Happy Camping. — I followed my heart

It's officially camping season!

We headed out to the mountains this past weekend to camp for the night, and in preparation for future camping trips this summer, I thought I'd share some tips and tricks for camping with a baby. These tips are geared more toward car/tent camping from when we camped with Mia as a newborn last summer and now a toddler, but if you're a trailer/RV camping family, you should be able to apply these to your adventures too!

Dressing Baby for Sleep

The first thing you want to do before you head out to camp is assess the weather. In the mountains of Western Canada, you can almost always count on it being colder at night, so layers will be key! Following the three layer rule (base, mid & outer layer) is a great place to start, and if it's a little warmer, you can always remove a layer if necessary.

Base Layer: We dress Mia in merino wool for her base layer because it's moisture wicking and light weight. Our go to brand is Wee Woollies!
Mid Layer: If it will be cold at night, grab a fleece sleeper for over the base layer. This will help keep the heat in and baby feeling toasty.
Outer Layer: If you're camping with a baby six months or older, I highly recommend getting a sleeping bag from Morrison Outdoors. They are long sleeve sleeping bags in either synthetic or down insulation, depending on the temperature you plan to camp in. They're basically a sleep sack version of a sleeping bag, and they are amazing!

**A note for those camping with a newborn. We took Mia out car camping at two months old in the middle of summer, and since it wasn't super cold at night, we were able to put her in a base layer, a long sleeve sleep gown, and a sleep sack. This worked out great to keep her warm at night. A snowsuit with no hood could also be a great outer layer option for sleeping if you're camping in colder weather with a newborn. Please make sure you set up a safe sleeping area for your baby to prevent SIDS or suffocation.**

Containing Baby & A Place to Sleep

You'll definitely want a break from baby wearing or maybe you don't feel like pulling every single rock, twig, and leaf out of your child's hand, so I highly recommend having either a travel bassinet (for non sitting babies) or a pack and play to keep your child contained at the camp site. These can also be used for naps and sleeping at night. If you want a separate, bigger space for your baby to play, an infant pop n play is perfect because it's bigger than a pack and play and has a roof to block the sun and bugs.

If you car camp like me, because you're also scared of bears, a good sleeping pad is a must. I have an REI self-inflating sleeping pad, and now that Mia is older, she sleeps next to me on her pack n play mattress. I've found that using the KidCo PeaPod tent is super convenient for when I put her to sleep in the car at night, but we want to stay up later. I'm not worried about her rolling all over the car—although she's not moving very far in that sleeping bag she's in—because she's contained in the little tent. Again, please make sure you set up a safe sleeping area for your baby to prevent SIDS or suffocation.

A Way to Cook Food

This may seem like a no brainer, but if you are car/tent camping, keeping things as minimalistic as possible will save you much needed space. This is really important if you're camping in bear country, because ALL OF YOUR FOOD and ANYTHING YOUR FOOD TOUCHES has to go in your car at night. When Mia was still a newborn, we just brought our Jet Boil and some freeze dried meals to keep things simple since we had to make room for bottles and pump stuff. The Jet Boil actually worked great as a bottle warmer when I had to keep breast milk in the cooler. Now that Mia is older and eats solid foods, we picked up a Coleman two burner stove from Costco that folds down, is easy to set up and stores nicely in the car. Don't forget to pick up propane!

Another good thing to have for eating is a chair for your kiddo to sit in. A bumbo seat + tray is a great option for new sitters, and for the older babes, they make some really cute camp chairs with trays! Here's the one we have for Mia from Amazon.

Protection from Sun & Bugs (& Bears!)

Sunscreen and bug spray are camping must haves, but be aware of other bugs and wildlife that may be present where you adventure. Ticks are really bad this year, so we picked up bug spray that specifically targets ticks, and since we camp in bear country, we always have our bear spray with us and within reach at all times. If you're looking for kid friendly sunscreen and bug spray, I recommend Thinkbaby sunscreen and Off! Family Care insect repellent.

First Aid Kit

You should always have at least a basic first aid kit on all of your outdoor adventures (and in your diaper bag). You can find them on Amazon or a local sporting goods store for pretty cheap. The one I have is an Adventure Medical Kit from Amazon that has gauze, band aids, after bite, scissors, tweezers, gloves and a guide wilderness medicine. It's always good to have this on hand, especially if your kiddo is a new to standing and walking!

Other Recommendations

Everyone's camping experiences and needs are different, but here are a few other things we pack but could easily be forgotten: white noise macine, headlamp, blankets (that we don't mind gettng dirty), wipes, wool socks, blue tooth speaker, phone charger, baby toys, garbage bags, coffee and SNACKS! We have a general camping list that we add to as Mia's needs change over time.

Last but not least, for those breastfeeding moms who are pumping, invest in a hands free breast pump! I bought mine from MomCozy and it was a life saver! If you are breastfeeding and camping, props to you and keep up the great work :)

I truly hope this helps those who want to get out and camp with their kids but might be a little hesitant or for those who do camp but never have with kids before and don’t know where to start. Just remember, it's all trial and error (kinda like parenting. Ha.) but the memories you make with your kids on these adventures are so worth the chaos!