Andy and I both grew up camping. We loved it and it’s something we carried our love for into our adulthood. We even got engaged while camping. Camping is something we knew from very early on we wanted to do with our girls. Rylee went on her first camping trip when she was just over two. Then again the summer she was three. We didn’t get out overnight last summer being grossly pregnant then having a newborn and all, but we did make it out for a day trip here and there.
Up until last month, I hadn’t really thought about whether or not we’d make it out this summer. Then Andy’s best friend called wanting to know if we’d be interested in a group camping trip. Always up for an adventure, I said sure, sounds like fun!
As the trip got closer I started second guessing my decision. Camping in Oregon anytime before the 4th of July is questionable at best. Throw in 6 families/nearly 20 people, a camping location that had snow on the ground just days before our arrival and a 10 month old that is rather…spirited and yea…it was going to be an interesting trip for sure. An adventure no matter what!
I’ll be honest…I went into it hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. {if you’re one of our friends that went with us, my apologies}
Day to day life was particularly busy the week preceding so I really didn’t get to do any of my traditional type-a Katherine prep, so that was like the icing on my anxious cake.
Despite my less than stellar attitude going into it and the rain scattered throughout, I am happy to report that the trip went pretty well! Rylee had a blast playing with all the other kids. Andy and I had fun catching up with our friends. Reese did pretty well despite not being allowed to eat the rocks.
Group Camping with little ones is nothing like group camping pre-kids. It’s still fun…just a different kind of fun. I’ll tell you what…the trip would have been nowhere near as successful if it wasn’t for our group. It seriously takes a village, you guys.
Will it happen again this summer? Who knows…the way our summer is shaping up, we may not have time for another trip out but I wouldn’t rule it out completely just yet.
I was going to share my “tips for camping with a 10 month old” in another post, but it’s taken me 3 weeks just to get this post up. Here’s my tips: take food you know they’ll eat. Co-sleep if your worried about them being cold. Take a baby carrier. Create a “safe-zone” where baby can crawl about. If you have any other questions about camping with a baby, just ask!
