10 Tips for Camping with a Baby for the First Time

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Does the idea of camping with a baby make you nervous? It can be a daunting thought, but if you enjoyed camping prior to a baby, you can enjoy it with a baby too. Heck, if you’ve never gone camping yourself but want to start introducing your kids to it, now is a great time to start! Taking your kids camping is a great life experience for them and offers them a whole new perspective on the world around them. Starting your little one camping at an early age, will make you more prepared for camping trips with a toddler. Our tips for camping with a baby will be sure to help your camping trip be a success.

These tips come straight from our experience camping with our son starting when he was just 3 months old.

Table of Contents

1. Bring a Large Canopy Tent or Sun Shade
2. Bring Lots of Water
3. Baby Wipes are your Best Friend
4. Be Flexible
5. Provide Some Stimulus Free Time
6. Consider All Sleep Options
7. Bring Extra Layers
8. Plan Some Hands Free Time
9. Bring a Baby Carrier 
10. Keep Your Expectations Down 

Bring a Large Canopy Tent or Sun Shade

It’s very important to keep your little one out of the sun as much as possible.  Their soft skin is very vulnerable to the heat of the sun, and will burn easily.  Unfortunately sunscreen is not recommended for infants under the age of 6 months old.  Babies don’t sweat like older kids and adults do and their skin is still learning how to adapt to the world outside the womb.  Applying sunscreen all day will put your baby at risk of overheating as it clogs their pores more easily than adults and can cause them to over heat.

The best form of protection for your baby will be to keep them out of the sun as often as possible.  A canopy tent that everyone can sit under will allow for a shaded place to sit or eat out of the sun.  Most kinds set up easily, and are stored in small packs just like tents. We use an Easy Sun Canopy to shield us from the elements.

Be sure to get one that is rated for UV protection.  If your shade canopy is not meant for the sun, it will not offer sun protection and your little one can still get a sunburn sitting under it.  If being in the shade is not an option, sunscreen can be used in moderation if under 6 months old.  Apply thin layers of SPF 30 or higher to high burn areas, such as the forehead, neck, backs of the hands and tops of the feet.

Bring Lots of Water

Bring bottled water or clean filtered water from home.  Bring more than enough just in case.  If you happen to be camping near a river or with a potable water tap, you could also boil it for use while there, but bottled water would prove easiest.

Adults will need lots to drink in the heat, but especially a breastfeeding mom.  If you are breastfeeding at the time of the trip, make sure to stay well hydrated to keep your milk production up.  Without plenty of fluids, your milk production will drop or even stop all together in order to conserve water for your own body’s needs. 

If your little one is formula fed, you will need lots of clean water to mix the formula with.  If you aren’t camping with potable water, or near a river, you will also need water to wash and rinse the bottles with.  Bring extra bottles and nipples, and store any you aren’t using in a clean container in the car or tent.

Young baby’s immune systems are still developing.  Even using potentially dirty water to wash their face, or bottom can transfer bacteria to make them sick.  Don’t let fears of getting sick stop you from going camping, just make sure to be prepared with clean alternatives to keep everyone safe.  You don’t want to take the chance of your little one, or anyone else, getting sick from something that was preventable.

Baby Wipes are your Best Friend

Bring LOTS of baby wipes.  Baby wipes are your best friend, especially while camping.  Wipes provide the convenience of an instant and clean cloth in which to wipe any surface of your baby’s body.

Not only are wipes great to have on hand for your baby, but also for the adults.  A parents best kept secret from people without children, is baby wipes.  All the camping trips I’d been on previous to ones with kids, I had never thought of bringing wipes.  The ones used for general clean up, or on hands and face, if left to dry, can be disposed of in the campfire.

Be Flexible

If you’re like us, you may have lots planned for your camping trip.  Hikes each morning and afternoon, lunch around the lake, perhaps a walk into town or some bird watching.  You can still do all those things, but you may have to allow plenty of rest time between activities.

Packing too much in at once, could make for a fussy baby.  Allow the family some down time, especially on your first trip.

You could also consider camping for the first time with extended family. Having more people at base camp, means more options for activities. I’m sure Grandma and Grandpa would love to look after the baby while you take some time away to yourselves.

Provide Some Stimulus Free Time

On our first camping trip with our 4 month old son, he started to get very fussy in the afternoon on our second day.  He couldn’t settle, didn’t want to be held but also didn’t want to be put down.  We were sitting in the shade the entire time, he was hydrated and clean.  He was great the day before,  We were stumped.

After trying everything else, I took him into the tent and just sat with him on our sleeping bags.  He settled right down by just being inside.  All he needed was some time to just sit and be with me away from all the outside stimulus he had no way of escaping. This could be especially true if you are camping with the extended family. Having more people around than usual, can also be over stimulating. Sometimes baby will just need some time away with just mom and/or dad.

We found he didn’t need long, and sitting in the tent would usually lead to him taking a nap.  I got in the habit of taking him into the tent before nap times for some wind down time, and had no further issues with being fussy.

Consider All Sleep Options

Start looking into what you want your sleeping arrangements to look like.  Do you want to bring a travel crib, or sleep as a family in sleeping bags?  You may have a preference going in, but you should have an open mind at the time.  What you wanted, may not be what your baby decides is best.

