By Trang Vu
One of the things I was looking forward to the most when my husband and I decided to move to California experiencing America’s beautiful wilderness by living the van life! We used to car camp in Australia, put up the tent anywhere in France or do dispersed camping in America. But now we have a child – so naturally we were concerned. How does camping with a baby work? How will she/he sleep? Will the sleeping bag too cold or hot? How should we manage our baby’s routine outdoors? What should we pack? How to prepare her/his food? As (first-time) parents, there is nothing more unnerving than the unknown. But there is nothing else to do than just trying it out! We took it step by step and practiced traveling with our – now almost 2 year old – son. I took him camping for the first time when he was 9 months old. Since then we have perfected the art of camping based on our needs and style of traveling. I tried to sum up our experience into 5 tips on how to do camping roadtrips with a baby and hope your family will enjoy America’s beautiful nature as much as we do!
Your baby calls the shots!
Camping with a baby is definitely another kind of traveling than what you’re used to before. Babies have needs and routines you can’t change a lot. That means: your baby calls the shots and defines your travel plans. Your baby hates the car seat? Don’t do a long roadtrip, do a camping trip close to LA. Your baby naps best in the carrier? Do the long hikes during your baby’s nap time then. Your baby needs to lunch exactly at noon? Be at the hiking trail way before so that you’re able to make a lunch break half way through or lunch before you start the trail. It might sound like a lot of work initially, but once you start planning, things will easily fall into place and define what you can or cannot do on a trip!
Take it easy, or do a trial run
Don’t pressure yourself into making the first time an epic camping experience in Sequoia National Park for snow season. Choose a weekend with mild weather and a trip close to your home. For example: Joshua National Park has easy hikes and scenic sunsets, there is also Big Bear Lake up the mountains, and many nice state beach campgrounds up and down the coast like San Elijo SB, or Anza Borrego Desert State Park with a fun slot canyon trail. All are just 2 to 3 hours drive from Pasadena for fun (long) weekend trips.
At our very first trip we even did glamping right before Death Valley. (Glamping is basically a ‘glamorous’ form of camping where you have a few more luxuries than you would have in a regular camping experience). I needed the first trip to be easy so we could concentrate on experimenting how things work with our son outside of home and to test our gear. We tried out our carrier and hiking backpack, we used the carrier most of the time though the backpack was better for longer trails. We prepped the ‘grown-ups’ food with our camping kitchen and preheated purees for our son to take with us. We also cooked noodles and steamed veggies. Bananas and whole apples are a great no cook meal / snack option. We also tested if we’re able to do the same bed time routine outdoors. We learned that while it is good to keep the home routine during the trips, it is also ok if it changed a little bit, e.g. he took shorter naps or would go to bed earlier/later. We did not worry too much about that.
Know where to go before you go
Don’t waste your precious time, especially traveling with an impatient baby! Knowing where to camp, when to do breaks on the route or what trails to explore minimizes stressful situations and helps you make your trip more enjoyable. I usually look up trails I want to do and mark them in offline maps with notes on the lengths, highlights, etc. We always try to book a campsite in advance. Or at least we have a backup plan of dispersed or BLM campsites that are close to our destination (free and wild camping spots without any amenities). We used the nap times as best as we could to do long drives or trails. Then, after you have planned your trip meticulously, be ready to throw them out the window at any time! Remember, your baby calls the shots… 😉
Pack the right gear
The one thing I wanted to be sure to have was a good baby sleeping bag. As we also do winter camping, I was searching for one specifically for babies and warm enough for temperatures below 10°C. I only found one brand selling them. Morrison sells a down sleeping bag for babies from 0 years, which is very light, cosy warm and best of all –
washable. Our son slept through the night and we didn’t have to worry about him getting cold. As many trails are not suitable for strollers, I would always pack a carrier or hiking backpack with a buit-in sunshade. Also, get creative and use things in multiple ways or have multipurpose gear. E.g. a big empty yoghurt cup became our best friend – cereal bowl,
drinking cup, food container, trash can, beach toy, and so much more.
Btw, good equipment doesn’t have to be expensive. You can buy a lot of things second-hand or try to borrow them first. We bought the sleeping bag during a Black Friday sale and got our hiking backpack cheap at a yardsale. You can find my complete baby camping packing list out here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/
1d6NZz-2qVBV50EMv1nZIsY8JdMBOgiUw/view?usp=sharing. For maintaining my privacy the list is not public, you will have to ‘request’ access but I am happy to share it.
Pack for more days then you are going
Just do it. Because it’s impossible to imagine all the scenarios and too often we had more than the usual diaper incidents, unforeseen water plays or spoon vanishing car drives. I normally pack for additional 2 days with extra clothes, food, spoons and diapers. Extra clothes for the adults are also wise (campfire smell, babies outdoors, etc.).
Additionally, I have an emergency box always handy in my car with necessities for my son. It contains sunscreen, diapers, clothes, beanie & sun hat, burp cloths, snacks, zipbags, and other items depending on the seasons. And I’m using that box more often than I wanted to…
Now we’re almost at the end…
The last tip is the main one: Have fun and enjoy the camping trip! For me camping means a lot of preparation, packing and planning. But it’s also so rewarding. I love being outdoors with my husband and son, to explore new places with them and escape everyday life once in a while. It makes me happy. So, see you out there!
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