Camping with Toddlers | Palomar Mountain State Park

Got back from another awesome camping trip with our wee ones Cora and Wes. It was so cool to see the differences between camping with 10 month olds versus 22 month olds.

Here's some of our camping posts from last year. Enjoy them with me as I reminisce!

Family Camping Trip | Family Adventures

Camping along the upper Kern River, 2009

Remember that time Charlotte and I went camping with our kids? For Charlotte she was just camping, for Gray and I, we were doing a test run for our 4 day camping trip in Sequoia National Forest, along the Kern River - which is roughly 6 hours away. 

In case you were wondering, yes. We are leaving at an ungodly hour of the morning. 

We have some serious plans, like hanging out along the river all day, letting The Beast throw as many rocks into the water as he would like and having a good time with my Dad (he is brave enough to join us - brave because we have The Beast).  

Next to my worries about the water, wanna know my biggest concern? Food (if you know me, this isn't a shock). 

So, since I know there will be thousands of people packing up, and hitting the road this weekend for one last summer camping trip - I thought I would throw out some links for fellow campers! 

Easy Recipes for Camping by Sunset Magazine 

One-Pot Cooking by Earth Easy

Backpacking Meal Recipes by Wild Backpacker

10 Great Camping Tips and Recipes by Echoes of Laughter 

Blue Cheese Polenta with Vegetables by Cooking Light (it just looked tasty and easy)

Hey campers - any cooking suggestions for quick easy meals that are less hot doggy and more delicious - we will have one ice chest, for 4 days...so by the end things will be getting a bit iffy. 

Baby vs. Wild | Camping With A Baby

1. Worries? You have none!

Remember this when you let the baby loose and the first thing he does is grab a handful of rocks and try to devour them. Maybe a beer would help you remember this?

2. You can’t have too many socks.

Plan for wardrobe changes. I get messy camping. So logic would follow that a creature who hangs out less than three feet from the mud, dirt, rocks, and water gets really, really messy. I counted on two changes in clothes a day, plus a few extra shirts for good measure. It worked out perfectly.

 

3. Layers are your friend.

This isn’t a time to think about your hair. I am talking about layers, upon layers, upon layers of clothes - it is beautifully cyclical. We changed The Beast into “day clothes” first thing in the morning just because it was easy to do during the first diaper change of the day while our tent was still warm from our bodies (awesome tip - shove the day clothes into the foot of your sleeping bag the night before so they are warmed up and ready for you in the morning) . We piled on the layers (onesie, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, flannel shirt, sweatshirt, jeans). Then as the day wears on we just peeled back his layers - like an onion - Beasts have layers (name that movie). Goodbye sweatshirt, goodbye flannel, goodbye long sleeve....then as the day wrapped up and dusk moved in we just layered him back up. Super easy, very important. Cold babies are not fun babies. Babies that hate warm jackets are also not fun....but at least they are not cold.

 
4. Babies do stuff...and things...and stuff.

HEY! Babies like to do stuff too! They just don’t have as much steam as you. Bringing a baby camping didn’t mean we were tethered to camp all day. We did awesome stuff like shorter hikes, a super fun treasure hunt, and waterfall playing. We just had to make sure we were either somewhere that The Beast could get some ‘splorin done every once in awhile or we had to make sure we touched base with our camp. He gets cranky if he isn’t mobile for long periods of time. A little different if you are used to all day hikes - but don’t worry, this will be good for you!

 
5. Keep them hydrated.

Exactly what it says. So so so so sooooo important.

6. Ain’t no shame, contain those suckers.

Having something or somewhere to put a baby down is a life saver. We brought our pack-n-play and it made EVERYTHING easier. Sometimes, you just need to contain a baby and get dangerous stuff done. Even if their little hands could light a propane stove much easier than yours.

7. That goes in where?

We did a quick overnight trip to the ever wonderful Fishermen’s Landing (Oh look! They are having a bikini contest - do I get extra points for stretch marks? No? Whhhaaattt?) back in November when The Beast was just 5 months old. I was obsessed with how, where, and on what, he would sleep. I was so scared about doing it right so he would be safe.

Make this easy on you. Whatever that is.

Easy for us is folding the Pack N Play in half, because that is what ours does, laying it between us and co-sleeping. The Beast had a nice firm surface to sleep on, it gave us a barrier. and we didn’t have to worry that he would be cold. It just worked, for us.  There are tons of ideas out there though from just regular ole' co-sleeping, to putting the kiddo in the travel crib in the tent, to an awesome pop up "pod" for the infants, if you have the money. It was too cold to not use blankets. I didn't love the idea since he sleeps with none at home, but....I sucked it up and did it. 

8. Easy on, Easy off.

If you are putting your child in shoes....and they are using those shoes, be it crawling or just starting to walk. Shoes that were easy to put on and pull off were SO NICE to have. The Beast rocks NATIVES , and they were fantastic to have since he was going in and out of the tent for naps, then in and out of the pack n play when we needed to do something. Not to mention the diaper changes, clothing changes and everything in between. Not having to do a shoe struggle every time we were in one of those situations was a blessing.

9. If you can, delay the fire.

The Beast is just getting good at walking, and he likes to do it a lot. The best thing we could have done was wait to start the fire. Since it is basically summertime, it wasn’t such a issue since the sun is still up when he is going to sleep for the night, but one of the greatest things we did was start the fire either after The Beast went to sleep, or just before he went to sleep so we didn’t have to juggle a baby that wanted nothing to do with sitting, and a hot, dangerous fire ring. Hands down, this is the one thing that saved my sanity. Not having to worry or fuss with The Beast around a large fire.

