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Camping With a Baby – Six Baby Gear Essentials To Take With You

Pack These Essentials and Feel Prepared & Safe on The First Camping Adventure with Your Baby

Being a parent is not easy and living an outdoor lifestyle is not always easy. For some new parents camping with their newborn baby is outright scary. What to take on your first camping trip with the baby? What baby gear essentials to invest in? How to ensure the safety of your little one?

Before we had Cosmos, Alex and I have been actively travelling, hiking, camping, adventuring all around the World. But once we had our dear little one, we had to pause and thought o-o.. How long are we stuck at home for now? How soon can we start back on our lifestyle? We soon found out that it IS possible to go camping with a baby, and there is nothing difficult about it. The KEY is being prepared. We are excited to share out tips for camping with a baby, and the list of essentials to take with your on your first (and nest) camping trip!

***This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. All product recommendations and feedback is our own and based on personal experience.

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• 60++ Hilarious Hiking & Camping Memes You Absolutely Have To See
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Baby First Camping Adventure

Canada Day weekend – July 2016 – our baby Cosmos had just turned 6 mounts old. We've been invited to a camping trip with our friends at Charleston Lake Provincial Park, Ontario Canada. To make things even more exciting – it wasn't just a regular park-and-camp adventure – our campsite was located in the back-country on one of the islands. Yes, that's right – we had to paddle there in a canoe…. yes, with a six-month-old!

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Although Alex and I (mostly me as a first-time mom) were somewhat terrified, we decided to do it and got pretty determined – we won't miss this trip.

The following few weeks were a total chaos.. I've scanned anything and everything online to get an idea what would camping with a six-month-old baby entail. What do I need to pack? How is my baby going to sleep in a tent? Do I need a special infant camping bed? How to make my baby safe in a canoe? Is there a baby life jacket available for purchase? What about bugs and mosquitoes?

I've searched through everything baby-specific available in MEC and Atmosphere. …added and added baby gear to my lists.. then added some more.. my shopping cart on Amazon was bursting with options!… At some point Alex looked at my packing lists: How are we going to ever fit ALL of it in a canoe? We'd need a barge! – he laughed.

Turns out we've only needed SIX essential baby gear camping items we really needed…

1. Baby Life Vest / Life Jacket

Dah.. The most essential safety baby gear item we obviously needed was a baby life jacket! Canoe rental places usually provide life jackets for adults and older children. However, none that we've called to had offered life jackets for kids.

Finding the right life jacket for a tiny six-month-old was a serious and difficult quest, as not too many options are available in stores to look at…

In the end, we've picked Bijoux Baby Vest by Salus Marine – absolutely the best choice ever made. Cosmos gave it a try a few times at our swimming pool and this life jacket turned out not only fitting perfectly a tiny baby but convenient to use, make adjustments, cleaning and drying!

Camping with a baby GEAR: Bijoux Baby Vest by Salus Marine lifejacket

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2. Warm and Water-Repellent Clothing

It is a good idea to dress your little one in layers and to have 3 sets of change clothes per camping day. Luckily, since our baby was tiny, his clothes did not take much packing space 🙂

We've had him dressed in water-repellent pants and a jacket while in a canoe since the water splashes can get you soaked. With the wind over the lake added to the mix – you don't want your little one to catch a cold, do you? Throw in a beanie here!

Don't forget your swimwear of course! Your little one will enjoy the spring water!

Camping with a baby GEAR: warm water-repellent clothing

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3. Baby Carrier

Baby carrier is an absolute must on any outdoor adventure! You can have your little one participating in all activities, helping you cook, walking a trail with you, playing a board game, or even fishing! while your hands are “hands-free”!

Our carrier of absolute choice was Baby Bjorn Carrier Original. Comfortable to use, super-easy to adjust, durable, water-repellent, machine-washable, and easy to quick-clean when “accidents” happen! Our son loved it! After Cosmos' first camping trip this Baby Bjorn carrier went to Europe with us, to Belarus, to the US, and even Mexico.

Camping with a baby GEAR: Baby Bjorn carrier

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4. Infant Camping Bed – Pea Pod

Yes, we were extremely confused about how our baby should be sleeping when camping. Do we need a special infant camping bed? I admit, using a pea pod as an infant camping bed wasn't even on our minds. But.. one of the more seasoned mom-campers was swearing by it. We quickly learned why!

You may have been thinking horrors about babies “lost in a sleeping bag”, or crawling outside, or turning around and slipping off the mattress and sleeping on a cold floor.. a Pea Pod instantly solves the problem of a baby sleeping in a tent. It works perfectly as an infant camping bed!

In addition, it can be used as a play-mat and as a napping bed, where your baby can enjoy the fresh air while being absolutely safe from bugs!

Our pea pod of choice is KidCo PeaPod Plus. It is very compact and light, folds up easily and pops open easily. The padding underneath can be removed and washed, or extra padding can be added.

Camping with a baby GEAR: KidCo PeaPod Plus

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5. Organic Bug Spray & Sunscreen

Bug Spray

Ontario lakes are known to have armies of bugs and mosquitoes. While we, adults, are quite used to all sorts of bug sprays – it is important to find the right fit for a small baby. We will not mention the brand we've used here, as it since has been discontinued.

When selecting your insect repellent, look for organic, non-toxic, natural, no parabens, no sulfates, no phthalates, and DEET-free options.

Sunscreen

READ THIS: 9 Best Natural Sunscreens For Kids. Organic. Chemicals-Free.

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6. Baby-tuned First Aid Kit

When camping with an infant, better safe than sorry, right? Although we do not expect anything to happen to us, we are always prepared.

At the very minimum your first aid kit, when traveling with a baby, must contain:

• Baby thermometer
• Medicine dropper
• Saline nasal drops
• Infant Acetaminophen***
• Antibiotic cream***
• Alcohol swabs***
• Antibiotic ointment***
• Age-appropriate Band-Aids
• Sterile gauze

***ask your doctor on any medication

Whether you build your own first aid kit or buy one of the baby first aid kits available in stores, it’s a good idea to check the content before leaving against the checklist to make sure you are prepared. We hope you'd never need to use it!

Camping with a baby GEAR: First Aid Kit

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In the end, this camping with a baby adventure turned out one of the best decisions we've made!

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Have you ever gone camping with an infant baby? How was your experience? What other baby gear would you suggest new parents bring with them on the trip? Share in the comments! or send us a message!

In the meantime, we are happy to share our amazing library of parents' resources on family travel and outdoor activities with kids. Here are a few blogs you might like:

• Hiking With Kids: 12 Simple Safety Rules Every Parent Should Follow
• Best Hiking Shoes For Kids Complete Guide: How to Choose and Where to Buy
• 5 Tips Baby-Proofing AirBnB, Hotel, or Vacation Rental When Traveling With Kids
• 10 Basic Safety Rules When Biking With Kids
• 9 Best Natural Sunscreens For Kids. Organic. Chemicals-Free [2020)
• check out our OUTDOORS category for more!

Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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