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Old 08-26-2014, 08:13 AM   #1
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Question Camping with a newborn

We're expecting our first child (a little boy) in the first week of October. I know that when we start camping again is largely up to DW (new mommy), but I want to make sure it's as easy for her (and for me) as possible. And I want to be ready to go when she says it's time. I think we'll probably try a "camp driveway" again at some point just to shake things out.

Do/have any of you camped with a baby on board? What mods or equipment did you find particularly helpful? Which ones should I ignore? What stories or anecdotes do you have that I might learn from? Any other bits of sage advice from the group on this, our newest adventure?
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Old 08-26-2014, 08:27 AM   #2
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I would say a pack-n-play is a must have. Most of them have the ability to set the bed in the raised position, and have a changing table that hangs on the side.

We have never used one in the camper, but we did use it when we went tent camping and when we staying in hotels.
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Old 08-26-2014, 08:31 AM   #3
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Can't help you out on this one. We left the kid with granny so WE could have a vacation!!
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Old 08-26-2014, 08:33 AM   #4
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we did it in our pup. Had a screen room that we brought with us. Laid a tarp down for the base. Gave us a great shaded 10x10 play structure for her to crawl around in.
Just make sure of this one very important thing. Babies cry and sometimes cry a lot. Make sure you do everything to keep him/her quiet. IMO babies are slightly worse than a barking dog.
We made sure our daughter was quiet and if she didn't settle down it was in the car and away for a drive.
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Old 08-26-2014, 08:35 AM   #5
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It was 39 years ago when we took our son at 3 weeks and i'm lucky to remember what we did yesterday so I'm no help...
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Old 08-26-2014, 08:36 AM   #6
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My kids have camped every year of their life, mind you they are only 4 & 6 and may babies, but we waited a couple months before going. Just normal routine, but things to make it easier, looks like you have a trailer so your pack-n-play should fit somewhere, and you have your own bathtub just let him have a clean place to play around outside take a baby bjorn for hiking and have fun. Don't wait for him to get a little older, get out there and camp. My sister took her daughter at about 1 month.

Have fun
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Old 08-26-2014, 08:37 AM   #7
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We did have some crying issues, but just through them in the car and go for a drive.
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Old 08-26-2014, 08:45 AM   #8
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LOL, so true!
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Old 08-26-2014, 09:06 AM   #9
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Having gone through this with mine here is what I did. Use it all or take what you need.

Pack n play for sure. Some models fit better than others like the basinet version is narrower and it fit in my settee with the table out. Jayco has the lowering table so I put a 1 x 12 which I routed the edges off and with the table lowered made a nice bed with a solid rail for them to lay down in. Once they were mobile I moved them to the lowest bunk with pillows on the floor in front and a small rail with open ends to keep them from rolling out. If they climb, and they will, I found it safer to allow for a passage than having them trying to scale the wall.

Second and most important IMHO is the screen door. Get a door grate for the lower portion and mount it. Then get a dead bolt to latch it closed. When they crawl all through the unit and push on the door that little plastic latch will give and allow them to tumble down the stairs.

After that it's a matter of your own personal needs such as feeding which we carried a small folding high chair with us that we picked up in Target for $30. Do the same as you would at home and get down on your knees and crawl around to see where the hazzards are and plug up the outlets that might be within reach. Move knives and chemicals up to high places like at home.

Kids are going to cry and if you have had them you know the routine. There is only so much you can do sometimes. We brought ours inside if it was a lot and do still to this day when there is melt down, but it's part of the deal and we get it having been there. When we here one DW looks at me and says "remember that?"

Good luck on your journey and enjoy it as it comes and goes. I think the harder part is the travel to and from where you will want to limit your miles. That's the hardest part IMHO since you need to stop a lot! Keep it more local until you get a good handle on it and you know what you can do. Then you hit the reset button and bring in a sibling for them to fight with!
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Old 08-26-2014, 09:30 AM   #10
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Our daughter was about a year old when we first took her, and then it was in a tent. BTW, she's 30 now, and she still tents.

I'd just duplicate your routine from home. Regarding crying, if you're concerned about disturbing others, try dry camping in non-electric sections. That's where the tenters are and they are used to noise.
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Old 08-26-2014, 09:58 AM   #11
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Regarding crying, if you're concerned about disturbing others, try dry camping in non-electric sections. That's where the tenters are and they are used to noise.
ummm..no. My Brother and Wife are tenters and after putting their son through grad school they are not at all interested in hearing a baby cry.

There really isn't a worse sound in a campground. I have been there. You just have to go somewhere in the car until they stop.
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Old 08-26-2014, 10:06 AM   #12
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ummm..no. My Brother and Wife are tenters and after putting their son through grad school they are not at all interested in hearing a baby cry.

