There are a lot of things to consider before heading out into the great outdoors with your kids. Everything from packing and prepping, setting up camp and playing in nature go hand-in-hand. This article will provide some helpful tips for beginners on how you can have an unforgettable time camping with your little ones
Baby camping is a fun way to spend time with your family. It can be done in many different ways, but the “baby camping bed” is one of the most popular choices. The “baby camping bed” allows for baby and parent to sleep next to each other.
Some parents, especially those who have been taught that newborns are delicate beings who cannot adjust to any environment save a sterile one, get the chills at the mere thought of camping with infants. The fact is that newborns are wonderfully tough little souls, and with good risk management, you can take your kids almost anyplace, provided (and this is critical) you have the necessary stuff: food, clothes, shelter, and the brain to put it all together.
Food
Feeding a baby is quite simple if your wife is nursing. Breastfeeding is the most handy form of packing since you don’t have to bring anything with you. There is no need to sterilize bottles, filter water, or mix formula. However, if your kid is bottle-fed, don’t be concerned. Simply treat and filter any water, especially that used to wash children’s hands and faces, with extreme caution. Waterborne infections are a concern since dehydration is a symptom of most bugs found in the wild, and dehydration is one of the most serious concerns with a sick newborn. The most frequent is Giardia, which causes digestive discomfort (at least in my part of the country). That’s something you don’t want to happen.
Otherwise, my kids ate what we ate, mashed up a bit, with a little cereal thrown in if they were still eating the wallpaper-paste mix with the happy baby on the package. If finer grinding is required, a small food grinder may be used, but for the most part, a fork will suffice. Wipes and filtered water are used to clean up.
Outside of the water, don’t be too concerned. It’s really beneficial for babies to have some dirt on their pacifier. Allow them to consume some soil. You accomplished it, and you’re still reading this. Sure, you’ll rinse it off, but don’t take the time to boil water. Use filtered water that has previously been cleaned.
Clothing
Up to 20% of your body heat is transmitted via your skull. Because newborns have a greater head-to-body ratio, they lose heat more quickly in the cold. For newborns, wearing a hat is essential. Hoods are good as a supplement to a beanie, but they are not a replacement since they do not fit as close to the skin as a beanie. Cover up those little fingers and toes. They’ll cool down far quicker than ours. Dress them in layers so that you may modify their attire as needed. Remember that they aren’t moving and hence aren’t producing heat.
When it’s hot outside, newborns need to be protected from overheating. Clothing that fits loosely and covers the body, as well as some kind of shade, are essential. Keep them hydrated, and if the weather becomes too hot and dry, give them electrolytes. Pedialyte is an excellent thing to keep on hand since it has a faint taste that encourages you to drink even more.
Because babies can’t tell you whether they’re too hot or cold, you’ll have to keep an eye on them. When they’re uncomfortable, they’ll tell you, so pay attention.
Cotton is often used in baby products, yet cotton is frequently the last thing you want against a baby’s delicate skin. Cotton traps moisture and conducts heat away from the body ten to twenty times quicker than naked wet skin, thus they lose heat rapidly. Even when the temperature is 80 degrees in the summer, a damp onesie can keep a newborn cool. Look for synthetics or merino wool, if possible. It also has the virtue of drying rapidly and not stinking like synthetics. If you experience CDF (Catastrophic Diaper Failure), you should fetch some water, wash your diapers, hang them to dry over a spruce branch, and dispose of the water as far away from the source as possible. Expect cotton to dry in the sun for many hours. When it comes to merino, you can wring it out and it’ll be dry in no time.
The Truth About Poop
Everyone Poops, as the title of the book suggests. If you’re camping, disposable diapers will add a lot of additional weight and inconvenience to your trip. You’ll need a diaper bag, and not just any diaper bag. You’ll need a watertight, easy-to-seal dry bag. Don’t be concerned about keeping water out; instead, be concerned about keeping human waste in. River rafters are used to dealing with such issues, since they must always pack away all of their trash, regardless of age. One of the reasons I like kayaking with infants is because of this. No one cares whether the diaper bag is 30 liters.
Dispose of your diapers the same way you would at home after your vacation is done. Dump the chunky material in the toilet, then wrap everything up and throw it away. Some people (mainly river rat dirtbags like me) go to the nearest trash and unload the boom box, groover, or any other euphemism. It’s preferable to locate a hygienic disposal (like where RVs clean out their mega-groovers).
Cloth diapers are fantastic for the environment, but on a vacation like this, you don’t want to spend all of your time washing and drying them, not to mention dealing with the waste water from laundry cloth diapers.
Keeping Them Alive
At their small baby PFD, a newborn is content in the bottom of a canoe. Many of them find the rocking motion relaxing, and ours typically fall asleep fast. An old car seat isn’t a horrible thing to use for toddlers…just don’t buckle them in. I used a leash to link my babies to my wrist so that I could reel them in if we spilled. Even if it never occurred, I was prepared.
A boat serves as a natural playpen at camp. A huge tarp put down (not simply set out) gives a clean location for everyone to handle infant tasks while you’re hiking. Camping with infants is really a lot simpler before they’re mobile.
If they’re teething, bring a few of teething toys, but keep them clean and in a ziplock while they’re not chewing on them. Common sense, yet again.
Camping with a one year old can be difficult, but it is worth the effort. This article will provide you with some tips on how to take your baby camping. Reference: camping with a 1 year old.
Related Tags
- baby camping essentials
- what age can you take a baby camping
- baby camping clothes
- camping with a baby in hot weather
- camping with babies and toddlers