Camping with a baby is a lot of fun.

We camped with our first daughter when she was 6 weeks old and with our second daughter when she was only 3 weeks old.

 I have to say the first time we went camping with a baby we were excited but also nervous.

The experience helped to write one Born to be Adventurous’ most popular posts 10 Tips for Camping with a Newborn.  

One of the biggest worries is baby sleep while camping.

Will your baby sleep?

First off, many parents love camping when children are babies because they are portable AND they already often do not sleep perfectly so why not go camping.

Even if your baby sleeps well through the night they are constantly teething, growing or getting colds that effect their sleep.

That being said baby sleep does not have to be hard while camping.


Baby Sleep while Camping


 

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Routine

Do the same routine while camping that you do at home.

If you wash their face, read a book, put them in their sleep sac, breastfeed and then put them to bed at home then do it while camping too.

Comfort Objects

Don’t  forget to bring  your babies favourite soother or Lovey. If they sleep in a sleep sac or while swaddled  then bring those to be used while sleeping.   Bring along any white noise or music that you use at home. If you do use those items then bring along  EXTRA batteries.

Tent Size

Unless you are backcountry camping then I suggest using a large  6-8 person tent.

This will give you room  to play in case you want a place to play out of the elements during the day but also give space for  your little one to have their own bed.

Trust me you will be happy to have the extra space.

Baby Bed

If your baby sleeps in their own cot, bassinet or crib at home then bring along a sleeping bed for your baby.

When our babies were very little we slept them in their Moses bassinets or a laundry basket (use at your own risk).

As they got older we had a small sleeping tent cot similar to the KidCo P4012 PeaPod Plus Infant Travel Bed, Midnight.

We  hardly co slept with our babies and so we loved having our daughter sleep in her own tent style playpen.

Camping Pajamas  and Sleeping Bags

Dressing your little one will be a constant debate before bedtime with camping.

The biggest challenge is if they go to bed when it is warm outside only to have it cool down.  

Weather varies from place to place.

Sleep Bag

We put our youngest daughter in a thick sleep sac I had gotten from a friend(see above pic). If I did not have this sleep sac I would have gotten the  Morrison Outdoors Little Mo 40 Sleeping Bag. Use the code “BTBA” for 10% off one of their sleeping bags!

This toddler sleeping bag is new on the scene and wasn’t around when my kids were little. I had one of our amazing guest writers review one. She had the Little Mo for her baby and has since upgraded her little one to the Big Mo!

Layers

If it stays warm at night then keep them in there diaper or onesie with the Woolino sleep sac. When it is colder then    layer up with a onesie and a sleeper. Even better if they are made of Merino wool.

Bunting Suit

For those frigid spring  nights or while camping on the Icefield parkway in the Canadian Rockies then consider  a fleece bunting suit.   These fold over cuffs will help keep your little ones hands warm. We also have used the Patagonia Puffball suit for colder nights instead of a fleece bunting suit.

Toque

For colder weather add a wool toque when your little one goes to sleep. A toque is also helpful on the nights where it starts off warm but cools off. Adding a toque in the night is quick and easy .

The First Night

If this is your first time camping with a baby then expect the first night to be challenging.

This is not necessarily because they are not sleeping but because you might be worrying  about whether your little one is too hot or too cold.  

With my first daughter I was checking her constantly on her first camping trip at 6 weeks old.

When we camped with my second  at  3 weeks old I slept soundly and so did she.

 I guess the experience of camping with little ones made it feel normal and easy.

Stay Multiple Nights

Babies that are older tend to have a hard time adjusting to a new environment.

Camping for more than one night can help  your baby adjust.  

While the first night is challenging the rest will become easier helping you enjoy more of the camping experience.

Bedtime

I know this can be challenging but go to bed when your baby goes to sleep.

Going to bed with your little one will help make sure that you are getting the sleep that you need to enjoy the days.

This is  especially true if they are waking up before right when the sun is rising during those short summer nights.


Want the BEST baby and Toddler Sleeping Bag ?

Check out the Morrison Outdoors Sleeping Bag

Use the discount code “BTBA” for 10% off

Purchase the Little Mo 20 here

Purchase the Little Mo 40 here 

Purchase the Big Mo 20 here

Purchase the Big Mo 40 here

 


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7 thoughts on “Baby Sleep while Camping”

  1. Thank you for the info! I have tow boys, one is 3 and one is 1. I am thinking to take my family on a road trip this summer. Sleeping probably is the main thing I worry about. After reading your article, I gonna try this summer!

  2. I would like to be the devil’s advocate here. The last time I went camping and there was a baby at the campground, it cried all night, upsetting every single person in the entire campground. Nobody in that campground got a decent night’s sleep the entire weekend. Which is a problem for people who are camping in a location where they spend all day hiking 10-15 miles a day.

    So, my question is, if your baby cries all night and you go camping, knowing you’re disrupting everyone else, what’s the right thing to do? Ignore them? Leave? Compromise, and trade sites with someone who has a spot at the edge of the campground? What would be the best etiquette in a situation like that?

    I heard one person say that if the parents know their baby cries all night then they aren’t ready to be in a public place with them through the night. What are your thoughts on that?

    1. Love this comment so much!thank you.
      My thoughts are this:

      Camping is for everyone. Babies included.That being said we need to try our best to make the experience enjoyable for everyone. Camping is not the right space to let your baby cry it out and you may have to do more cuddling than usual.

      But, parents don’t stress if your baby is crying. It happens to everyone. One time our daughter cried like crazy for 30 minutes before I could calm her down. It was not like her to do that. If I listened to other people who said that I should not camp if my baby cries then our family would not be on our current epic 3 week camping trip that included a backcountry. Which btw she has not cried at all at night!

      My suggestion is to bring ear plugs. I have to do this now not because of babies crying but because of people staying up and being too loud at night or people not shutting off generators when they should be Or people waking up early and being so loud as they put away their tent.

      Just everyone be curteous of everyone else.

      That’s what I think! Thanks again for the comment!

  3. We throw out routine and it works great. The kids fall asleep by the fire, nap outside and cosleep with us in our 3 person tent. We went camping with our 3 year old and 5 month old a few months ago and it went great. Looking forward to our next camping trip in a few days.

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