So my husband and I used to pack in and camp in the mountains with our three dogs; however, post-baby we have taken to “glamping.”
What is glamping you might ask? Well, it is a more glamourous version of camping. We went from backpacking in and staying in a two person tent to a trailer on a lakefront. It took us a good while to get used to trailer-camping but we are loving it now. It is so easy to pull up to a great camp site, park the trailer and we can take off down a dirt road to go hiking. Right after my little was born, I was really nervous about camping. What if the little dude caught a cold while we were out? What if I run out of diapers? What if he is super fussy and keeps other campers up at night? Would it be fun? These thoughts and questions could have gone on forever and ever…and then we tried it.
Guess what?
It was really, really relaxing and we all enjoyed ourselves.
Was it different than camping pre-baby? You bet! But with a little one life, changes are made and we have loved every camping trip. We wanted our little one to have a love of the outdoors like ourselves so we changed up how we camp. We went with a more temperature controlled trailer, easy to bring food in a cooler and the ability to bring as many creature comforts as one may need. Do we look forward to when we can hike in to a camping spot with our little guy? Yes! Do we look forward to snow shoeing again for hours? Absolutely! But until then, we have opted for our trailer, shorter hikes and relaxing more by the water.
Fall is upon us, but it’s still warm and we’re entering some of the nicer weather days of the year – so pack up your kids with the below essentials and squeeze in some quality time before it gets chilly.
5 Camping Essentials for Kids
1) A REI Piggyback Carrier like the one pictured below:
2. Bug Repellent Spray by California Baby
3. MD Moms Daily UV Shield
4. Keen Toddler Shoes: Great for water and they dry quickly.
5. Finally, don’t forget the sand bucket and shovels and lots of clothes and baby wipes!
You may be wondering why there are no toys on this list. Initially, I brought along basket of toys but they were never touched.
The little senor seems to be completely content with twigs, leaves and most importantly rock throwing. Hours can be spent with his daddy throwing rocks into streams, rivers and the lake itself. For all other mommas who are nervous about camping with a wee one…I highly suggest trying a few times. It gets better and easier each and every time.
What are some of your favorite camping spots? Activities? Fun camping experiences?
Cant wait to hear from all you camping families!