10. Sun protection.

Chances are you are going to be in the sun A LOT. I am not a huge sunscreen freak, so sometimes I forget to put it on myself, which is why I thought I would throw this in for good measure. Some sun is nice. Sun exposure all day is rough on a baby. Hats, a child's SPF sunshirt , and sunscreen, are all good things.

Products that made our life easier:

1. Our Baby Trend Pack N Play (which did double duty) 

2. Our Ergo Baby Carrier

3. Trader Joe's fruit crushers (these are not them, but the same concept)

4. LED Headlamp (sooooo helpful to have both hands free) 

5. Straw Cups 

6. Lots of wipes

7. A Glass Water Bottle with Silicone Sleeve ( I am a huge fan of glass instead of aluminium or plastic - heavier, but I love, love, love using glass as a plastic alternative.) 

As you can see, we didn't jam our car full of baby products, we just packed the best stuff and maximized it's usefulness.  

Two Negatives Rarely Make A Positive | Motherhood Is A Teamsport

Alright, before we get into the nitty and very, very, gritty details about surviving camping with a baby, I wanted to touch on one thing that, for me, was one of the most important aspects of the trip - how freaking nice it was to spend time with some like-minded parents and just talk. Charlotte and I are some seriously smart cookies and discoved a key component to camping with a baby early on in the game.

Leaving the overly tired kids with the husbands and trekking off to the nearest store for a much needed provision, ice cream. We got to enjoy an AH-mazing ice cream bar, a scenic drive - complete with wild turkeys and talk about all sorts of awesome things that husband's don't always get. One of those topics that hit close to home for me? Our insecurities as mothers.  

The question, "What is the one thing about being a parent you wish someone would have warned you about," is asked a lot. Heck - google search it and you will see thousands of responses, ranging from touching to hilarious.  

My answer?  The insecurities.

Everyone told me that I would always worry about my baby - no matter his age. I was warned that there would be sleepless nights, tears shed when they got their first cut, that labor would hurt - but that I would get through it. My mom was even so wonderfully open to share with me the importance of finding a good group of moms to hang with - because staying at home, while wonderful, can at times be mind numbing (thanks mom!).

What no one told me though - was how riddled by insecurities motherhood can be. I started to catch on during pregnancy, but after starting this blog with Charlotte, meeting other parents, and thinking a lot about my experience as a parent, I wish someone would have told me about the insecurities that come along with parenting. I also wish someone would have told me that no amount of people saying “don’t worry about it” will make those insecurities go away.  

Most of my personal insecurities gravitate towards my son’s weight (why is he so skinny! Do I not feed him enough? Am I not feeding him the right foods? Should I have not given him that peanut butter? Surely those bugs he ate will pack on some ounces!) our financial status (if I was working we would have better health insurance, if I was working we would be able to travel more, am I doing him a social and educational disservice having him at home all the time with just me instead of spending his days surrounded by friends?) and his social interactions (Is he too shy? Do I not engage him enough? Does he play by himself too much? Why is he unable to play by himself? Does he not babble enough?).

I am terrified by the judgements that come with motherhood and the insecurities that can come as a result of that fear. As mothers and fathers our faults or missteps are often pointed out, but our parenting accomplishments are rarely celebrated or showcased.

So what am I doing to combat this? Since that slow, windy drive with Charlotte, I have decided that for every insecure thought I have, I am going to replace it with a positive. For example - when I am out, and see that cute little 4 month old baby that I don’t know babbling away in their stroller, I am going to remind myself about our mornings before we get out of bed. The mornings where he says, “Done, done, done, all done, all done, done, done,” until we schlep ourselves out of our wonderfully warm, cozy, snuggly bed and take him out into the living room to cause chaos and chase down the cats - only to get THIS CLOSE to them and in his schrill little scream say, “HI TAT!!!!!!!”  Every time I worry about The Beast being too skinny, I am going to follow that thought up with a reminder of the whole banana, scrambled egg with spinach, handful of Cheerios, and 9 ounces of milk he had for breakfast.

Maybe this is all just me though, maybe I am just overly sensitive?  Please tell me I am not alone in this!

What to Bring | Camping with a Baby

Ella and I just got back from our camping trip with the 10 month olds. I will call it a success! You can read my full account here.

Let me share some items I found extremely helpful to have along.

Our Tuffo Play Mat: we used it as a changing pad, a place to eat lunch, and a place to lounge.

A Pack N' Play! It was a great place to set the babies when we needed to actually focus on things, like starting a fire, brushing our teeth, making breakfast, etc. Oh, I'm lusting after this one by Phil & Ted, does anyone want to buy it for me for my birthday?

A sun hat by Sunday Afternoon. Believe it or not, Cora actually keeps her on. I have the adult version and love the coverage these offer.

Sun block. And lots of it. We use ThinkBaby. It's one of the few sunblocks on the 'approved list' by the Environmental Working Group. It rubs in fairly well too.

My trusty Boon Grass Drying Rack kept all the bottles organized! (Oh, we didn't have time to play it, but we LOVE the game Apples to Apples.)

Our ERGObaby carrier! Both Ella and I brought this and all four parents used it extensively with the babies during the whole trip.

Is there anything I've missed? These items helped immensely, but would always love to hear some of your favorites.