Tent camping with 3 kids under 8 - what are we in for? | DadHQ

Tent camping with 3 kids under 8 - what are we in for?

Dec 291 min read

We're attempting our first real camping trip in 3 weeks. Got a Coleman 6-person tent, sleeping bags, the works. Our kids are 3, 5, and 7. I keep hearing horror stories about middle-of-the-night wake-ups and arguments over bathroom trips. Should we do a backyard test run first, or just rip the band-aid off? Any gear recommendations that actually made a difference for you guys? We're doing a state park about 45 min from home.

6 comments427 views

Comments(6)

TTyler M.New DadDec 29

How's your wife feeling about this? I ask because sometimes one parent is way more anxious and the whole trip vibe changes. Ours was stressed the whole time which made the kids anxious too. Just communicate a lot before you go.

VVic G.RegularDec 30

Where are you camping? That matters a lot. We did this with 3 kids at Lost Lake and it was amazing, versus the coast where they just whined the whole time about wind.

MMarco R.New DadDec 30

You're about to learn that kids under 8 need to be entertained literally every 15 minutes or chaos happens. Bring way more activities than you think you need. We forgot books and cards on our first trip, biggest mistake ever.

FFritz N.RegularDec 31

You're in for some sleepless nights, one kid always gets cold or has to pee, but honestly some of my best memories with my kids are from shitty camping trips. Just manage expectations and you'll be fine.

CChristopher T.New DadDec 31

The Coleman 6-person is solid. Real talk though, kids take up way more space than you'd think with all their gear, so you're probably actually looking at 4-person capacity realistically.

DDan W.RegularJan 1

Three weeks is actually decent prep time. Practice setting up the tent in your backyard first, I'm serious. Also bring extra blankets, sleeping bags are never quite enough when kids are used to their beds at home.