My husband and I would like to go camping this summer with our 16 month old toddler.
We have always lived in cities and are relatively new to the whole camping experience. In other words, we are both very inexperienced naturalists although we love being outdoors. Are we crazy to attempt this with a toddler? I would love to hear about anyone's experience of camping with very young kids. Also, any useful tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I did this last year and would not recommend it. It is very hard to entertain a toddler in a campsite because their attention span is so short and they aren't old enough to entertain themselves by playing king of the hill or whatever other games older kids play. Also campsites are very very dirty--you're thinking well of course they are but a 16 month old is still a bit unsteady on their feet and will fall face first into the dirt. Meals were a problem because our daughter would drop her food and then it would be way way too dirty to eat or she would get sticky hands and then trip and fall..... you get the picture. I am so not picky about dirt in general but she was covered. At night I had to take her to the bathroom and wash her off in the sink and then carry her back to the tent without letting her touch anything just so she would be a bit clean when she slept. Campsites are also full of hazards like the fire pit, the campstove and traffic from the other campers. All in all, we decided to wait until the kids are three and five to try that again--and we are experienced campers. I'd say get a cheap motel near a nature area and take day trips to hike and have picnics.

It scares me. I worry about the fire (I know someone badly burned from that)or maybe not hearing the child wake up and get out of the tent etc. I've been waiting until my daughter is a bit older.

This was over 25 years ago and my 15th month old son's first camping experience was also MY very first experience. We all enjoyed that first time and it was just the beginning of what is now a 26 year passion for camping.

My son was a very good walker at 15 months so falling was not really an issue. Our habits at home were to sit at the table and eat. He did that camping too. We brough his trucks and shovels and he had a blast! I even have a picture of my DS sitting in a big folding chair. They didn't have those cute little ones for kids back then. We had a small port-a-crib that we brought for him to sleep in the tent. We had a big firepit and campfires but if having a fire is a worry then I would wait until he's asleep before I had one.

We spent a week camping. The first several nights were with two other families and their children who were even younger. They brought a highchair & playpen for the one year old who was just learning to walk. The last two nights we went on our own to Yosemite National Park. My DH carried our DS in a backpack on hikes.

It can be a wonderful experience for all. I think a lot has to do with what you expect out of the trip and what you are willing to put into it.

Utahtea

Oh, perhaps I should clarify. The reason my daughter was walking around to eat was because the picnic table was too big and the space between the bench and the table was such that she couldn't reach the table if she was sitting on the bench. So we put her food on the bench and she stood but she kept dropping it. Or the yellow jackets tried to eat it...

If you've never camped before, I would suggest a short camping trip without the toddler first. If that isn't possible, maybe renting an RV or trailer would be a bit better until the toddler gets to be a couple of years older.

I agree with Go Travel. Try a camping trip with your husband before you bring the baby. You might discover that you hate camping. You will be able to see how much or how little work is involved in setting up your tent, cooking, watching the fire, etc. You may decide that you will have time to keep an eye on your child or you might see that it will be too overwhelming. Remember that camping is supposed to be relaxing.

My sisters and I grew up camping, but my parents were avid campers before we came along. As long as your prepared you shouldn't have a problem.
Bring extra changes of clothes as camping is drity, no matter who you are or where you go. Most state campground will have bathroom facilities with showers(although you will have to pay a small fee for hot water).
Bring some kind of playyard for you baby so you have a place to put her while you make meals, start the fire, etc. Make shure she has her favorite washable toys with her.
Try to keep the same routine that you have at home when you are camping, IE:eating at or close to the same time, nap times, bed times, etc. Children are creatures of habit, and need their routines.
Try not to keep a firm schedule. Go to the Beach or for a hike, keeping in mind the needs of your child, and the fact that she may get bored quickly.

Most importantly wether or not you are camping with or with out your child, bring a first aid kit, sunscreen, bug bite ointment, and any medicines you are taking.

You can have a successful camping trip with your toddler. Just remember that is is supposed to be fun and relaxing. If she makes a mess and gets dirty, so what, you'll just have a great picture to remind you of the trip.

