Tips on Surviving a Camping Trip with a Toddler

Whether it's your first or hundredth time camping with a toddler, here are some tips on making your life easier.

On the surface, camping with a toddler might sound like an insane idea. Messing up sleep schedules, getting them to sleep in an unfamiliar environment, and providing constant entertainment might seem like a completely overwhelming thought.

And while camping with a toddler isn’t easy, if you go into it with the mindset of “patience” and take a lot of time to prepare and pack accordingly, you CAN have a successful trip and even voluntarily have the confidence to do it again.

PREPARATION

Tip #1: Find out what your amenity options are

Campgrounds have a wide variety of amenity options! Some are literally a plot of land that you can park on and others feel like an actual community with classes, a swimming pool, playgrounds, shower houses, hiking trails, and other “fancy” amenities. You can truly go camping with a toddler in any of these environments but having a strong understanding of what amenities your potential campground offers will help you prepare for a successful trip! If you’re going to hike with your toddler, I highly HIGHLY recommend this hiking carrier. We’ve used it probably 2-3 dozen times and our son isn’t even two years old yet. The storage is abundant, it’s easy to pick him up and take him down even if you’re by yourself, and so far, it’s held up great after all of our adventures!

Tip #2: Check the weather frequently

Camping is an activity that you can do in practically ANY type of weather with the exception of the potential for natural disasters. Now, obviously activities will heavily change based on the weather but there are options year round. I recommend starting with toddlers in weather that’s not extremely hot or extremely cold so you can have a more relaxing trip and your toddler will be more cooperative as well. Rain can be unpredictable but camping in the rain isn’t a huge deal as long as you show up prepared. This is my favorite rain jacket because it’s lightweight, gets the job done, and packs into this small bag so it’s extremely easy to pack.

Tip #3: Pack comfort items

Packing comfort items that I know my toddler loves is always a game changer! For example, when he’s ready for bed, he’ll come up to me and say “milk, baby, night night.” And for him to actually go to sleep, he expects his exact cup of almond milk, his favorite baby doll, and his favorite blanket. Bringing these items helps him settle back down if he wakes up in the middle of the night and can make a big difference for us in the long run. Bringing other items like your toddlers favorite toys or even bringing brand new toys is another great way to keep the little one entertained while you’re setting up the tent or trying to cook dinner.

Tip #4: Don’t forget about the car ride

Nothing is worse than starting your trip off poorly or hearing screaming the entire way home when you just want to unwind. If your toddler hates car rides like mine does, make sure you provide an ample amount of snacks and activities and have a game plan if you need to stop.

SLEEPING

Tip #5: Get weather appropriate sleeping bags

For those new at camping, sleeping bags come with weather ratings. These ratings mean that they are supposed to keep you warm down to the degree it’s rated for. For example, a “zero degree bag” is supposed to trap warmth in at any temperature above zero degrees Fahrenheit. You can get adult sized sleeping bags and they also make sleeping bags sized for children. Make sure you get the proper size and the proper weather rating to have a comfortable trip.

PRO TIP: I typically go camping with my zero degree bag, similar to this one, no matter what. If it’s supposed to be hot out, I simply unzip the sleeping bag and make it into a blanket instead so I have the ability to move around and adjust if needed.

Tip #6: Choose the right padding

As our son has gotten older, we’ve adjusted his sleeping arrangements accordingly. The first time he went camping, he was around 9-10 months old. We removed the bottom padding from his Pack n Play and allowed him to sleep on that. It was perfectly acceptable at the time since he wasn’t extremely mobile yet. However, now that he rolls a lot in his sleep, we had to move him over to this inflatable air mattress with edges. You can also get this air pump that plugs into your cigarette lighter so you don't have to worry about dead batteries (or forgetting batteries all together).

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALWAYS follow manufacturers guidelines on age, height, or weight requirements for air mattresses.

Tip #7: Make the tent dark

If you can’t tell by this article, the biggest obstacle we face with our toddler (whether we’re camping or not) is fighting his sleep. Therefore, we go extremely out of our way to make this process as smooth as possible. If we’ve been outside all day, our son typically gets tired around 6pm and it’s not pitch black outside by then. Then you add car headlights, headlamps, and campfires, and the tent seems like it’s glowing. Since I have to manually pat him to sleep while we’re sleeping in a tent, I’ll take my sleeping bag, unzip it, and lay completely under it with him. I use my arm as a little prop so we have some breathing room, and I use my other arm to pat him until he falls asleep. This takes one of his senses away and helps him wind down quicker than without it.

Tip #8: Have any items you'll need overnight handy in your tent

Prepare the tent with diapers, wipes, milk, pacifiers, or any other equipment you might use in the middle of the night. If you’re able to have a smooth “middle of the night event,” it will help your toddler go back to sleep smoothly. However, if you have to unzip the tent and open the car doors and turn on your head lamp, you will more than likely stimulate your toddler to the point where he/she will not go back to sleep smoothly. Before you even let your toddler start winding down inside the tent, prepare it so you are ready to go. Putting milk in one of these insulated cups helps keep it cold all night long without a cooler, prevents spilling, and promotes a smooth pouring process to avoid messes.

Tip #9: Keep the tent zipped at all times

A tent full of bugs is quick to destroy a camping trip, especially mosquitos or chiggers. As a rule of thumb, never allow shoes to be inside the tent and always zip the tent up entering or exiting the tent even if you’re about ready to enter or exit the tent again. You’ll thank me later!

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

Tip #10: Enter the trip with patience

Like I mentioned, having patience entering the trip is bound to set you up for success. Understand that it can be overwhelming to your little ones that you’re changing practically everything about their day all at once. Luckily, kids in general tend to be pretty adaptable and they typically follow your lead as far as your mood, your words, and your energy. If you come across relaxed, they will hopefully follow. But if you come across stressed out and nervous, they’ll likely follow your lead with that as well.

Tip #11: Have your camping trip be near a town

Some campgrounds are located in cities, some just outside of cities, and some are totally remote. It seems like on every camping trip, we tend to have that one item we forget and we never notice we forgot it until we need it. That spatula for cooking meals has been the item left behind multiple times and nothing is worse than realizing you don’t have it when you’re starving after a long day. Choosing campgrounds that are near civilization in case you need to go to a grocery store, a convenience store, or even just a gas station can make a huge difference in your trip.

Tip #12: Pack too much instead of too little

If you have room in your car and you think you may need it, add it! The more you camp with your toddler, the more you’ll learn what’s truly needed and what’s not.

BUILDING PEACE

Tip 13: Start with familiar campgrounds

As I previously mentioned, your toddlers will pick up on your energy. If you’re able to do things that lower your own stress, you can set a better vibe for your toddler and preserve more energy to tend to your toddler when needed. Consider visiting a familiar facility or using familiar equipment rather than overwhelming yourself with everything new as well.

Tip 14: Camp with trusted friends or family members

Our last camping trip was with some of our best friends who know our son very well and having them there with us made a whirlwind of difference! They were able to hang out with him while we set up our tent and if one of us got overwhelmed with our toddlers constant needs, they were more than happy to temporarily take over. Toddlers can be hard, even at home. And having a solid support system can make any situation better.

Tip 15: Have loose schedules that give you wiggle room

Definitely keep your days “loosely scheduled.” Rather than signing up for different activities around the clock, make a list of the things you want to do and prioritize them. Right after your toddler wakes up in the morning and after a nap, do the things you prioritize the most as your toddler will more than likely be the happiest around this time. If you don’t reach all of the activities on your list, you can always come back another time.

Happy Camping!