.

4. A few times in the desert [-6 to -3 deg C] we have put on gloves and thick socks under her jump suit.

In three years camping she has never woken complaining of cold; never had any dry coughs; and never been fearful of getting into her 'tent' [which is inside our CT].

Hope this helps.