Whatever you decide, if your baby has never slept away from home before, it would be a great idea to try it out at home before hand.  Allow baby a few nights in the bed you want them to use while camping.  If they are all of a sudden in a new bed, in a tent mixed with the noises of the night, you may be in for a rough first night.

There are many choices for travel beds.  A good, classic option, is a Graco Pack n Play.  These are easy to use, and fold down into an easy to carry travel bag.  They do take up a lot of space though, so a larger tent is a must.  

The Munchkin Brica Fold N Go is a great little travel bassinet.  It takes up much less space than a full play pen style bed.  This can be placed right beside your sleeping bag, to keep your little one close at night.

For our first few trips away from home, we used our Uppababy Bassinet.  As we have the Uppababy Vista stroller system, we already had the bassinet attachment.  It was an easy transition, as our son was already used to sleeping in the bassinet at home. Opting to use the Uppababy Bassinet, means it can be used not just while away, but used as a bassinet in the home as well.

Our preferred sleep method, even with a young baby, was to co sleep as a family.  We use these self inflating sleep pads.  They roll up easily, and you don’t need to inflate them.  We each have our own, including the baby.  A flat sheet can be easily wrapped around them, and baby can sleep snug in some fleece pajamas and a sleep sack to stay warm. 

Bring Extra Layers

You never know what the weather is going to do while you’re camping.  Babies do not regulate their temperature as well as adults and older children do.  Make sure to prepare for all weather, no matter what the forecast says.

When it’s hot out, taking off layers is easy, but if you didn’t bring enough for when it’s cold, you may find yourself just sitting in the tent or car to keep your little one warm.  We always bring extra jackets, sweaters and blankets just in case.  Also be sure to bring a winter hat or toque as well as some mittens.

Night time is when the temperature can really drop, regardless of how warm the day was.  At nighttime, I would always put our baby to sleep in a footed fleece pajama.  Overtop of that, a fleece or thick quilted sleep sack with long sleeves worked best to stay warm.  I used these ones by Carters.  They are inexpensive and warm, which allowed me to buy more of them to have on hand in case they got dirty.  In the evening we would also use them to sit outside when it started to get chilly.  For really chilly nights, a beanie/toque to keep his head and ears warm.  These ones by Zando are great.  They are lightweight, with no extra fabric to fall over their face while sleeping.

Plan Some Hands Free Time

You don’t want to have to hold your baby all day, each day you are camping.  During set up, take down and meal times, it is not possible to have someone holding the baby the entire time either.   Be sure to bring one or two items that will allow you to put your baby down.  The type of item you bring will depend on the age of your baby.

Our first camping trip was when our son was almost 4 months old.  At home we used a Babybjorn Bouncer religiously.  It was amazing at home, so why wouldn’t it be amazing camping.  We were right, it was just as amazing camping.  This bouncer is very lightweight.  The cover is easily removed and is machine washable.  This one folds down flat for easy transport.

We also brought a Graco Pack n Play with the infant bassinet attachment.  The Pack N Play was handy when our son would take a nap.  It gave him a clean, safe place to sleep right in front of us.  When awake, there is a toy bar attachment to keep him entertained.  This Pack N Play can also grow with them.  Once they are old enough to crawl, you can remove the infant portion, and they can crawl around or sit up and play with some toys in the playpen portion.

For trips from our campsite to the lake or beach we would bring a travel picnic blanket.  These Lightspeed blankets are great, we love ours and have used the same one for more than 4 years now.  They are waterproof, so you don’t get wet when sitting on moist grass.  They are easy to fold up and carry with a convenient shoulder strap.  I also throw ours in the washing machine, and hang it to dry.

Bring a Baby Carrier

Even if you don’t plan on hiking during your camping trip, a good baby carrier can be useful around camp.  Placing your baby in a carrier will give you the opportunity of having your hands free, but keeping baby close.  This is especially helpful when your baby may be having trouble settling down in the new surroundings.

My favourite carrier is the Babybjorn One mesh variety.  The mesh fabric is great for camping, and hot destinations.  It’s very breathable, and the whole carrier is machine washable.

If you are an active hiker, you should look into a hiking carrier. They are much more comfortable for a hike, than a smaller carrier like the baby bjorn. I have done a lot of hiking while traveling just by using the baby bjorn though, so not out of the question. We used a Kelty model. Ours is older now, but the newest version is the Kelty Journey Hiker.

Keep Your Expectations Down

You’re excited.  You love camping, and you want your kids to love camping.  It’s your first trip with a baby though.  Don’t plan a 7 night camp trip, 8 hours away from your home for your first camping experience with your baby.  No matter how prepared you are, your baby could still decide they are not ready.  Or perhaps the weather does not cooperate, and you are rained out completely.  There is nothing wrong with packing up, and trying again next time.  Stay local, and manage your expectations.  If it turns out you have to leave, you won’t be so disappointed that you won’t want to try again.

Remember that every baby is different.  What worked for me and someone else, may not work for you and your baby, and vice versa.  I hope my tips will help you in deciding what to try for your family.  If you have any questions, or comments please leave them below, we love comments! 

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