Camping With A Baby: 6 Top Tips You Need To Read

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Who doesn’t love a good camping trip? My husband and I met at a campsite at Leeds Festival back in 2010 and that was the beginning of our adventures camping around the UK and Europe. There’s nothing we enjoy more than packing up the car with our tent, road bikes, camping stove and our lust for the great outdoors. But what about camping with a baby? Can it be done? Are we insane to even consider it?

I’m back to work full time after my maternity leave and am counting down the days until my first stretch of annual leave in August. We are really looking forward to getting back on the road and taking Dexter with us for the first time. We’ve decided to do a staycation this year instead of our usual annual jaunt to France. We are seasoned travellers but it will be a little different taking a baby along with us. For me, planning and preparation will be key. Here are some of the things I’ll be doing to plan for the perfect trip camping with a baby.

1. Planning our route carefully.

Before now, my husband and I would fill up the car with our necessities (often including a 24 pack of beer) and just drive, going wherever the wind carried us. With a baby you need to be a little more pragmatic. I will be planning the route carefully, making sure there are plenty of places to make pit stops and looking for a destination that has a local hospital incase anything goes awry.

2. Packing for every eventuality.

You simply cannot rely on the British weather, even in the month of August so I will be packing for every weather scenario. Luckily we have a fantastic Antipodes Merino sleep sack which keeps baby cool in the heat and warm in the colder weather, but I’ll also be packing plenty of vests, t-shirts and long sleeved tops for Dex so we can layer him up. I’ll also be making sure I pack all of his favourite teddies so we don’t accidentally leave behind the one he’s suddenly decided he absolutely needs to be able to go to sleep.

3. Investing in a decent tent.

My husband and I made do with a cheap tent we bought many years ago before our last jaunt to Leeds festival. It has served us well, but with Dexter now in our lives, it’s time for a bigger and comfier tent. Halfords have got a fantastic range  of tents, from the very small, to the very, very large 12 man tent.

4. Planning for simple meals.

Luckily we have followed baby-led weaning with Dex so we don’t have to worry about packing lots of pouches and jars when we go camping- he will eat whatever we are having, but having a baby means you want to make things as simple as possible. We will plan to eat easy meals like the one pot camping meals listed here.

5. Making sure the car seat is properly fitted.

Might sound like an obvious one, but if we are going to be doing long distances in the car, I’ll make sure I get the car seat checked over by a professional before setting off. Baby’s safety in the car is my number one priority.

6. Having a test run of packing the car.

I find it very easy to get carried away with packing far too much stuff. I’ll be having a dry run of packing the car with all of our belongings to make sure it fits in our tiny Volkswagen Fox. If it doesn’t, then I can make adjustments accordingly instead of stressing about it the day we are planning to leave.

Halfords have come to our rescue and have released a camping guide to help us plan for those amazing family staycations. With my tips for camping with a baby and their fantastic guide you should be all set for a perfect staycation break in the UK!

Have you got any top tips for camping with a baby/toddler? Perhaps you went last summer or have plans to go this summer? Let me know your top tip in the comments below.

Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post.

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