First Time Camping with Two Toddlers: What Worked and What Didn't

My husband has wanted to go camping since we had kids. I told him that if he planned the whole thing, I’d happily pack up the kids and give it a go!

We’ve camped plenty of times before having kids (usually with friends who have all the gear and know exactly what they’re doing), but this time was different. This time, we were going solo, with two small children.

I know that kids really don’t need much. As long as they have food and a place to sleep, I think we’re good. So when my husband decided to plan all of the details, I figured, why not? Let’s give it a shot.

Low Stakes, High Hopes

Alexander picked a local campground just 30 minutes from our house. Smart move - if things went south, we could pack it in and head home. We were also close to stores in case we forgot something important, like matches. Or honestly, anything. We could use it as a learning experience for next time (if we liked it enough for there to be a next time).

We booked one night. In my opinion, one night isn’t quite enough to get the full camping experience (and justify all the packing), but Alexander wanted a trial run, and honestly, it was for the best.

A Rocky Start (Literally)

We left right after Dax’s second nap, checked in, and quickly discovered that our site was not close to the parking lot. We had about a quarter-mile hike to our campsite. Not terrible… but also not great when you're hauling a cooler and heavy gear with no good way to carry it. If I had known, I 100% would’ve brought our wagon. It also took us four trips to get everything to the campsite - not a great start.

When we got to our site, it was HOT and HUMID… and in direct sunlight. My husband picked it, thinking I’d love the sunshine (which I normally do), but 90+°F with two small kids running around? Not ideal.

Lesson #1: Pick shade over sun.

Tent Troubles

We borrowed a bigger tent from Alexander’s parents now that we're a family of four. We had no clue how to set it up...

Alexander tried by himself for a little while, then I remember trying for a few minutes (in which Alexander whacked me in the face with a pole), and then I looked at him and was like “I’m a very competent person… And the fact that this is not going well means we’re doing something wrong.”

What I meant by that was that whoever designed this tent obviously designed it so that it would be easy to set up, and the fact that we are struggling so much made me feel like we just weren’t following the steps in the right order. So we put the tent down, took everything apart that we had tried to set up, and thought about it strategically. We realized we needed to put all of the poles in before we even tried to pop it up. So while I chased after my toddler and baby, who were running towards the path, Alexander did this step. And what do you know? It literally popped up so easily and was a total breeze!

Lesson #2: Test out your tent setup before you camp with kids (seems like an obvious one, I know).

Dinner + Dirt

Firewood was easy to buy there (we were required to buy from the campground), and Alexander got a fire going quickly. Because it burned so easily and quickly, we went through two bundles of firewood during our stay, which I was shocked about. We roasted hot dogs, and Adalynn was thrilled to eat a hot dog straight from the fire. Big win.

After dinner, we went on a gravel trail walk. Alexander only packed a ring sling carrier, which was not my favorite. It's just not the best for long periods of carrying a baby/toddler. But nonetheless, I got Dax situated, and off we went. Ten minutes in, Adalynn took a hard fall - skinned knees, elbows, hands, and face. And it was so close to bedtime that emotions ran high. She was able to calm down enough, and when we got back to the campsite, I pulled out our first-aid kit, cleaned her up, and we went into bedtime mode.

Bedtime in Broad Daylight

It was around 6:30 PM (their typical bedtime) when Adalynn used our little portable toilet, we shared bedtime snacks (Skout bars, highly recommend), got into pajamas, and read books in the tent. But it was so bright  (and still hot) outside. The sun didn’t start to go down until 8 p.m.

Adalynn laid on her sleeping bag, listening to stories while I rocked Dax. As soon as it was dark, I was able to get Dax to sleep, but we definitely had a hard time putting him down. My husband and I switched off rocking him, and around 9:30 PM, Adalynn fell asleep, and we were able to successfully lay Dax down. This is definitely due to the fact that it was still so bright outside. Once both kids were down, we snuck outside to enjoy a little fire and quiet, and then Dax woke up.

The Longest Night of My Life

We’re not sure what woke him... maybe teething, or the unfamiliar setting when he opened his eyes. I rocked him back to sleep successfully and tried to fall asleep myself.

But at 10 p.m., the campsite next to us kicked into high gear. A woman with the loudest ringtone in the world (think: slot machine) let it ring six times per call. She had a lot of calls -apparently, she was very popular. And had a very enthusiastic voice. Around midnight, I gave up and put on white noise from my phone to try to drown it out.

I dozed off… and by 12:15 a.m., Dax was up again. It was the start of the longest night of my life.

It got colder throughout the night. Adalynn was snug in her toddler sleeping bag from REI (10/10 recommend), but Dax kept pushing out of his. He’d wake up cold, I'd bring him into mine, try to nurse, shift the blankets, try to stay warm myself… It was a blur of sleep deprivation, awkward snuggles, and half-covered shoulders freezing in the night air.

By 5 a.m., the sun started rising, and Dax wouldn’t go back to sleep, so we got up for the day. Honestly, I was relieved. I booked it to the car and cranked up the heat.

At 6:30 a.m., Adalynn woke up (an hour earlier than usual), and I was ready to make the most of the day. But since it was Father’s Day, Alexander got the final say and he was done. He looked at me and said, “Let’s go home.”

I was like… what?! We survived the hard part! But he just wanted to reflect, regroup, and plan a better experience for next time, which, honestly, I respect.

I took the kids on a walk while he packed up. And just like that, our first family camping trip was over.

Would I Do It Again?

Yes! But with some changes.

For starters, I would 100% bring our pack-and-play for Dax at this age (13 months). I’d either dress him in one of those wearable camping sleeping bags or stick to his familiar sleep sack with extra blankets. Familiar sleep setups matter.

Like I mentioned before, I would also bring our wagon to haul things, learn all our gear BEFORE we got to the campground, and plan for the bright nights and temperature changes.

Yes, it was hot, there were tears, and yes, the sleep was rough. But this wasn’t a failure. It was a learning trip, and now we know exactly what we need to do differently next time.

Things We’re Glad We Brought:

• Picnic blanket – perfect for meals, crawling babies, and lounging

• Badger mosquito spray – clean, effective, and safe for kids

• Badger sunscreen – mineral-based and great for sensitive skin

• Toddler sleeping bag from REI – warm, cozy, and compact

• Portable toddler toilet – an absolute must for our age range

• Portable chargers (Rorry) – saved us when we needed white noise in the tent

  
  

If you venture out this summer to camp with littles, hopefully my experience gives you a little bit of preparation and tips to know beforehand. Good luck and enjoy the memories being made!

xo,

Jess