A few weeks ago we started to pack for a camping trip with some very good friends. We were super excited about it... we haven't been able to spend time with these friends in a while and we were looking forward to it. Because this would be the first time I camped with a child under 3, I thought I'd search for advice. The problem? Most of the advice I found consisted of "Don't do it!!!!" That didn't help me... we were camping as a family, whether it was a good idea or not! We promised ourselves that we wouldn't let Nicholas miss out on things because he had a new little brother.
I decided that after our trip, I'd post a POSITIVE post about camping with a 6 month old, to encourage other families to just do it!
1. BRING THE PACK N PLAY! This was something my husband and I kind of argued over... space was tight in his truck beacuse we were putting a lot of the gear for 7 people in there and the truck isn't all that big. But I insisted and in a VERY rare moment, he was forced to say "I told you so." Don't get me wrong... Ryan slept in our sleeping bags with us. It wasn't too cold for him to be in the pack n play, but it was a different environment with weird sounds and he just slept better with us. That being said, the pack n play was absolutely essential for his naps and for times when we just both needed to be occupied. When I was making dinner and Jon was helping Nicholas, Ryan could be in the pack n play.
2. BRING A HALF TENT! We didn't do this, but our friends did and it SAVED us on the beach!! He was able to stay in the shade and even nap in the half tent! It was awesome!
3. BRING A BABY CARRIER! We didn't bring the stroller but we did bring the carrier and for the longer walks, it was SO nice! The stroller didn't lend itself well to camping because we were at the beach and strollers + sand = messy and a pain (we learned last beach trip).
4. PLAN SUPER EASY MEALS! We try to eat healthy at home with as little processed foods as possible. When we were camping, I didn't stress over it. I did bring grapes, carrots, yogurt, raisins, nuts, and corn... but I also brought sausage, hot dogs, etc... Our friends made delicious and healthy food, and our next trip I'll likely bring healthier options, but for camping with an infant you want meals that are quick, easy, and can be easily made while multi-tasking. I also got things I don't usually get because they'd be easy to pass out... Gogurt, which my 5 year old begs for regularly but I don't usually buy because it's more expensive than just a carton of yogurt... Cheese sticks, which I don't usually buy because it's easy enough to just cut a few slices and because if they're available he'll eat the whole package in one sitting.
5. BRING COFFEE! Our friends brought Starbucks via. We brought a coffee press. Whatever you bring... BRING COFFEE! If you don't drink coffee, you'll start when camping with an infant :P
6. Lastly... BE FLEXIBLE! Ryan napped for maybe an hour all day... he normally takes 2-3 long naps. He ate randomly, he normally eats on a solid schedule. He ate no solids while we were on the trip, he normally has a big dinner. I was a little worried that when we got home it'd take forever to get him back to normal. It didn't... it took no time at all. Also, it helped that I was nursing, but that I also don't stress over a little formula. In that regard, everyone do whatever you're most comfortable with... but it was nice to be able to mix a bottle of formula here and there... it didn't impact my supply or his nursing schedule when we got home.
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