Overlanding with an infant?

[Jonny G]

My wife and I are expecting our first child in about a month. Just wondering if anyone has and tips/advice on "light" overlanding and camping (trailer) with an infant? Or should we just not consider this at all until she's older and can hold her head upright?

 

[luchaDor]

We camped once...and only once with our 6 wk. old, in a pop up camper. That was with our 2nd kid, so we weren't rookies, our 3 year old had a blast...we (Mom and Dad) were pretty tired and stressed out. We left a day early (it was only 3 nights to begin with) and were glad when we got home. For us it was just too early.

(The only reason we went was b/c it was with our large family for an annual reunion...)

 

[Jonny G]

Thanks for the advice luchaDor! I think we have plenty already planned at about 12 weeks (provided all goes as planned). So we shall see. I have read about people tent camping at only a few weeks. They must be a bit crazy?

 

[luchaDor]

Thanks for the advice luchaDor! I think we have plenty already planned at about 12 weeks (provided all goes as planned). So we shall see. I have read about people tent camping at only a few weeks. They must be a bit crazy?

I mean, we did it successfully. I rented a small pop-up for heat & protection from the weather. However, we had to pack so much stuff for a newborn it just made it hard to enjoy the experience. Give it 3-6 months and go for it. At 6 mos. they're stronger, have figured out that life outside the womb doesn't totally stink and they might even smile once in a while. :D

Its your family, so only you and your wife can make those decisions. I would not in winter though...unless you live somewhere warm. That's just me...

 

[OffroadTreks]

Not only have we done it, we went fulltime on the road with a 3 month old and a 1 1/2 yr old.

My best recommendation is to buy a quality Recaro car seat with the infant headrest insert. Yes, it is pricey upfront. But here is the thing, my oldest is now 4yrs old and we still have this car seat. The 2 1/2 yr old came home from the hospital in hers and has been in it ever since. These seats grow with them until they need a booster. Really makes it worth it IMO. They support and protect the child. And I think are the best on the market if you go offroad, IMO.

I wouldn't even look at the Walmart/Target Greco plastic crap.

Pack extra diapers, and get yourself a trasharoo or wat to dispose of those outside of the vehicle.

 

[Jonny G]

Thanks for the info BoldAdventure!

 

[Onefin]

We took my daughter for her first tent camping experience at 8 weeks. She was fine, we just needed to sort out sleeping arraignments for The three of us a a big boxer dog in one tent.
Later had a pop top sprinter and put a full size ikea crib down below inside.....that got some strange looks when in established CGs. Was rad for the kid to have a proper crib.
She is now almost 6 years and has spent a decent amount of time camping and exploring in Moab and going over all the SW Colorado mountain passes (black bear, Imogene, etc.). They don’t care about scenery as much as you do, so don’t fight it.
Lots of snacks, diapers, wipes, water, change of clothes, some sort of private restroom (port-a-pottie and tent) for mom and you’re good.
We justified our ARB fridge in just weeks of newborn baby ownership......mom now loves it for neccessities like white wine and milk, not to mention grocery store runs.
Even if you are staying closer to home in an established CG, it’s good practice to get your system down.
We also had a thing called a go-pod when she was able to sit up that was rad. It’s like a camping chair for a baby. Fire safety and sun protection are essential with a kid; and also knowing when to bail when mom, dad, or baby aren’t have any fun. There’s always next time....unless you make this time miserable.
Have fun

 

[Jonny G]

Awesome! Thanks for the advice OneFin!

 

[The other Sean]

While I have no kids, I have two sets of friends who upon their first time or two out did a "test run" quite close to home. We all chose a county campground within 1/2 hour of their house. It made it simple to "dump and run" if need be. Once it was useful as a certain item was forgotten and once due to a rain storm. It really helped them nail down details before they were hours from home.

 

[James Deaton]

Infants sleep most of the time, until they eat, then they sleep again... so the first 6 weeks or so shouldn’t be a problem... I have 3 girls, 15, 13, 7, so i’m pretty familiar.

James

 

[Dakota Houligans]

Due to all of our kids being winter babies the youngest they camped was about 3 months old. The wife did eventually figure out that she packed way too much stuff. Yes you'll need more spare cloths for the kids. But your camping and exploring so if your doing it right you'll probably end up a little dirty anyway. So many we just changed their clothes when it was cooler out and they got them wet. We took a 10 hour road trip to Denver for a funeral when my daughter was about 3 weeks old. They sleep a lot then so get up early and drive. you'll have to make a lot of breaks for feeding and changing them. We actually found it harder to travel longer distances once they are able to crawl and walk. Because then they want to run around and play. As they get older we give them crayons and paper to color, books, and sometimes a tablet to play on.