Camping With Toddlers: Checklist and Ultimate Guide
Are you planning a camping trip? But you are worried about your toddler? Don’t worry. You can make this thing work. Camping with toddlers outside of your house is a challenging thing to do but not impossible if proper planning, arrangement & precautions are taken carefully.
Camping alone or with friends is different than camping with a baby. Actually, it will be a unique experience for you. After picking up all the necessary stuff you are going to take with you, you need proper planning for the whole trip earlier so that anything can’t go wrong. You will find your child in a different perspective outside of your house.
Important stuff to be taken like Sleeping bags, Nappies, Extra toilet paper, Wipes, Nappy Sacks, Pillows, Comfort toys, Blankets, Baby clothes, and arrangements for boiling water, etc.
Checklist for Camping with Toddlers
First-aid box
There are some first aid kits available in the market. Have a well-known one.
Come prepared with plasters, bandages, gauze, cleansing wipes, ice packs and more. Choose stuff wisely to handle toddler-related injuries that could happen in the wilderness. Make sure your baby is having every kind of medication with the advice of the doctor.
Try to have easy food
Easy food is good when camping with toddlers. After hiking for a long time, your toddler needs food for extra energy. Fast food can be good for them if they are not spicy enough. Have foods that your baby is used to at home. Bacon sandwiches, hot dogs, scrambled eggs and toasts are perfect for this purpose.
Think about freshwater
At the time of moving around you are under the Sun and humidity is not under your control. Feed the toddler from time to time to keep him hydrated. It will make him feel better and won’t get tired easily. Availability of fresh water is important.
Bring some gallons of water with you if there is no water supply near your camping spot. The baby won’t tell you for water, you need to remind it and take steps.
Have sunscreen lotion
Under the sun, you won’t be able to find out how many UV rays you are having. To look like before, use sunscreens to protect skins. The skin of babies and toddlers is very sensitive and needs extra care for that. Air pollution is another problem for the environment. Read the manual carefully before applying.
Appropriate clothing
Take clothes according to the weather. For the summer season, get some cotton light t-shirts to wear. For the winter season have some woolen sweatsuits to wear. During the rainy season, get raincoats for everyone. It is not wise to go out for a trip during snowfalls.
Hiking distance should be minimum
Toddlers might get tired while hiking. Therefore, it is not wise to hike with toddlers for a long time. Go for a hike that is near your camping spot. Hiking on a hilly road with a toddler is difficult. Careful about their feet that could burn while walking.
Headlamp for toddler
A headlamp is fun for kids. They play around with the lamp. It is necessary during nighttime. A toddler can go out to do his business by taking it with you. Make sure to take some extra batteries with you. Just turn it on when needed.
Bring set for scavenger hunts from online
Download free nature scavenger hunts online. You will be happy when you’ve got a toddler in tow while hiking. You can also play it besides the campsite. Make your own hunt adventure for your toddler. Kids are going to love it.
Taking care of teeth
If your toddler is not able to brush teeth of their own, then it is a problem. The day-to-day routine is changed during camping. People often forget to maintain hygiene during this time. If the toddler is very young, then give it some chewable toys that are made of food-grade plastic.
Ensure time to time nap
Toddler needs to sleep more than adults. Make sure that they have plenty of sleep. Otherwise, they will remain tired all the time. Thus they won’t enjoy the journey.
Get a nanny cam
Take your nanny cam with you. Use them when they are asleep in the camp but you are outside. You can also use a small camera with their clothes so that they don’t get lost.
Gears should be portable
For setting up a tent, bring everything that is required for making it. Have everything portable so that it won’t create a heavy load. Multifunctional stuff is also convenient. Don’t take heavy stuff. There is some lighter furniture available in the market that is specially made for camping trips.
Go for glamping instead of pitched up tent
For making life easier while camping with toddlers, consider ‘glamping’ or choose weatherproof-ready camp tents. This will help you to avoid the troubles of pitching up and pack down the tent and enjoy the whole journey.
Have a trial camp in the backyard
Before going into the wilderness with your toddler, have a test camping in your backyard. This will help you to understand the requirement to have a successful camping trip with a toddler. In case of not having a yard, you can arrange it into a garage or even into your house. After getting used to it, go for a real camping trip with your toddler.
Conclusion
Camping is a happy thing in someone’s life. It helps to come close to nature. This could be a chance for you to teach your toddler about mother nature. What would it be to live outside of someone’s own house.
Take some pictures and videos so that your child can see them when they are grown up. After watching themselves at an early age they would feel thrilled and they can also teach their future kids about camping.
In a controlled way, camping with a toddler could be the best camping of your whole life.
