Rory was born on October 1, 2020. We were fairly certain we would not get Rory out on his first camping adventure well until next spring/summer. However sometimes life throws you little surprises and the seasons in Minnesota are one of those surprises. We were able to get out in 70-degree weather in November for Rory’s first camping trip!
Start out simple
We did a drive-in campsite at Wild River State Park. A drive-in campsite for our first trip was a good option because it gave us peace of mind knowing that the car was right there in case anything were to happen. We also decided to do just one night because it gave us the opportunity to trial and error all the situations that may arise when camping with a one-month-old.
Worried first time parent
Rory’s first camping adventure began with mommy packing at home. I admit I felt I was a “worried first time” mom. Up until now, Andy and I were used to packing very minimal on camping trips. We packed minimally for our dog-child too. All a dog requires is food! We would bring just enough to keep us comfortable and prepared for weather conditions. We also figured if we get uncomfortable, we can handle it. When thinking about a baby I had to keep in mind all the diaper changes, all the dirty clothes, keeping the baby comfortable in all weather conditions. Not to mention babies are unable to regulate their own body temperatures at their tiny size. Let’s talk about basic clothes packing. For one night I had 20 diapers, 5 onesies, 5 pants, 2 sleepers, a sweatshirt, vest, a warm fleece one piece snow suit, and an overload of burp cloths and bibs. I felt this was a lot but in all honesty…most of those items were used with the expectation of the 20 diapers. I highly suggest to “over-pack” clothes if you are doing a drive in so the baby can be comfortable in any weather situation. I did not regret having all those clothes. We overpacked much more than clothes for one night. Don’t worry, we left room for Rory and Daisy!
The overnight experience
The situation I was worried about most was sleeping. I know many people co-sleep with their babies but we simply weren’t comfortable with that. Rory does well sleeping in his bassinet or crib alone at home so we figured we’d try the graco pack n’ play that we use at home for the sleeping arrangement in the tent. Our other option was to use a kilo fly sunshade mini tent but with that we were worried about our dog Daisy walking around in the tent and stepping on the baby. For our tent we used a large 2 room tent that Andy camped in as a child! Both of our families grew up camping so passing on the tradition, and camping gear is something that is pretty unique and cherished for our family. Memories of Andy’s childhood in that tent were shared around the campfire.
Rory slept well…in fact he slept harder than he may sleep at home. Fresh air does wonders for babies! Mommy on the other hand was worried. I got maybe an hour of sleep throughout the whole night because I was either feeding him, staying awake to make sure he was making noises and breathing, or making sure he was warm enough.
For nighttime feedings at home, I always make sure I am comfortable with plenty of pillows propped up. I didn’t want to pack a bunch of pillows and what would I lean them against in a tent? So I brought along one of the foldable chairs we use for canoeing. I sat in the chair throughout the night and fed him and was able to recline back. This worked well but next time, if car camping, I would just put the camp chair in the tent. It would be a bit more comfortable for reclining back, and our tent was plenty large enough for a camp chair. One less thing to pack too…we really did have an overloaded car. I do suggest bringing a Boppy pillow, however. A Boppy pillow makes a world of difference for yourself and for your babies comfort when breastfeeding… at home and at camp! That extra thing in your car is worth it in my opinion! Back to that trial and error of learning through experience!
The only part of his body that didn’t seem warm enough was his face. I am really curious to know how others do it…open to ideas! You can watch this video to see our sleeping arrangement set up and photos/videos from our whole trip. You’ll notice in the video that Rory is inside the sleeping bag with Andy but it wasn’t co-sleeping. That’s how we warmed Rory up throughout the night. Easy to see why we got no sleep…we were too paranoid about falling asleep in that position.
Throughout the night I didn’t want to change his diaper because I knew he’d be so cold without clothes on. Gosh, I was cold without gloves and a hat on so I couldn’t imagine how a baby would feel during a change! I admit I didn’t change his diaper until morning. Good thing I had plenty of spare clothes to change him into from his soaked through onesie. We started him out sleeping in a swaddle, two onesies, a hat, and mittens. At about 5 AM I finally made the decision to switch him into a fleece one-piece snowsuit. I don’t know why I didn’t do this from the start because he seemed much warmer than in the swaddle. It takes trial and error…we learn through experience and this is especially true in the parenting world.
The biggest takeaway….back to the beginning of this post. Keep it simple.
Camping with a baby really is not much different than staying at home with a baby. A baby does not need a whole lot of things. I posted an Instagram story prior to going on the trip where I showed all the clothes and stated how worried I was. One friend replied, “all you need is boobies and diapers!” I’d add clothes to that, and it’s true. That is all you need. All the other things are optional. Chances are you will be holding the baby most of the time (especially if you are lucky enough to bring Grandma!) in your arms cuddled up so you really don’t need those million spare blankets you packed just in case the baby is cold around the fire. If you are breastfeeding, you don’t need to pack 4 bottles and two cans of formula just in case. My reason for this was that up until the camping trip, we were mixing formula and breastfeeding to get him back up to birth weight. Camping was the first 48 hour period since he was 3 weeks old that we did strictly breastfeeding and it was a huge success. At home, I was continuing with the formula/bottles because it was easy access, but camping was a good time to try out strictly breastfeeding. I don’t suggest taking formula and bottles off your packing list in a case such as mine, but maybe just fewer amount….I know I was excessive with the amount as a worried first-time mom. Always assess your family’s specific situation and your needs. You are always your best advocate.
You don’t need the books… they are optional. I did bring wildlife and family themed books…I’ll say that’s the preschool teacher in me. There are plenty of sounds, sights, and senses for babies to take in outdoors which is more than enough. There are so many benefits to that in itself! I encourage your family to get out there and try it. You always have the option of leaving when car camping. There’s a whole group of parents out there supporting this experience and starting children early will have the most benefits.
We are so grateful we were able to get Rory out at one-month old. We are passing on the tradition… my grandparents took my mom on her first camping trip at 2 weeks old. I can’t wait for Rory to have a lifetime adventure ahead. This is only the beginning. How old was your child when they experienced their first camping trip?
Here’s to getting our little ones out on adventures! A short hike is plenty of an adventure, too!
Peace, love, and hike thru life!