Have fun!

My son went on his first camping trip at 7 months old. Of course, my husband and I were experienced campers. We kept the first time short [a weekend] and brought a playpen, baby backpack and seat that would attach to table for meals. A year later we went again and he loved it. Forgo the campfires and keep it short.

I'd start out with a one night trip to the closest area you can find with a campground. It rarely costs more than $15 to camp at a state or national park/monument. If you don't like it, just pack up early and come home. You could even start by going to an area with day use sites, thus avoiding the hassle of a tent, sleeping bags, etc. I'd look at my local library for a book on camping with children.

I agree with the advice to start with a short trip. If it's disaster, you can always go home. We have a lot of campers in my family - my cousins and I have all been camping since we were babies and we survived. We always had a pretty good time too.

I did escape from the tent one night. My mom woke up in a panic and then found me sound asleep in the dirt under a tree.

We have a 22 month old son. He went camping with us at a large state park last summer when he was just a year old. He had a great time and so did we.

One thing we did was to buy two small inflatable swimming pools from WalMart. (The kind where only the sides inflate, and the bottom stays flat). Took the air pump with us (plugged into the car cigarette lighter, worked great), and kept both swimming pools inflated the whole time we were there. We took a folding high chair with us.....put the high chair in the middle of one swimming pool, so when my son dropped any food, it didn't land in the dirt, but rather on the dry plastic. We used the nearby faucet to fill the other pool up with water, and our son had a great time splashing around in there. When we weren't using the dry pool for meal times, we put his toys in there, and he would play contentedly.

Our site was just a short walk to the river, which had a sandy/rocky beach. We set up a huge umbrella. Under there, Ryan played in the sand and watched the canoeists float by, the kingfishers diving in the water, the hawks circling overhead. We went for walks (had a baby backpack, and we also took his big chunky plastic wagon to pull him around in) and played with flashlights when it started to get dark. If it got too warm, we would turn on the car for a little bit, crank up the A/C and sit in there with him while he played in the cool with his toys.

Our son's "routine" went out the window, as far as nap and meal times. It was pretty warm, and his activity level was pretty high, so he felt like eating a little less (except for fruit. He inhaled the fruit because it was juicy and we kept it on ice for the cooling factor) and he napped more often. But he still slept pretty well at night. Lots of water, sunscreen, and his little hat were vital, and we kept checking him for ticks. Took several extra changes of clothes for him, but surprisingly, he didn't get all that dirty. Anyway, my Mom always said a little dirt never hurt.

Our spot was $14/night, electricity included (we brought a small fan with us and it came in handy during those humid afternoons and evenings). No extra charge for showers or hot water.

We arrived on a Friday, packed up and left on Sunday morning. It was a wonderful weekend all around. Got some fantastic pics, too!

Bottom line.....camping with a young child can be done, with careful planning and a "just relax and enjoy" attitude.

From someone who has done a ton of camping (although without children) ... I agree with the above posters who recommend a short trip with just you and your husband to see if you even enjoy camping ... however, this may not be possible so I would recommend a SHORT camping trip to start. Also, try to borrow as much equipment as you can to see if you are going to enjoy it before you invest in much.

I think you will find that with children you will be dragging along an incredible amount of stuff. When my husband and I camp we really tried to keep things to a minimum, but our friends with children ending up bringing tons of stuff just to keep the kids busy.

You may want to seriously consider renting a cabin rather than doing the tent thing ... this will cut down tremendously on the things you have to bring related to the tent and cooking outdoors only.

Also, be sure to bring your sense of humor ... it can be great fun when things are going good, however bad weather can be a disaster (especially with kids or if you have to set up or take down your camp in it), and sometimes the setting up of the tent and/or rain tarp can also be a bit "tricky" depending on your equipment. Another thing to keep in mind is that the facilities for toilets and showers vary quite a bit from clean to downright disgusting ... on busy weekends they may start out clean, but sometimes the camping park staff are not good at keeping up with use of them ... depends on where you go.