Camping with a newborn can seem like a bit of a challenge, but I want you to know it can actually be a wonderful experience, not that much more stressful than staying at home. But let's be fair, I must admit we ended up more like glamping than camping ;)
Remember, the baby just need you and to be safe and warm. Babies are meant to be a part of everyday life, so try bring them along for all the activities you love, you don't have to put everything on pause or adjust to what everyone else's idea of life with a baby is. Babies absolutely love the forest and the elements of nature.
We tried to find a place to camp and hike close to home. We checked the map for lakes not too far from roads, and we went scouting for a good camping spot some weeks before. Fun fact; Norway has more lakes than Finland aka "The Land of 1,000 Lakes." While Finland has more than 60,000 lakes, Norway surpasses it! There are 450,000 freshwater lakes in Norway and they're really beautiful.
Then we waited for good weather forecast for several days in a row, as the weather is often somewhat rainy in our area. The little lake we decided for was merely a 20 minutes drive from home, which was about as long our infant would tolerate in a car at that age. He always hated being in the car, so we always reduced driving to a minimum.
What we packed:
- 1 tent
- 2 hammocks
- 2 mattresses
- 1 reindeer skin (to sit on)
- A babynest
- A little parasol
- A nursing pillow
- Cloth diapers
- Towels and napkins
- Fairylights, flags and a couple of tapestries
- Clothing shifts
- Speakers (we use a Braven)
- Books/litterature
- Poi
- Camera
- Pot/pan and bowl
- Food
- Knife
- Axe/hiker's saw
- Lighter/firesteel
- Basket for foraging mushrooms and plants
Setting up the camp: We carried all our stuff while walking back and forth a few times, then started finding some decent rocks for a campfire spot. Very important to make this safe and fireproof. We usually put a big flat rock in the bottom as well. And locate the campfire on a rocky surface. Then fetching firewood from dead branches around the area or bring our own.
We decorated the camp with fairylights, tapestries and banners. We laid out blankets and the reindeer skin, and made ourselves cozy. As our baby was only 8 weeks old, I was nursing almost constantly, always carrying him on me, and I only laid him down for a very few minutes during our 4 days in the woods.
How we spent the days: After waking up, getting ready and having breakfast (campfire with tea), we went for a hike further up the mountain or deeper into the woods, while carrying the baby in a wrap. For hiking it is really good to have a camp, as you don't have to carry all that stuff around. We picked some berries and mushrooms, and went for a swim either in this lake or another one. Back at the camp, we listening to chillout music or fairytale music, and we listened to the Lord of the Rings audio-book, which really lifted the mood! We're both massive fans, and have both read the books numerous times during the years. Earlier this summer we finished listening to the Silmarillion toghether, another legendary Tolkien book and one of our favorites ever!
Our little elfling... <3
The massive (Bbhugme) nursing pillow really saved me! Due to the constant nursing, I was quite stuck and not able to do a lot, or helping out much. But my partner is such a skilled wilderness man, he used to study primitive survival, and he always had some serious bushcrafting skills. So I felt very well taken care of.
At night he would entertain me with poi, the art of flow, while the fire was sparkling and insence was burning and the fairylights were twinkling. So magical! Dreaming of our previous years in the woods, when we used to dance all night!
Here you can see a sun umbrella which I used to shield my baby from the sun in daytime, when it was extra bright. And below is Ruben with Podpoi, which looks like little elven lanterns up close:
How we slept: My origianl plan was to set up a tent and to lay on sleeping mats, while my partner slept in the hammock. However, the weather forecast said 'no rain', and there simply were no bothersome insects, like mosquitoes or midges, around! So I decided to sleep on the ground, under the stars and in the mild summer breeze. But sleeping on mats were shockingly uncomfortable with a baby. He always woke me up every hour or more the first 6 months, and was constantly on my boob, so I went back to our car to fetch mattresses and pillows. Honestly this ended up being the most important thing for a successfull experience! (A life-saver, lol!)
What about bugs or dangerous animals? Mosquitoes and midges does exist in hordes in many parts of Norway, which can be extremely annoying. Fortunately, we don't have a problem with them in our area. For some reason they are not that common in the fjords or along the coast, but there might be exceptions. We didn't meet any during these 4 days. So I consider us truly blessed to live in such a place. If we travel to areas with itchy bugs, we use a roll-on called 'Neo Siste Stikk' (it's organic). Works quite well. Or a mosquito net (Ikea has one extra big!).
Because of all the deer in the area, ticks may be a problem! During a day in the woods, it is not uncommon to find one or two ticks crawling up our legs. So the best thing is to check your body (and the baby) once every day. Other than that, I don't really think about it. We don't really have poisonous insects, snakes (except the not very dangerous European viper) or animals to worry about in the forests of Norway. The rare bears, wolves and lynxes are very shy and few has ever seen them, and they don't live in our area (except maybe lynxes). But of course you won't let your baby out of sight anyways. The vegetation here in Norway is fairly easy to walk in, even barefoot, and I often hike without shoes.
"Good morning!"
*yawn*
Camping with cloth diapers? Just as easy as being home! No smell and no garbage. I just put them all in a wetbag and brought them back home to my washing machine. If I stayed in the woods for weeks, I would have found a way to wash them in the stream. But I would prefer not to, haha!
Now I wish we had some pictures of our meals, which I sadly do not! But rest assured there were a lot of mushrooms.
I was reading my newest issue of Faerie Magazine/Enchanted Living, which featured a 12 pages article by me, about my visit to fairytale eco houses in Wales! It all turned out so beautiful, and the rest of the magazine looks stunning as well, and is full of treasures.
Enchanted Living are actually generously offering 9 of their earlier issues for free as a digital download in these quarantine times, included this one! My articles can be found in 3 of them, the Tolkien issue, the Into the Forest Issue and the Hygge Issue. Click here to find it: A gift to our readers
Our hammocks are from TicketToTheMoon, they are double hammocks because that is clearly the most comfortable. We just got them that previous winter, and I honestly didn't try sleeping in them yet, due to being pregnant and having a baby. Sleeping with babies in a hammock is surely not safe or recommended! But you can still nurse and chill, cocoon style!
Before my baby was born, I got this beautiful rococo-ish babynest for him. I loved the idea, but honestly he's barely been using it, as he always wanted to touch my skin. Still, it was really functional for laying him down briefly while camping. Soft, no bugs, no rolling ;)
Honestly though, I think most babies will be easier to bring along camping/hiking than mine was. He was very 'high need' and the only thing he ever wanted was to be constantly nursing 24/7, if not he would scream on top of his lungs. Most babies are not like this. So I think if I could do it, almost everyone can! Now, a year later, he is a lot more chill and I'm able to do many other things than just being there for him.
Babies and the heat: It's always kind of cool here in Norway I guess, so the heat is always tolerable. On the warmest days I carry him only in a bikini, with a thinner babywrap or sling, and he's wearing only a cloth diaper and a sun hat. It is best to have a thin layer of clothing between you and the baby. I drink cold refreshing water and go swimming/bathing often.
Camping with babies don't have to be glamourous or hard work. You don't even need a fire, decorations, music or hammocks. Just a tent and something comfy to sleep on, and food! No need for a lake, just a tiny spot of nature will do. And if you're not comfortable with sleeping there, you can just go on daytrips, what's important is to get out in nature and enjoy your time there!
I hope I inspired at least some of you to camp more with babies or children. Do you have any more questions?
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://www.voiceofnature.earth/how-we-go-hiking-camping-with-a-small-baby/