Are you skeptical about getting into the wilderness with your kids? Or do you want to, but not sure how to deal with all the obvious discomforts of camping with or without children?
I’m here to help you solve it all. Read on for the not-so-great sides of camping that I think most parents can relate to and how to fix it and make it an enjoyable trip.
Family camping for beginners: 6 ugly truths about camping and overlanding with small children - and how to fix and enjoy it
Back country exploring is hard work as it is. Throw in a toddler and an infant and you've got yourself a potential war. But despite it all, I wish we could go camping and overlanding with our kids even more.
1.Cold nights as a reason not to go camping with kids
This is the look of a defeated mama. First camping trip of the season and with baby O at 6 weeks. It was cold and we forgot to refill the propane bottle for the space heater. We learned to never forget that again, or to go south for the first trip of the season.
Frequent diaper changes and nursing sessions during cold nights just took the better of me on our first trip with O age 6 weeks. Despite easy access clothing (nursing sweaters), I was freezing from having to get half way out of my sleeping bag for every nursing session (it did not help that we forgot to refill the propane bottle for the space heater).
I was constantly worried if he was warm enough in his bassinet next to me or suffocating in his bundle. His extra bundle and swaddle made it a challenge getting him out of his bed for a feed which required me to get out of bed.
The long nursing sessions caused my lower back to act up severely. And all the while dear hubby is snoring away next to me completely unaware of my struggles. And the horrors of changing poopy diapers in the middle of the night still stand very clear in my memory.
The fix: Wait until your infant is two months and slightly more robust (= less demanding at night)
As much as I recommend getting out there with your infants, it might be worth waiting until they are slightly more robust and need fewer diapers changes and feeds at night (you don’t have to change a pee diaper every two hours when camping if baby seems content). We started at age 4 months with E which was fine.
We started with baby O at 6 weeks, which was probably a little early, yet doable. 2 months is a comfortable age to begin bringing baby camping, I feel.
I like using our tailgate for diaper changes and waiting until it warms up to change clothes on small babies when camping.
A way to keep baby warm during diaper changes is to dress baby in clothing which opens at the crotch. And remember to bring your toddler’s potty inside for easy access as well as a warmer experience when ‘cheeks’ meet seat.
I usually wait until it warms up to change diapers and clothes, just to make it more comfortable for baby and to be able to use our tailgate for a better work height.
Fix no. 2: Co-sleep with baby and nurse lying down
If you are comfortable with it, kick hubby off the mat next to you and sleep next to baby.
O soon became the king of our very comfortable Exped Duo Megamat and was right next to me in his own Molehill Down suit or bundle and kids sleeping bag (depending on the temperature).
I had easy access to him and didn't have to get up to nurse him. I could easily open up my sleeping bag for a feed lying down and had peace of mind when he was next to me knowing he was warm enough.
Make sure to not put baby inside your sleeping bag for risks of suffocating him if you fall asleep! I prefer nursing lying down, but if you have to sit up with baby for feeds, I would suggest either using your camping chair if your tent size allows it or getting a stadium seat.
Fix no.3: Get a space heater for cold nights or go somewhere warmer
Mr. Buddy space heater has saves us many times on cold nights and mornings. Our old 10x14 winter tent allows for that, but not all tents are big enough. You can also go somewhere warmer for the first camping trips of the season to keep warm at night.
Remember a space heater if you venture out to the mountains early season. Or be smarter than we were and select a warmer location for your first trip.
I recommend getting a space heater which holds two 1 lbs bottles or connecting it to a proper sized propane bottle (ours is 4.7 gallon) which means you can run it all night without having to get up and change out the 1 lbs bottle (our Mr. Buddy only holds one small bottle).
SAFETY WARNING: remember to have enough clearance in front of it and to crack 2 windows and always bring a Carbon-Monoxide alarm.
2. dirt and Lack of hot water and toilets while camping
The lack of immediate hot water for blowouts is not to be underestimated. It’s almost a law of nature that when you least need it, the worst blowouts occur.
And then there’s the lack of toilets (the nice, clean, flushing ones we know from home). Many campsites offer vault toilets or even flushing ones in very basic toilet houses. But don’t let that be the deciding factor in whether to go or not.
Camping also usually equals SO.MUCH.DIRT, either mud or dusty sand. The kids love it, but keeping the dirt out of your tent or their underwear can be challenging.
The fix: bring lots of wet wipes, wash cloths and have trash bags and zip lock bags handy for dirty wipes and diapers + picnic blankets and tarps
Toddlers are as attracted to dirt and water as moth to a flame. Let them have fun by bringing their old clothes, wash cloths, water, and baby wipes.
For colder seasons, keep boiled water in a thermos for wiping. We bring a few wash cloths for tougher jobs or to wipe hands and feet before bedtime, but wet wipes go a long way.
