In my experience, the toddler fell asleep in my lap around the campfire, and was carried into the tent at parent bedtime.
2 Likes
We have done it this way. Closer to fall itâs too early for me, so I read in bed. But generally exhaustion hits after dark.
1 Like
Iâm afraid to add up the amount Iâve spent on camping stuff in the last two days, but I should finally be set.
Step 0: get everything delivered and opened/sorted/stored
Step 0.5: set up the tent, preferably alone, then take it down, similarly
Step 1: camp in friendâs yard across the street overnight
Step 2: camp in city park 5 min from home overnight
Step 3: camp in state park 30 min from home for a weekend
Step 4: music camp 8 hours from home for a week
ThatâsâŚreasonable? Terrifying?
7 Likes
You have this!
1 Like
It will be great! Or not! But youâre doing it!
I will say that we camped in April with an 18 month old and night 1 was ROUGH. But night 2 was much better. So maybe donât abandon the whole plan if step 2 or 3 doesnât go well.
We did a huge Costco tent with a packnplay in the tent with us but my child will not cosleep, or fall asleep sitting around the fire.
3 Likes
Temps are the lowest around 3-4AM. The 2.0 tog sleep sack we brought for 5 month old wasnât sufficient. We ended up cosleeping aka not really sleeping - there wasnât enough space.
If I were camping solo with my 20-month old now, I would do lots of home food prep or takeout to minimize need for knife & stove.
Anti-bug stuff and tick checks, if theyâre a menace in your area.
We sometimes rent campsites on Tentrr.com for reasons (husband had a broken rib and needed air mattress, heavy rain in forecast, we preferred a site where dog could be off leash, etc.) and theyâve been great. Pricey compared to regular campsites, but cheaper than buying alllll the gear if you donât.
3 Likes
How are people keeping ticks off? They are a huge fear of mine, being in New England. We have OFF, considering permethrin clothing but itâs $$$ and i donât want to buy to apply on my own.
Do you spray OFF on waking onto morning clothes and tick check in the evening?
1 Like
We donât have many tick issues, esp if you stay out of tall grasses. But tick checks daily are still done. (Even at home because sheâs outside so often). Also pets are key to watch for on this.
1 Like
Iâd love to see that gear list!
1 Like
We upgraded a lot of gear for camping with kiddo.
Tent:
Blackout tent. Giant Coleman fast pitch. Has a divider you can use inside to make it 2 rooms. Has 2 entrances on opposite sides. We can stand up in it. Stores fairly large and requires 2 people for setup, BUT itâs a fast and easy set up.
Camp stove:
We love this upgrade. Camp Chef, Everest 2X. Way more adjustable flame level than our old Coleman camp stove we used for the 10 years before this.
2 adjustable height lifetime tables. Very nice because itâs an easier work height AND can be above toddler eye level.
Fire pit from Costco. Cheap, easy, I prefer it to wood with a toddler because we can turn it off instantly.
Uhhhh thatâs misc so far, feel free to ask about anything. Iâll post out sleeping situation later.
3 Likes
Insect repellent and tick checks. Also a lint roller, it wonât remove a Tick thatâs already embedded, but it will take loose ones off your clothes before they embed.
Light weight long pants and socks.
Tick check at bedtime, and I have a âtick keyâ to remove any that have embedded.
We usually use the lint roller a few times a day, like lunch and late afternoon, then before bed with a full tick check
3 Likes
Also, I now have a full-on âtick kitâ after a traumatic tick removal experience a few weeks ago. Contains super pointy tweezers, rubbing alcohol and bandaids as well as the tick key.
3 Likes
The other suggestion I have is to have your small children help out, with similar chores as they have at home. I started solo camping with my two when they were 3&6, and they could dry dishes and fetch water. Now at 11 & 14, they can do everything. Last summer we were camping and the boys were lighting the fire, using the stove, pitching tents, etc, because we always approached camping as a cooperative venture. You want sâmores? No problem, youâll need a fire for that though
I saw a lot of parents in the campground run ragged trying to keep up, and I was not because they both help as needed.
4 Likes
Thatâs a good idea! âBig girlâ status comes with big girl expectations!
5 Likes
I can say pretty confidently now that âtoddlers who fall asleep being heldâ and âmy toddlerâ overlap 0%.
5 Likes
Same. 
2 Likes
SameâŚor really even if she has a line of sight to me.
We tried the falling asleep in front of the campfire thing on night one and as she got more tired she insisted on trying to do sprints across the campground in the dark with no one touching her.
3 Likes
Oh, I am basing this one this being the third failed night of toddler sleeping before dark (10pm) and when we go to bed with her while camping. Not even theoretical. (Although I also pretty well knew then).
4 Likes
Sheâs a firefly! 
1 Like
Ohhhh. Iâm having a sudden memory of the time I thought Iâd bring my newly 1 year old to an outdoor movie thinking she would just fall asleep before the movie started and snuggle through.
I had everything. Bottle, paci, blankey, sleep sack, rocking, darkness (sort ofâI think it was mid-June, but the movie started at dusk). She had the bottle, did the sleepy snuggleâŚand ended up so hype she was trying to climb the backrest of the stroller while I watched the end of the movie with a death grip on her sleep sack. She passed out when we got home at 11pm and she was finally in her crib.
Hopefully a year makes a difference. 
2 Likes