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Hillary Grigonis/Insider
- Camping is a great way to travel with a baby and enjoy the outdoors, but you also have to leave a lot of luxuries behind.
- The best baby camping gear makes trips more enjoyable for both the baby and the parents.
The word "trip" is a better description for traveling with a baby than the relaxation implied by the word "vacation" — all that round-the-clock feeding and diapering simply takes place in a more picturesque location.
Camping is one of the best ways to travel with an infant. Instead of rushing back to the hotel for nap time or a feeding, there's a camper or tent just a few steps away. Infants, toddlers, and big kids alike also tend to enjoy playing outdoors without a pressing schedule.
I'm a lifelong camper, and becoming a parent has only made camping an even bigger priority. I want to give my kids the same memories of endless days spent on beaches, riding bikes, and eating s'mores. I've now taken all three of my kids — currently aged 7 years, 5 years, and 10 months — camping as infants, and I've discovered a few hacks and packing essentials along the way.
Exactly what you pack will depend on your baby's age and whether you are staying in a tent or an RV. I stayed in a camper with a baby who's crawling and putting everything in his mouth. If you're planning on tent camping, you'll also need a tub to wash bottles and bathe the baby, as well as weather-appropriate sleep sacks.
Camping may require giving up modern luxuries like a dishwasher to live outside, but these nine products made my youngest's first camping trip much easier.
Here are 9 camping essentials for babies: