Camping with a toddler?

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Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Friday 18th May 2018
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We're contemplating taking our three-year old to a music festival later this summer. I've been camping at festivals since I was a kid; my wife is less keen, but we've always had a small two-person tent without any luxuries when she's come along before and now we're contemplating getting a proper family tent and all the associated paraphernalia.

Anyone else tried it with a young family? Any advice for camping with a toddler?

Chris

C0ffin D0dger

3,440 posts

144 months

Friday 18th May 2018
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Camped with our kids from a young age. Not done a festival though and I'm not sure I'd be quite ready for that yet. That said my festival experiences consist almost entirely of Glastonbury and that can be an ordeal in itself without bringing kids into the mix, I'm sure that some other festivals are a bit more family friendly.

Difficult bit is keeping them warm at night so they sleep well. The have a habit of wriggling out of sleeping bags.

toon10

6,140 posts

156 months

Friday 18th May 2018
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I used to take my eldest camping with my brother. I think he was 4 when we started though. He absolutely loved it. Can be a bit of a pain when they need the toilet through the night and as mentioned, make sure they are well wrapped up.

fat80b

2,242 posts

220 months

Friday 18th May 2018
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We took ours (2 & 4) to camp bestival last year where it rained hard for all 4 days and turned into a swamp. It was great.

I also took a 3 year old camping at Le Mans the year before. Many people thought I was mad but it too was great fun.

The camping was easy. Not sure we did anything different to normal, spent a fair bit of time in the tent and out and about - I guess the secret is good clothing.

Things we did:
Plenty of snacks in the tent.
Take a travel potty and you don't need to leave at night.
I always sleep in the pod with the kid in case they wake up disorientated and try to escape (never actually happened)
Enjoy

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Friday 18th May 2018
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Went camping to a festival a few years back. Someone else took a baby. Who woke up. At dawn. At stupid o'clock. And woke the whole damn campsite up mad

eliot

11,364 posts

253 months

Friday 18th May 2018
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Puggit said:
Went camping to a festival a few years back. Someone else took a baby. Who woke up. At dawn. At stupid o'clock. And woke the whole damn campsite up mad
If a kid woke you up in the morning at a festival - then you clearly wasn’t trying hard enough the night before....

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Friday 18th May 2018
quotequote all
eliot said:
If a kid woke you up in the morning at a festival - then you clearly wasn’t trying hard enough the night before....
It was a kid friendly festival, and we had our kids with us too!

But still!

silverthorn2151

6,298 posts

178 months

Sunday 20th May 2018
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We camped with Canvas Holidays for years and years with our4 kids from when they were babes in arms. All over France and Spain.

They now range from 25-33 and describe memories from those holidays as their most treasured. Camping is perfect for kids but arriving somewhere warm where it's all set up is perfect for mum and dad too.

Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2018
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Thanks all.

The festival we're contemplating is a small local one, so it's not the end of the world if the experiment goes wrong and we end up driving home halfway through. I was thinking we'd do a dry run beforehand - possibly just in the garden to make sure everyone was warm enough and stuff.

Any recommendations on tent choice? There's only three of us so we don't need anything too huge. Also not got a massive budget (cool as the tippees and stuff look). Was thinking maybe one of these: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/coleman-mosedale-5-ten...

mangos

2,952 posts

180 months

Friday 25th May 2018
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Im new to camping but driving down to Normandy to a campsite the week before Le Mans with our 1 year old.

Im hoping it will be managable as we have gone for the Safari tent set up with beds made on arrival. Fingers crossed!

Chicken Chaser

7,744 posts

223 months

Friday 25th May 2018
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It'll be fine. Maybe get some of those kids ear defenders if its too loud for them, but the fact that they'll be exposed to fresh air all day will mean they'll be flat out all night anyway. Take an extra blanket for over the sleeping bag if its cold. Look at sleep pods, theyre pretty good for car camping as they can move about in them (works well for adult ones too!)

fat80b

2,242 posts

220 months

Saturday 26th May 2018
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Chris71 said:
Thanks all.

The festival we're contemplating is a small local one, so it's not the end of the world if the experiment goes wrong and we end up driving home halfway through. I was thinking we'd do a dry run beforehand - possibly just in the garden to make sure everyone was warm enough and stuff.

Any recommendations on tent choice? There's only three of us so we don't need anything too huge. Also not got a massive budget (cool as the tippees and stuff look). Was thinking maybe one of these: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/coleman-mosedale-5-ten...
We went second hand on tent. Ours is pretty huge - central space and 3 bedrooms. it was a godsend when in the pouring rain. Having somewhere inside which is not too small is pretty important. It's a Vango colorado 600 I think. Big is good (although heavier to carry and a pain to erect).

I wouldn't spend £300 on a new tent when you can get practically a brand new one on Gumtree for a lot less. Ours was £80. It is fairly well used but will last us for a good few years and then we'll sell it back to gumtree (probably for £80). You can get barely used ones which are better than the one you have linked to for a £fewhundred second hand. just put it up in a garden beforehand and take a lot of extra pegs.

Other things to take.
Camping chairs - we have the canvas ones and they are also great.
We also take a table - getting off the floor for cooking and sitting is key. Much more civilised.
My top tip for a festival is to use a wallpaper pasting table. £10 in B&Q, sits on the bottom of your trolley on the way to the site, they last 3 days and then you can leave it behind (somewhat wasteful but it is knackered after 3 days so meh).
a gas stove.
a cool box with frozen wine in it - big boxes of wine freeze and keep your fridge bits cold for 2 1/2 days in my experience.
head torches.



Chris71

Original Poster:

21,535 posts

241 months

Saturday 2nd June 2018
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Had a look at second hand tents, but the decent ones were surprisingly close to the new price, so intead we got one of these for £199 from Go Outdoors: https://www.vango.co.uk/gb/tents/2007-catalina-500...

It's a bit bigger than I had in mind, but it seems to be about the smallest one that allows you to stand up inside the sleeping section, comes with a divider between the two 'bedrooms' etc.

Looking forward to trying it out now. Planning to do a trial run locally somewhere before we take it to a festival.

Steve Campbell

2,110 posts

167 months

Monday 4th June 2018
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Can't help with the camping bit, but it a music festival , consider ear defenders for the little one.

Kids hearing can be fragile.

Depends how close you intend to get to the music I guess.