I'm preparing for our up coming camping trip with our 3 girls and 2 other families and their children. Making this trip 6 adults, and 7 kids under the ages 6,5,4,3,3,2,and 1. Got that!! 4 girls and 3 boys. I know that this will be a fun trip with the kids having their buddies to play and explore with. The Moms and Dads will have company too, that equals either just chatting or we could bust out a game of some sorts that travels well. I'm looking into some expert like advice as in people who have been there done that with small kids with recommendations on what to bring along to make things enjoyable and tolerable. So that none of us mommies loose our minds! We have done 2 test runs in the tent at home 1 inside in Dec 2008, then again in April 2009. I've learned somethings that need to come along. So I thought I'd share my personal gear list that's grown a little and I have some messages to come consignment shops for what I believe will be my final baby gear purchase for the whole camping gig.
The list goes..
- -our tent of course
- -air beds (1 queen, 2 twins)
- -kidco peapod (baby airbed/tent)(this is set to arrive at my house June 15th!!!)
- -sleeping bags for all...
- -FAN (we will have an electric hook up)
- -MP3 Player with portable speakers to play the girls Healing Praise by Kelly Copeland and other misc. music we may wish to listen to.
- blankies & a stuffed animal for each kids to sleep with
- back packs/packed with clothing and personal items (5 bags total!!)
- Lil nursery baby tent (to protect from bugs/sun and to use at the lake)(waiting on it to ship)
- Camp chairs (4 total)
- Hook on feeding chair(the kind that hooks to the table, I'm searching for a deal on one, hope to find a used one for cheap, I'll be calling around to all the consignment shops that sell baby goods near by)
- Lanterns and flashlights
- sand/water play toys
- fishing gear
- cooler(s) w/food/snacks/drinks
- various kid entertainment, games, coloring, maybe I can be creative and come up with a scavenger hunt that can be done in a small area or on a hike. (under adult supervision!)
That would be my list of must bring items. I would love a sun/screen shelter, to help w/ bugs especially when eating. I'm also considering bringing along my "play yard" like plastic gate pen, for babies, and a tarp w/ quilt. To make a play area for the youngest to be contained in. So she may scoot about and not get totally ticked about being contained to a small baby tent, carrier, or chair the whole time. So it may be a try to pack it, for the sake of we'll try just the baby tent, and if it fails at the camps site but out the pen!! I'm growing more excited about this trip, know I may not sleep as well as I'd like to, still excited. So watch for a post in the next month about our trip! Any advice would be much appreciated, if anyone has it to offer, on camping with kiddies, and babies!!
1 comment:
Dear Heather, All I can say is "have a wonderful time!" You sure have to take a lot of gear. We took our four boys when Donnie was only a year old. He had to sleep in the back of our old Nash Rambler, the 3 older ones slept in one little pup-tent on blankets and Grandpop & I slept in another small pup-tent on blankets. We went to a state park in Northern New Jersey. And the skunks & racoons got into our trash and food during the night. Such growling & fighting between the animals. We only went once!
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