Camping with a baby: how to plan a first overnight trip

You can camp with a baby. Keep the first trip to one night, close to home, with toilets and an easy way out. Plan safe sleep first, because it is the part that needs the most care. This page is general information. Ask your baby's doctor about your child.

The decision rule

Ask these before you book.

1. Can we get home in under an hour if it goes wrong?
2. Is the forecast mild, with no big heat or cold?
3. Is there a toilet and water close to the pitch?

If you say no to any, pick a different place or go another weekend. For toddlers, see camping with toddlers: how to plan a first trip.

Safe sleep

Official advice for babies is to sleep on a firm, flat surface, on the back, with no loose blankets, pillows or soft toys in the sleep space. The CDC has a page on safe baby sleep. Follow the rules for home when you are away.

• Use a portable crib or play yard made for sleep, set up on flat ground inside the tent.
• Do not put a baby to sleep in a sleeping bag with adults or on an air bed with loose bedding.
• Use a wearable sleep sack instead of a loose blanket.
• Check the baby often, and keep the sleep space away from the tent wall in cold weather.

What goes wrong first. Cold. Babies lose heat fast, and the ground steals it. Put a pad under the play yard, and dress the baby in layers you can add or remove.

Dress for the night

Use thin layers, a hat and a sleep sack. Check the neck, not the hands, to see if the baby is too warm or too cold. If the neck is sweaty, take a layer off. If cool, add one. Stay warm in a tent in winter explains why the ground matters.

What to pack

Your regular baby gear, plus:

• Extra diapers and wipes (more than you think)
• Extra clothes for spills
• Food or formula for each meal, and a plan for heating it
• A first aid kit with items for babies, checked with your doctor
• A shade for the day and a sun hat
• Insect protection that is safe for babies. Ask your doctor what to use.

For the rest of the list, see the family camping packing guide.

Keep the day simple

Plan short, flat walks and long rest breaks. Keep the baby out of direct sun and away from the fire and stove. Use a baby carrier on easy paths only.

Hot or cold weather

Skip the trip in very hot or very cold weather. A baby cannot tell you they are too hot or too cold, and they cannot adjust their own layers.

Have a way out

Know the route home and the nearest urgent care. Charge your phone. Tell someone your plan and return time. If the baby seems unwell, go home. No trip is worth it.

Feeding and changing plan

Make the night easy to run in the dark.

• Keep a headlamp with a red or low setting by the bed, so you do not wake the baby fully.
• Lay out diapers, wipes, a change of clothes and a bag for waste in one place.
• If you use formula, measure it at home into containers. Plan how to warm water safely, and cool it before use. Follow the maker's advice and your doctor's.
• Wash bottles with clean water and soap, and follow your doctor's advice about cleaning.
• Bring more water than you think, because washing, bottles and cooking use a lot.

A sample day

This is an example, so adapt it to your baby.

Rule: if the baby is unsettled for hours or you are worried, go home. A change of plan is fine.

Things to leave out of the first trip

• A fire close to the baby. Keep it well away and watch it.
• A stove or heater in the tent.
• Long walks on rough ground.
• Anything that needs a long drive on bad roads.