69RoadRunner
VA
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Joined: 01/18/2008
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kooky wrote:Things I find indispensable while camping:
breasts
Ummmmmm. Did you type anything after that?
09 Newmar Ventana 3942
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vgoulette
Shallowater, Texas
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Last summer, we were on a 5 1/2 week trip with an infant, and, along with all the other items mentioned, I took her Graco Entertainer (saucer-type) and her travel swing. She survived the trip better than our (at the time) 9 year old.
Vickie
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hitched4life
Chicago, IL (Suburbs)
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I second the Exer-Saucer type of contraption. My youngest was at that same age last year. While camping we would shuffle between a bouncy seat, the Saucer, and quilt laid out with toys. The pack and play is great as well as one of those chairs that secures/clamps onto a table top (assuming the child can sit well on their own). If the child likes movies/tv, I would suggest that too as Baby Einstein works great in the morning so that mom and dad can enjoy a quiet cup of coffee.
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cyndikate
Stafford, Virginia
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Joined: 06/25/2007
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Man, I read the Breasts post and fell out of my chair! It's true though, that it does make life easier if Mom is nursing - milk is always sanitary and the right temp. If I were not nursing though, those instant premeasured formula things sound like a good idea. Here's some more:
High chair that clips to the picnic table. Mosquito netting for the pack n play helps to avoid insect repellent. Natural insect repellent such as Burt's Bees for when the baby is in arms. Definitely a baby sling or front pack, or, if baby is sitting up, a baby back pack. Off road jog stroller is a HUGE help (we rented one for a recent trip to Mammoth and took it off road everywhere with my 4yo in it. It made it so we could do all the things we wanted to.
Good luck and have a great time!
2001 Bayside PUP
2001 E350 extended 15 seat van
Me 41 YO Crazy Mother of 6 can't get enough of camping
Grumpy the Dad hates camping, can't sleep, stays home 
4 DD 17, 10, 6 & 3
2 DS 15 & 13
Love camping in inverse relationship to assistance they can give 
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capehorn14
Stockholm, NJ
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re: earlier Breasts comment - LOL, I agree, it does make life easier. I also bring a manual pump to add milk to cereal as needed.
My son is 7 months old and has been camping with us 7 times already, one of those for a week at Disney, the rest long weekends. He is my first child but we have been popup, TT, RV camping for 10 years.
The biggest issue we had was where to secure the car seat in the RV. The best solution we have found is to drop the dinette remove the cushion and attach the infant carrier rear facing. One of us lays next to him while the other drives. The biggest issue with this is that he slams his head hard every bump we hit. We have tried padding it, and adjusting the air in the suspension with no luck. My husband bought and will be installing an airbag shut off switch to place him in the front seat.
Sleep - Graco travel lite pack & play has been a "God Sent". It is only 22.8 inches wide and if I set it up in place it fits at the end of our bed before the wall. It is also small enough to place in the main isle with the slide out closed. Also I have found the air conditioner kicking on and off to wake him, so I turn the temperature warmer and keep the fan on low constant.
entertainment - I have used the infant carrier on the dinette seat as a seat/high chair, and entertainment while I cook, clean etc. First couple trips we took the Fisher Price travel swing and placed on the table (was not worth the effort or space). In the future we will bring his exersaucer. I have a basket I keep all the small toys and rattles in that fits in a cabinet and I carry around the RV wherever he might need them. When all else fails I carry him in a baby Bjorn carrier.
Diaper, clothes etc - I change him on the main bed with a changing mat. I keep a hand full of diapers in the changing mat and I keep a closable wipes container on the bed during the day. Each AM I take out what clothes I think I will need for him and also lay near diaper on the bed. I keep small bags ready to drop in the stroller when we go out during the day. For blow outs I filled a small bottle of Dreft and rinse out the worst of it first outside then soak if needed, hang dry in the shower.
Bath - this is the worst !! I tried the sink and found his legs where too long. I have a shower (no tub). At first I used a foam piece meant to lay the baby on, and laid him on the bottom of the shower with as much water as I could keep in the shower stall with a rubber flat stopper, and found he was too exposed to the air and got cold. Then I bought a fold up bath tub, which I am using now, but he is going to outgrow it soon. In the future I am thinking of using a large rubbermaid storage container placed on the floor outside the shower filled from the shower head or sink as a bath tub. We could use the container to carry paper product refills when not being used as a tub.
I have found the full size stroller with bug net to be the most convenient for at the campground which usually have gravel or dirt roads and the baby can sit up or lay down. This is a Great place to sleep baby for naps during the day outside, or out near the campfire at night. Also convenient for feeding. We do have a baby monitor we have used if he is in the RV asleep.
meds: I just keep spare wipes, Tylenol, thermometer, gas drops etc in the RV all the time, I never unpack them. I also always keep a diaper bag packed and ready to go in there.
None of it has been as hard as I thought it would be. My son LOVES the change on scenery and loves to be outside. I just have found that I need to be organized and think ahead, create piles of what I need and grab it going out the door, and then we can get out and enjoy almost as much as we used to.