You can easily heat water over the fire, in the sun or on your stove top. You can get all kinds of stove tops or burners at different price levels and for different needs.
Bring worn out clothes for kids and closed shoes or water shoes and let them have fun in the dirt. Keep your younger crawlers or newly walker relatively dirt free by using a play yard or a pack’n’play, a picnic blanket or a big ground tarp (our ground tarp for the tent extends out to cover the entire entrance area).
Some moms also use fitted sheets for babies and sandy areas that stretch out in a dug out basin.
I have personally come to prefer no toilet over a vault toilet (pit toilets/outhouse). The latter just gets too smelly for me, especially in the summer heat.
Bring a small shovel and biodegradable toilet paper and go find yourself a beautiful secluded spot in the forest if you are doing dispersed camping.
We now use a portable camping toilet with bags which brings more comfort to the outside solution for dispersed camping. I can highly recommend it, especially if you have a group camping where you don't want 10-15 people doing their business all over the place (remember, leave no trace behind). Just remember to seal the bag/replace it before it gets too full!!.
You can even get a little privacy pop-up tent if you don’t feel you can find a secluded spot in the wild.
The other solution is to stick to developed (designated) camp sites near popular visitor sights, in private RV parks or inside National Parks. You normally have to book these in advance to be guaranteed a spot.
For more on how to go to the bathroom in the wild, check out REI’s advice here.
3. Poor sleep from new surroundings, new noises, and wild animals
Prepare yourself for interrupted and somewhat uncomfortable sleep. If it’s not the mat or the cold keeping us up, it’s the heat or the dog or our kids’ having to get familiar with new surroundings and the dark.
I was one time convinced there was a bear sniffing around outside our tent on one of our first trips. All I could think about was where was the car key and its panic button and if the bear would notice our neighbor sleeping in just a hammock before feasting on us. Turned out to be wild horses!
Point is, I was awake because of new strange noises - and my own worst fears. This is the concern for dispersed camping. But designated camp sites come with human noises instead that you have to get used to.
Younger kids can also have a difficult time falling asleep - or staying asleep - in new surrounds and they often wake up at the crack of dawn because of the light and the excitement of being outside.
fix No. 1: Bring ear plugs. And make your sleeping space as comfortable as your economy, packing space and time allow.
Being comfortable in bed really makes the experience so much better and will encourage you to go out more. There are so many good mats out there for reasonable money (or borrow from friends).
Remember, ‘glamping’ is also camping. We have been using our tent ‘palace’ (Springbar 7 pers.) for the early days of camping with kids which allowed for us to bring cots, the pack’n’play, bring in our table and chair, fit our comfortable mats and use a space heater for colder temperatures. We now have a much simpler setup, now that we are comfortable and familiar with our needs.
Take precautions to avoid unwanted visitors to your campsite (hang food in trees or place it inside bear boxes if your campsite provides that. We keep the food in our car (which I don’t think is the advise, but I’d rather the bear attack our car than our tent).
When our toddler got to 2.5 she suddenly became more afraid of the dark. We now leave a little dim light on for her in the tent - and it helps us greatly to navigate when we turn in. She also keeps her own headlamp or flashlight next to her bed which seems to comfort her.
Fix no. 2: Prepare your kids with a personalized sleep story and get them familiar with the tent.
Set up your tent in your back yard before you leave. Spend some time in it with your little ones to make it a happy place for them and even do a test sleep in it if possible.
Our baby and toddler usually wake up crying and confused the first night in the season, but then they’re fine. (Didn’t happen last year!).
We also get them prepared for new changes to their sleep surroundings with a personal sleep story about them.
It visualizes the changes they can expect, shows them where they will sleep and verbalizes the action which prepare your kids for the unknown and make the situation more familiar.
When they can see a picture of themselves sleeping rfollowed by a picture of the insides of the tent (or better yet, in their camping bed if possible), then it removes fear and creates excitement.
We use our own sleep books for any change: visiting grandparents, traveling on air planes, getting a new bed, changing rooms, camping and so on.
Get the link to the customizable sleep training book below.
Related post: sleep training while camping.
4. Bugs everywhere when camping
I agree, bugs are not my favorite camping partner either.
It was flies galore when we camped on the beach in Mexico last fall. Anywhere near water, feces and food will have bugs, so prepare for that. And mosquitoes thrive in humid or wet climates.
The fix: Keep your campsite clean, bring bug spray and cover up
The solution is simple: camp in the Southwest (high desert)! I know, not an option for everyone.
If that’s not an option, make sure to prevent attracting them as much as you can:
keep food and food scraps in the trash absolutely sealed.
Avoid throwing scraps into the bushes or in the fire pit, because they will find it and bring their friends and extended family for a feast.
