bkkalk6
Florida
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Joined: 01/14/2012
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Hi All!
We just bought a 26ft TT and are going camping this weekend the 1st time (in Florida) We have 4 boys ages 16, 11, 5 and 1yo.
My question is what good advice can you give me as far as the 1yo goes? We are thinking about bringing his big round gate so when we are under the awning we can put that on the outdoor rug so I wont have to chase him the whole time.. any other suggestions?
How do you all pack clothes, food, blankets etc?
TY!!
anything else you want to add is wonderful! this is ALL new to us!!
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doublenot7
Clear Lake, Texas
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Joined: 03/14/2011
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My son has been camping since he was 3 months, first used a Radio Flyer wagon as a crib! For little ones we have used a portable play pen or staked a blue tarp on the ground for some clean crawling space. Never fenced them into a coral though. We pack the essentials just like any other trip, throw them in a diaper/traveling bag.
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PapPappy
Wilmington, NC
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We've got a 2-year old Grandson, who we want to go camping with, but just haven't been able to just yet....though we plan to get away this Summer.....
I got many suggestions and ideas from reading the LivelyLittleCampers blog. They are also on this Forum, though I haven't seen much lately, but then again, it's winter. They have twins who are about 4 years old now, but the blog talks about them over the past few years, and how they have adapted and such with their P'Up camper. You may also get some ideas of where to go on trips, as they write very well, about the campgrounds and such here on the East Coast (though mostly in the Northeast)
HERE is their Blog link.
One of the things that we got, was the little Pea-Pod Tent that pops up quite easily, as we worried about MJ getting up and out of the dinette bed we have. With this, we would, in a way, have him locked inside the little tent.
Bill & Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris / GS MJ
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RIP: Cookie, Foxy & Gidget @ Rainbow Bridge.
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hoss1045
Woodland, Wa for now
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Depends on how much fun you want the 1yr old to have. We bgot a blow up pool, depending on weather = water or no water. no water will still keep them busy if thats where their toys are. Good warm weather, you put 2" of water in it and they will be in there all day. But no adult beverages while this is going on. Safety first.
2007 GMC Yukon XL
2004 Fourwinds 25' HTT
Go BUCKEYES
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johnrbd
San Joaquin Valley
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FYI, DO NOT feed the 1-yr old grapes. The cleanup is horrendous!
38 yrs ago,and I still remember it like it happened yesterday.
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campersuzid
Bisbee
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Food wise - just remember K.I.S.S. = keep it simple sister! Take what they will eat and don't worry about it.
For the old boys, have them make "Spiders" for dinner. "Spiders" are hot dogs that have had the ends cut through two to four times for about an inch then put on a green stick or long handle fork and roasted over the campfire. As the hot dog cooks, the "legs" of the "spider" curl up giving it that creature look.
Other tips:
- leave all the sweet smelling baby products at home. The sweet smell tends to attract bugs
- stick with your normal schedule as much as possible
- naps are critical to insure a happy littlest camper
- give a backpack to each child to pack (and that includes the 1 yr) their must have things. One backpack per child only!
Last summer we camped with 2 year old twin girls and a 8 year old boy. Frankly, the 2 year old were easier on so many levels.
And, before you head out, ask the older children to inspect the TT for any potential problems the young one might discover, such as dangling wires and sharp corners. Be sure to correct, tie-up the wires and cover corners with piece of the pool noodles or whatever those floating things are called, before hand.
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bkkalk6
Florida
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This is all WONDERFUL advice! THANK YOU!! Keep the posts coming!! Do you all take suitcases for clothing? what do you pack all of your "stuff" in?? Linens? clothes? bathroom items? food? etc.. etc..
Oh as far as water... do you bring lots of bottled water?? like 3-4 cases for a weekend? do you cook with bottled water? trailer water?? any good advice for that?? what do you give older kids for drinks other than water? just buy some capri sun or make pitchers of lemonade?? or what??
TY!!
LOVE the spider idea!! DEF gonna do that.. I also went to the dollar store yesterday and got a bunch of balloons and glow sticks so i can put the glow stick in the balloon and blow it up so they can play with them in the dark at night! p.s got that idea on pinterest!
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campersuzid
Bisbee
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Suitcases!!! LOL!!! I've been know to use a pillowcase. Whatever works for you. BTW, you can cut down on your work by making bedrolls for the boys and not making up a bed. Just spread a blanket on the floor and a clean sheet on top. Fold it (in half or thirds) so it best fits the child and roll it up. Stuff it in a cabinet until needed. Lay the bedroll out and fold the end under so it is snuggle. And don't forget their pillows. (We have forgotten pillows so many times, I just keep a set in our RV stored in one of those air tight vacuum sealed "space bags.")
Unless I know the water is bad, we don't take bottled watered. State law requires campground, whether private or public, water be tested regularly so that's not a worry. I do use a Britta water filter per my hubby request for his tea/coffee. We generally travel with may 6 to 10 gallons in our fresh water tank and top it off when we get to the cg. If your TT is new, you shouldn't have to worry about TT water's safety. I cook and wash with our fresh water tank and keep our Britta pitcher of water on the counter for drinking.
Check out Pinterest camping crafts for more ideas. One idea I liked and children enjoyed used a cheap cloth drop-cloth and rolls of electric tape. They made a hop-scotch grid one day, bean bag toss game another day, and a roadmap (with boulders, trees, and lake) the next day. The tape went on easy and was even easier to get off.
One last thing, the odds are good you'll over pack. My advice is to make a list (I know its labor intensive but so useful) of what you take and when you get home, go over that list and see what you really didn't use, need, or want.
Oh and don't forget your camera!!! This could be the start of many more adventures.
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coolmom42
Middle Tennessee
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Well the nice thing about a trailer is that you don't have to "pack". You put your bathroom stuff in the bathroom, bedding on the beds, and clothes in a spot for each person. No suitcases needed.
If you have beds to make up each night, keep it simple. Use sleeping bags or comforters, skip the layers.
Each child should have a backpack or some type of bag for his/her personal stuff--electronics, favorite toys or pillows, books, etc. And that child MUST be responsible for keeping the stuff collected and picked up. Anything not in use should be in the bag. There just isn't room in a camper for stuff lying around.
Properly sanitize your water system, be careful handling the fill hose, and it will be fine to use for any purpose.
No need for special food, just take the same stuff you use at home, and keep it simple. I find it helpful to take some stuff made ahead. Take something like a beef stew to re-heat, eat it for a couple of days. Then take some frozen things like frozen spaghetti sauce, and it will be thawed about 3 days in, if you keep it in the fridge, and it will be ready to use later. You can save yourself a lot of work that way.
2003 Toyota Sequoia Ltd.
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psa0298
Alberta
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The first night the kids will drive you crazy at bedtime(at least ours always do...ages 1, 3, 6, 8) They are soooo excited about everything, they just don't want to sleep. Don't expect to stay on your same schedule...we tried but what kid wants to go to bed at 8:00 while camping. Just remember, you are on holidays, relax and let them have a little lattitude with the rules....it's their holiday too.
We never coraled our kids (not for a lack of trying)but lets just say they wanted to be a part of the action. We found our kids did not wander very far. They always seemed to find rocks/bugs/etc near by that kept their interest which was fine by us....thats why we go camping.
* This post was
edited 02/07/12 10:27am by psa0298 *
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