Why Tent Camping With a Toddler Is Worth It

Camping with a baby or toddler isn’t my idea of a “relaxing” vacation, but it’s something that you’ll find is so worth it. It’s worth the long packing list, restless nights, and loads of laundry that inevitably follow. Our first real camping trip with our 12-month-old, Lillie Belle, was chock full of lessons and great memories. Looking back on our trip and talking about what went right and what we should improve on will help us in the future – and I’m here to share some of those insider tips for camping with a toddler.

Table of Contents

Why Tent Camping?

Tent camping is one of our favorite ways to travel for a few reasons. First, you’re as close as you can be to nature, and second, it’s the most budget-friendly option. Since the pandemic, we’re finding that some hotel rates have skyrocketed, and adding a dog and a toddler in the mix costs extra. There’s something so special about waking up to the sound of birds and river water and really going off the grid if you’re in a no cell service area.

First Camping Experience

When Lillie was just 8 weeks old, we took her camping over the July 4^th weekend for the first time. After the first night, we caved and moved to a hotel. We weren’t as prepared as we had thought. That trip taught us a lot and we made a few improvements that tremendously helped our camping experience this past weekend in Mittenwald, Germany.

Second Camping Experience

For Memorial Day Weekend, we packed up the car and all our gear and headed to a campground 3.5 hours south of our home in Grafenwoehr, Germany. Natur-camping Isahorn Mittenwald was the perfect location and the campground was well spread out. There were sites that had hook-ups for electricity and primitive sites on the bank of the Isar River. We chose a spot at the very back of the campground right by the river. Luckily for us, Lillie isn’t quite walking yet, so it was easy to always have one eye on her to make sure she didn’t try to go swimming in the ice-cold water.

We found a spot amongst the trees so we could hang our tarp over the tent in case it rained. I perched Lillie in her little chair (linked here) and set her up with a snack while Stephen and I put together the tent. These little chairs are perfect for camping. They’re easy to setup, breakdown, and are space-friendly when packing. Being so far back in the campground was even nicer since we didn’t have to worry about cars speeding through. She could roam around and play in the dirt nearby.

natur-camping isahorn mittenwald germany

camping with a toddler and dog in mittenwald germany

The only toys I brought were the ones we always travel in the car with; a few teethers and a zipper pouch from our Lovevery subscription full of bath toy animals (they’re easy to clean if they get dirty). Nature is its own playground. I showed her how to make rock and leaf “soup” and we had playful stick sword fights. She never needed a toy to keep her entertained while camping.

Sleeping in a Tent With a Toddler

Sleeping in the tent is what gave me the most worry when we were planning out our trip. I read a few blog posts and searched posts in some of my “backpacking with babies” Facebook groups. One thing continually came up and that was to keep them as far off the ground as possible so the cold wouldn’t seep through. Stephen and I have always made do with our RikkiTikki sleeping pads, which are great for couples. They’re space-efficient, thin, and easy to blow up without a pump. However, they tend to deflate throughout the night and they’re not the best for cold weather.

Bedding Arrangement

The day before we left for Mittenwald, we purchased a 16.5” tall queen-size air mattress. It made all the difference in our comfort and warmth level. On the downside, we chose a site with no electricity and had to manually pump up the air mattress – which was exhausting. I recommend having some way to electrically pump up the air mattress to avoid the physical labor of doing it yourself. Next time, we’ll be using this portable electric air pump that plugs into your car power adapter – genius!!

I put a queen size fitted sheet on the air mattress then topped it with our 2-person sleeping bag (linked here) – which comes with 2 small pillows. We added some extra blankets in case we needed them throughout the night.

Night One

The first night was lots of trial and error. I wasn’t sure how well our daughter would sleep with us, considering at home she sleeps independently in her crib, without blankets. We went through the normal bedtime routine – she nursed, read a few books, I sang to her, and then laid her down. We tried to let her cry for a few minutes, but she didn’t seem to be settling. Out of respect for other campers, I gave in and went in to lay with her. I snuggled up, singing lullabies softly in her ear, and rocked her to sleep. The night was long, and I didn’t get much sleep. I realized – too late – that I was hindering her sleep by not giving her the space she needed and worrying too much about keeping her warm.

Night Two

The second night was much better. I dressed her in two sets of pajamas, the bottom layer had a hood and the top layer was a size up, and just let her roll around and sleep whichever way she wanted, without trying to force it. The first night I was worried about keeping her warm with blankets. The way to fix that was to dress her warmer for the second night and it proved to help tremendously.

toddler sleeping in tent in mittenwald germany

Camp Food

Keeping the food simple when you’re camping with toddlers will cut down on a lot of preparation and hassle. Pasta is a favorite in our house and it’s easy to fix. We also brought things like ramen noodles, tuna pouches, peanut butter and crackers, etc. For breakfast, a KIND bar, cheerios, and a banana or some other easy fruit is our go-to. (At 12 months, Lillie eats 3 meals a day plus 2 snacks). We tend to eat on the go, like when we’re hiking or visiting cities so we don’t actually “cook” a lot of meals at the campsite. Here is what meals sometimes look like though: as fancy as cut up steak, zucchini and peppers or as simple as potatoes, pickles & sausage plus a salad from the local grocery store.

Our favorite camping cookware set is linked here.

camp food, camping with toddlers — Potatoes, pickles & sausages + salad from local grocery

simple camping meal — Potatoes, pickles & sausages + salad from local grocery

Final Thoughts About Camping With a Toddler

Despite not getting the greatest sleep during our two nights of tent camping with a toddler, we had a wonderful and successful trip. Watching our daughter play in the woods and be entertained solely by nature was the best part. We made so many great memories camping with our toddler. And even better, we’ve established a great foundation for future camping trips.

The takeaway from our trip is that planning and packing can make or break the camping trip. Making a list, visualizing, and discussing how you’re going to set up, sleep, make meals, break down the tent, etc. can set you up for success. The weather is another contributing factor. Everything won’t be perfect when tent camping with a toddler, but if you set realistic expectations, the adventure will be so worth it.

This quote I found from Mountain House‘s blog sums up the experience:
“The physical aspects of camping with a small child are not always that hard; it’s your frame of mind that matters. Being outside is different than being at home and camping with children is different than without children. Don’t try to make it the same. Accept and embrace what it is, at that moment. Be realistic in your expectations of what you (and they) can do, and you will have a much more enjoyable experience.“

Below you’ll find a free checklist you can download for tent camping. Click on the “download” button or on the graphic below. At the end of this post, you’ll find links to all the gear we have used for years and highly recommend.

Camping-Packing-List Download