There really isn't a worse sound in a campground. I have been there. You just have to go somewhere in the car until they stop.
No offense my friend, but maybe your brother and wife need to find adult oriented campgrounds. They are out there. Kids, crying, and noise are all part of every family campground I have ever been in. It doesn't bother us in the slightest.
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Old 08-26-2014, 10:14 AM   #13
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No offense my friend, but maybe your brother and wife need to find adult oriented campgrounds. They are out there. Kids, crying, and noise are all part of every family campground I have ever been in. It doesn't bother us in the slightest.
Thats great is doesn't bother you. Many it does. Barking dogs and non stop crying babies are not what I go camping for. It is easily remedied by the caregiver. Simple as that
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Old 08-26-2014, 10:55 AM   #14
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Thats great is doesn't bother you. Many it does. Barking dogs and non stop crying babies are not what I go camping for. It is easily remedied by the caregiver. Simple as that
You forgot loud radios.
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Old 08-26-2014, 10:56 AM   #15
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Okay, I have the pack-and-play, check. I'm not about disturbing the neighbors, so I'm going to work my ass off to keep the kid quiet. On that front, I think I'd rather be in an area with other RVers, simply for the fact that there's one more wall (albeit a thin one!) between us and them. Great point on the screen door, it wasn't even on my radar. Truth is, we rarely have the screen door only closed; it's either too dang hot or too dang cold! But I'll keep a mod in mind to keep that secure.

keep 'em coming! There's some great ideas here!
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Old 08-26-2014, 11:19 AM   #16
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8 weeks was the youngest any of our kids were on their first trip, and that was #3.

We set up a pack-n-play on the dinette bed. Fit well and was secure. When he started crawling we picked up 6-panel "play yard" that we opened up on a mat under an EZ Up with a few toys. This provided a secure place for him to crawl a bit and not worry about the potential dangers in a campsite.

Now he's 2, on a regular bunk with a rail, no more play yard, just diligent watching.
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Old 08-26-2014, 11:38 AM   #17
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We raised our 2 daughters showing dogs and on the road every weekend in a camper. From a few weeks old to college age they were on the road.

We had very few issues to overcome with ours but with our grandkids it was quite different. We never took them camping, in fact we only stayed around them a few hours at a time to prevent one of us from slitting our wrists. Just kidding.
With our kids we met all their needs but it was on our schedule as best we could manage. The outcome of this was positive, they only cried when something was wrong and then we came running quickly. The grandkids used crying to teach to train their parents and it worked, it really worked.

You will have to decide how all this works in your home and when its time to go out and have fun as a family.

The main thing is a healthy baby and a happy wife.
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Old 08-26-2014, 12:01 PM   #18
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I just snatched my kids up when they were crying and searched for an old country hardware store and let them walk through it with me, tended to keep their mind from remembering why they were crying, and oh how I love the old country hardware stores so everyone was happy and the kids got to learn a little. now 4 & 6 we rarely have any troubles.
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Old 08-26-2014, 12:04 PM   #19
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Another thing I enjoyed doing more than my wife was bed time. We had a pop and we would put them in one of the ends and I would play football with them. Well I would let them walk around the bed and try to get away and then I would tackle them and knock them down. They thought it was fun and what a workout for them. made them tired and asleep in about 15-20 min. my wife never had good luck with bed time. We never promote TV or video games, but those are a good last resort when they get a little older
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Old 08-26-2014, 12:51 PM   #20
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This summer we have traveled over 7k miles and stayed over 30 nights in our 5er with our kids. We took our 5 year old and 5 month old on a four week cross country trip to Disney this summer. Plan on trips taking a little longer with more stops for diaper changes and feeding. We made many stops at the first exit we could find to change a diaper. Having a newborn is no reason to stay home and not see gods country. Unless your staying at a adult only private campground your going to find lots of families out camping with all ages of kids. Crying has never been a issue, they only cry when something is WRONG or need attention (ie. too hot, too cold, needs fed, diaper). Plan you days around nap time on your trips and once it gets really hot out side plan on spending more time inside the camper during the day or visiting places that are inside in the ac. Be flexible on trips you might not get to do everything you had planned on doing having a newborn with you. Try to keep the same routine you have at home, feeding times, nap times, bed time and you will be just fine.
what has worked for us on trips
1. Have extra bottles of milk ready while traveling in the truck and snacks for the older one
2.pack n play for bed
3.pack baby toys
4.outdoor rug and blanket for outside to lay on
5. anything you need at home take with you while camping, feeding chair, swing, bouncer ect
6. only mod we have done to the camper for kids is added bed rails on the bunk beds
7. plan on all weather types hot and cold for outfits,
8. There is always a Walmart close by if you forgot something at home, no need to stress about it. (I packed up 8 frozen bags of milk and 8 bottles, put them in the cooler and we head out and a couple hours later go to get a bottle ready while on the road and the wife cant find a nipple for the bottle in the cooler, I tore the truck apart cant find them, then I remembered ooooooooo crap, I left the nipples on the table never put them in the cooler.) It happens to the best of us.
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