* This post was
edited 07/31/08 02:04pm by capehorn14 *
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TerryWerm
Jordan, MN
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Joined: 11/03/2005
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We recently took our 11 month old grand daughter on a trip with us for a long weekend. The three of us all enjoyed it immensely. I believe that most of the things that we found as "must haves" have been mentioned, but in addition to formula and diapers we found the following to be most useful:
- Pack N Play - Works as a playpen, crib, etc.
- A clamp on high chair is ultra useful both in and out of the RV.
- Front or back pack carrier - great for going on hikes, especially if they take you where a stroller does not easily go.
- A cheap umbrella stroller, even if you have a large stroller along - sometimes lightweight and compact saves the day!
- Something to block the screen door!!
About the blocking the screen door: I had an incident with our granddaughter that gave me a heck of a scare. We were camped at Scenic State Park in northern Minnesota. The temps during the day were in the mid 70's and the weather was wonderful. We left the windows open and never ran the AC. My wife went up to take a shower in the shower building due to the greater supply of hot water than our fiver supplies. While she was gone I played with our GD and cleaned up a bit in the trailer. Our GD was on the floor, playing with some toys. The outer entry door was open, the screen door was closed. Before our trip I added one of those aluminum screen grills to protect the screen. Well..... while my back was turned for just mere seconds, my GD made her way to the door, then got against it and pushed. The door popped open and I dived to catch her, but too late, she tumbled out the door to the ground, which was about a two foot drop or better. Luckily, she momentarily caught herself on the top step, then sommersaulted over and landed on the ground, missing the remaining steps entirely. Her screams were heard throughout the campground! Amazingly, she was completely unhurt, not even so much as a scratch. She settled down pretty quickly once the scare was over, but we quickly learned to keep the outside door shut at all times if she was playing on the floor - no exceptions. A Pack N Play or some other type of playpen would have eliminated the problem. We didn't have one for that trip, but we have one now!!
Terry
2008 camping nights: 8
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JAXFL
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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I have a solid rule.... "No Pampers in the Camper"
Once that pamper theng is over then we can go camping.
Happy Trails
JAXFL
2008 3100LTD Sun Seeker
2008 Chevy Colorado Z71 4x4 Auto Toad
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Merrykalia
SW Virginia
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We started taking both of our girls when they were 4 months old (both born in July, go camping at T'giving EVERY year). When our oldest was 4 months, we were in a pup. We bathed her in a big pot. When our youngest was 4 months, we bathed her in the same pot and used the kitchen sink in our hybrid. We will be going this year, thank goodness there is no 4 month old and we have a 33' bunkhouse with a bathtub!
The pot worked great and our oldest wanted to bathe in it last year. She fit, kinda.
We always had a pack-n-play, baby monitor, stroller, baby backpack/front pack, a milk crate for toys (we have special toys that stay in the camper) and lots of laughter. We have soooo much fun camping.
Our kids get to play with the pots and pans in the camper (the sound just bounces around and around).
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thewaggonerfamily
SE Michigan
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kooky wrote:Things I find indispensable while camping:
breasts
Ergo (baby carrier)
My kiddo happily sleeps with us. A screenhouse is nice if it's buggy out. If you use disposable diapers, carry plenty of plastic/bio bags to tuck them into before tossing them out each night. If you use cloth dipes, take a couple extra wetbags and flushable liners.
Glowsticks make nice nightlights. A tarp covered by a blanket = safe crawling area.
I had to look 3x to be sure I hadn't written this post! You are my kind of mama! The OP doesn't say if the baby's mama is coming along, but I am amazed at all the grandparents taking the grandkids for a weekend or longer. As a breastfeeding mama who hates pumping, I never leave my nurslings for more than a couple of hours until they are around 2 and never over night until they wean (usually around 3-4ish) (For all the nay-sayers that I am sure are coming, the WHO recommends breastfeeding AT LEAST 2 years and the AAP just recognised that "normal" breastfeeding for humans is anywhere between 0-7 years. And once babies are older they are only nursing a couple times a day, usually right before naps or bed.)
But that said, all you really need is breasts (or formula making stuff) diapers and wipes (We do cloth, much easier!), and something to wear the baby in.(I also LOVE my Ergo!) Baby sleeps with us, and at that age is always being carried by mama, or if I try to set them down gets picked up by daddy or another sibling. So we have very little use for all the baby equipment. If mama isn't coming then you should probably do or take what the baby is most used to, If they love their exersaucer bring that, if they are used to being laid down, bring the pack and play, if they are used to the stroller, bring that. Babies are very easy and portable. (Says a mama of 6, LOL)
Scott & Katie
Katherine 15, Christian 13, Johannah 10, Nicholas 5, Genevieve 4, Matthew 9/10/07 and Amy the Wonder Lab
Chevy 2500 12 passenger Express
1983 24' Fleetwood Prowler
Pics are here: http://83prowler.blogspot.com/
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zoopa
Denver, CO
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Our youngest is now 10 weeks and has been on 4 weekend trips this summer. We take the Pack 'n Play and a fold-up travel swing.
If the parents are not going with you on the trip, I would make sure that you have a release form giving you permission to have the child treated in case of emergency.
2004 PSD Excursion
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PowerSlot rotors/Hawk LTS pads
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2007 Jayco Eagle 314BHDS
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