If you do your business outside near your campsite, make sure everything is bagged or buried so deeply that they can’t get to it.
The same goes for what your dog leaves behind.
Keep your bug nets closed on your tent and bring bug spray (there are plenty of herbal based DIY solutions out there if you worry about deed).
A scented candle is also a useful tool to keep them at bay.
Avoid lakes and stagnant water if possible and embrace the windy days that bugs seem to like less.
Cover up in light, breathable clothing, or get facial insect nets if it’s extreme.
You can bring a bug mesh to keep over your baby’s pack’n’play or play yard if you bring that for them to spend time in outside. The KidCo PeaPod is a very useful popup bed/play tent for younger babies with an enclosed mesh ceiling to keep your little one protected.
5. Food - the hassle of planning, packing and cooking in the wild
As a mom, I find myself responsible for packing my clothes, the kids’ clothes, our kitchen supplies the dog’s food, and our food. It’s the latter that gets to me every time.
It just seems overwhelming to remember to bring every little snack my kids would possibly ask for as well as making sure we have all the ingredients for our meals. (We do make it more complicated by not just cooking hot dogs for dinner).
Early days of camping with a baby was at a slower pace in the same spot. It gave us time to cook slower meals over the fire. Now, we usually don’t have a fire ring and grill for our dispersed camping trips, and we prefer cooking on our stove top to have dinner ready early for the kids.
The fix: Meal planning, meal preparation and the To-do ist app.
I write down what we will eat for each meal as well as what snacks the kids will eat (how many roughly).
Knowing how many meals and snack moments to plan for help me not over-pack.
I try to prepare as much of a meal from home as I can. For example, my husband made Carne Adovada for our last trip that only needed reheating. We knew we would be on the go a lot, so this was important.
It could also be chicken salad, mac’n’cheese, steamed veggies, curries, pasta, pre-made pasta sauce etc.
If we know we will be in the same spot for long and have all day/afternoon to cook, I usually pre-cook less from home. On our last trip, we cooked a flank steak on our stove top, corn on the cob and breakfast burritos from scratch.
We used to cook in fire rings and grills a lot, but don’t find that we have the time for that anymore. I do love a meal cooked over the fire, though, such as hamburgers, salmon, steak, corn on the cob, whole veggies, bread and baked potatoes.
To simplify packing, make a checklist of each ingredient that goes with each meal (for example, oatmeal for breakfast: oats, cinnamon, milk).
I use the To-do Ist app for this which is set up with my Google Assistant. I simply say, “hey Google, add milk to the camping food list”. Make sure to check the list as you are packing.
Fix no 2: Simple meals and deli bought food
Depending on your time, your cooking setup and your preferences, you can make meals and cooking very simple by getting pre-made meals at your local deli, such as pasta salads, rotisserie chicken and kebab skewers. You can also do hotdogs and burgers which is a classic.
related: Easy camping meals and snacks for the family - incl. sample meal plan and food hacks
6. Long drive for kids to go camping or overlanding
The thought of spending hours in a car with your little ones can be nerve wrecking, especially if they are not used to it.
We are spoiled in the Southwest with enough dispersed and designated (developed) camp sites in any direction, so we never have to go far if we don’t want to. I imagine not every state has as much wilderness as we do in New Mexico. However, I’m sure there are camping opportunities within a short drive for most people.
The fix: get less picky about where you camp or get creative. Plan ahead to get the prime spots in State or National Parks, and bring novelty snacks and toys.
As mentioned before, the kids love to just be outside with you and your undivided attention. A trip to a nearby forest or your friend’s or parents’ back yard or land can be enough to get the outdoor adventure on.
You don’t have to see spectacular sights for every trip, but if you only have busy National Parks or camp sites nearby (perhaps you are near a popular lake), then plan ahead and book a prime spot in advance if possible. Or plan to arrive early.
We venture far away half the time, simply because we want to see new areas and spectacular natural wonders. However, we also enjoy the occasional low-key weekend in the mountains near home, simply because it’s close and an easy drive for the kids (= me).
If you are new to camping, I highly recommend getting familiar with driving the kids, your setup and with being outside by staying nearby. Ask friends and neighbors to borrow their land to practice dispersed if you have no other options nearby.
Bring new or favorite snacks that often help ease over any critical moments, and stock up on a few new toys. I often go to Walgreens or the Dollar store to find small knick-knacks such as a new book, glow sticks and mini figurines (Peppa Pig, horses etc).
Don’t spend a fortune and don’t get the kids too expectant of getting new toys when camping. But use it to prepare for melt downs.
We also use music, audio books, and our Amazon Fire Kindle for our toddler a lot to smooth over frustrations on long trips.
Remember, childhood is fleeting - memories are forever. Go out there and create some.
Happy camping everyone!