Planning a camping trip this Labor Day weekend with my wife and 2 year old. We've camped before kids but obviously this is different. He's still in diapers, gets cranky when he's uncomfortable, and we don't want to be those people ruining everyone's camping experience. Should we rent a cabin instead? Or just commit to full camping and bring like 40 backup outfits? What am I missing?
Dude the key thing nobody tells you is bring a portable white noise machine or app. Seriously changes the game for toddler sleep camping. Also pack a headlamp for each adult because you will be doing midnight diaper changes and you don't want to wake the whole campsite with a flashlight.
My son's only 8 months so camping is still on the horizon for us, but I'm definitely gonna follow this thread. Labor Day weekend sounds perfect timing though. What's your biggest concern going in?
Toddlers and camping can be a total wildcard. Here's what saved us: bring way more snacks than you think you need, keep bedtime routine as normal as possible even in the tent, and honestly just accept that it won't be as relaxing as pre-kid camping. But it'll be worth it.
The real question is whether your 2 year old sleeps in the tent with you or if that's its own adventure. We did a cabin first time with ours and I'm not gonna lie, it made a difference.
Pro tip from my camping disasters: bring way more water than you think. Toddlers get dehydrated fast and cranky even faster. Also those disposable camping potties are gold if you're not doing the full tent situation. Made our last trip infinitely better.
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We did our first camping trip with our 2 year old last summer and honestly it was way easier than expected. Pack way more snacks than you think you need, get a good quality sleeping bag rated for lower temps than the forecast says, and don't stress if bedtime takes forever. Kids are weird about sleeping in new places. Have fun out there.