Camping with a 1 year old is scary and uncertain but the beauty of camping are all the things that come out in the wilderness at night.
The hoot of an owl. The howls of distant coyotes… the growling dog next to your sleeping baby?! But you can’t chuck something at him to be quiet because it will rustle your sleeping bag and WAKE THE SLEEPING BABY right at your feet!
And ultimately no matter how quiet you are, the baby wakes at 4:45AM and you jump out of your bag into the freezing cold to watch the sunrise. How does that sound for peaceful?
The whole camping with a one year old thing still holds wonder for him… and us. I still felt the unique calm I only feel when staring off into the trees for hours. West brought exhilaration to the woods as he picked up every rock and stick and became encrusted in dirt. The fire still crackles and mesmerizes us all.
The sleep won’t be perfect or anything like what you do at home (link to routine article), but you will sleep and you will be in the woods while you do it. And we all know sleeping in the woods is one of life’s greatest activities.
Did we strategize? You bet we did.
- Once we get him down, if we get him down, how do we get into the tent and not wake him?
- What’s the best configuration for dog, adults, and baby? (We rearranged the tent at least four times).
- How big should our tent really be?
Throw out the rule book:
There are no good answers to unanswerable questions. We did not get him down until well past bedtime and just held him by the fire while he slept until we got into the tent. Husband and dog first, wife and baby to follow. That was not plan A. Will that work for you?
Heck if I know. As we all know, babies and toddlers change daily and all have their own opinions. The lesson I always take away from these adventures is that adventuring as a family in the great outdoors is lawless and wild and in a world of rigid and overwhelming parenting advice, throwing out the rule book and going on gut feels good.
A few camping gear suggestions:
Camping Gear for the Kid:
- Morrison Little Mo 20 – When I was cold, West was snug and warm. Winner.
- North Face Wawona 6-Person Tent– Can you say vestibule? This tent made me wonder why I hadn’t always insisted on a vestibule for car camping. Gear storage and comfortable entry.This tent is roomy. Dog, baby in a pack and play, adults on a queen size mattress with room to still move around.
- Lotus Everywhere Travel Crib- This pack and play has proved its worth on road trips, international trips, and in a tent to date. The aforementioned big tent allowed room for this setup, which is how he usually sleeps while traveling so he’s used to it.
- The Bumbo Multi Seat- This seat was a gift and has served us well. We use it on our patio so we don’t have to move the high chair around and it was great when camping to create a little dirt free eating space.
Fun Camping Gear for All Ages:
- The Rumpl NanoLoft Puffy Blanket- So light, so warm, so many fun patterns and colors. We have three.
- The Yeti Roadie- Make room for all that baby gear with this cooler that fits in your wheel well. Will it keep that beer cool for days? You bet it will.
- REI Co-op Kingdom Insulated Air Bed-Who says you can’t be comfortable while camping?
- Opinel Nomad Cooking Kit-Never leave the cheese board at home.
- Patagonia Fjord Flannel-Kate has been wearing the same Patagonia flannel in camp for over a decade. Warm and stands the test of time.
- Yeti Rambler Wine Tumbler-Because they look cool while holding your wine
- Boxed wine-Some favorite of ours include Cantine Povero Barbera and The Lab Red from Portugal.
