When thinking of going on outdoor trips, ensuring you are safe and comfortable is a necessity. When it comes to considering the safety of your frangible infant, this may become an understandable concern.
So how do you keep a baby warm while camping? At such a young age in your baby’s early development stages, their immunity levels and circulatory systems are not yet fully formed. All babies are highly susceptible to catching viruses such as the common cold, or even slighter things that you would not normally have to consider; such as insect bites which may irritate your new-born.
The average body temperature of a baby is 37.5°C, which is slightly higher than an adult’s average of 37°. Medical journals have found that a baby’s body temperature is higher because they have a larger body surface area, In relation to their body weight.
Although this does typically mean that a baby can maintain a stable warmth, they are poorly adaptive to different climates, and will not be able to regulate their body temperature in the same way that a fully developed adult can. This does, of course, make it even more difficult that a baby is unable able to explicitly express if they are cold. You will have to take initiative to ensure their good health and safety.
Even on the hottest of summer days, temperatures can drop dramatically at night, meaning you will have to wrap up exceptionally warm to prevent you from doing a full-body workout at midnight just from shivering.
When it comes to looking after your little one, although you may think that the first place to check your baby for their temperature is their hands or feet, this is not normally the most accurate indicator.
The best way to see how your baby is coping in their environment is to feel their tummy or if their nose is cold to the touch. You should also check to see if they have very pale skin, significantly different from what they usually experience.
Clothing
The most obvious way to make sure your baby is warm when camping, is through ensuring they are wearing appropriate clothing. A well-known rule of thumb is to dress your baby in one extra layer of clothing than you, as an adult would wear.
Babies are known to lose a great deal of body heat through their heads, so make sure that even if it feels warm – your baby’s head is protected with a hat, or something of a similar style when putting them to bed. In addition to this, you may want to make sure they are wearing soft or fleecy socks to avoid losing any heat from their feet.
Aim to dress your baby in light, warm clothing– a good fabric to look out for is Merino Wool clothing, as this is remarkably warm, yet soft and breathable. Your baby will not get too hot in the night and it will still be easy for you to remove any layers if need be.
An example of ideal clothing would be a lightweight ‘onesie’, with a thermal vest underneath for an added layer of warmth. Of course, your baby should also be in a sleeping bag. It may be a good idea to use a two-man sleeping bag to share with your baby.
This means you can check them effortlessly throughout the night, yet it also adds extra warmth as the baby can benefit from your body heat too. If you are not ‘co-sleeping’ with your baby, ensure they are in a properly designed sleeping bag for little ones.
A popular contraption which allows for babies to sleep warm and comfortably, hassle-free, is known as the ‘swaddle blanket‘.
To keep your baby cosy, warm, and used to their regular environment, if they are being fed using formula milk, it may be a good idea to invest in a travel food warmer for your baby.
- Portable and convenient. BPA-free
- Stores hot water to warm up expressed milk or water for a bottle feed
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you have access to a fire or gas cooker, this may provide a more economical alternative. Simply boil some water the morning of feeding, place this into a clean and sterilised thermos to allow the water to stay warm, but gradually cool throughout the day.
When the time arrives to feed your little one, simply mix your warm water with a baby formula into your normal feeding bottle. Remember to always check the temperature before offering it to your baby.
Best Tent for Camping with a Baby
Camping on a family trip needs to be as comfortable as possible. For that reason, you will want a tent that is as spacious as possible, but at the same time, one that will not break after your first or second camping trip – affordability, space and durability are the key things to look for when purchasing a tent.
You want enough room so that you can comfortably sleep with your baby, easily change and feed them without having to squeeze into corners and lose bits and bobs.
Depending on your budget, there is a range of family tents available on amazon which can man from 2 – 8 people. This, of course, depends on how much space you have available to pitch a tent, and how much space you require within one.
You should also ensure that your tent has good thermal protection, to maximise the amount of heat contained within, and prevent rapid temperature dropping at night. If the tent is very well insulated and thermally protected, when it becomes hot during the day, it should retain some of this heat and reduce waste during the night-time.
- Two XXL Blackout Bedrooms: With 99 percent of daylight being blocked out from the bedroom you will be sure to get a...
- Lightweight, sturdy and easy to pitch family size tunnel tent, fits 4 person; highly flexible and lightweight...
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This is a great family tent which is able to fit 4 people, has a fully sewn-in groundsheet which prevents any heat loss from the main cabin. It also prevents any insects or bugs from entering the cabin, which may bite or cause discomfort to your baby.
In addition to this, the tent uses blackout technology which blocks out the daylight from the sleeping cabin, meaning that you can slumber uninterrupted. This is also massively beneficial for families with babies, as the darkness can also aid their sleep and give you a restful night.
This blackout technology furthermore means that you can effectively control the temperature. It also keeps the bedroom compartment up to 5°C cooler during the day, meaning that if you need protection from the heat or rest during the day, this is possible.
Working in the opposite way, it keeps the bedroom compartment up to 1°C warmer in the night. The tent manages the temperature by ‘storing energy from the sun in the surface of the fabric’.
Camping Essentials when with a Baby
You must be prepared when it comes to actually bring items to camp with. While thinking of yourself, you also need to ensure you pack separate things for your baby, things that you probably wouldn’t need yourself.
- Medicine – First and foremost, ensure that you have everything you need in the case that something goes wrong. This includes essentials such as a first aid cream, or an anti-bacterial cream. If your baby falls over, getting a graze or a cut, this can be dangerous as your baby can catch any sort of infection from this. In the case of any cuts or grazes, make sure you properly clean the area with antibacterial wipes or cream and use a bandage over this to ensure that nothing can get into the wound.
- Digital Thermometer – Watching your baby’s temperature closely is something you cannot side-step. If your baby seems unwell or in any way different to their usual selves now that they are in this new environment, make sure you check their temperature. if it reaches 38°C, you must seek medical attention immediately.
- Baby Carrier – If you’re walking around in a campsite, or even worse, a woodland, my guess would be that the ground probably won’t be extremely stable or comfortable to walk on for prolonged periods of time, so the last thing you want to worry about is holding a crying baby while carrying all of your other essentials. This is why a baby carrier is also as important. He/she can be easily and comfortably strapped to your chest, where you don’t need to worry about them.
- COMFORTABLE AND BREATHABLE - The carrier features a padded waist belt, adjustable straps, a supportive headrest and a...
- ERGONOMIC AND VERSATILE - This carrier supports four carrying positions: facing-in (narrow seat), facing-in (wide seat),...
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- Travel Seat – When it comes to feeding time, it wouldn’t be the easiest way to rely on your baby to sit up straight and still, therefore these travel booster seats are a great buy. All you have to do is strap the booster to any seat, to create your own highchair. The seat has comfortable straps to hold in your baby, and in addition to this, even folds entirely into a shoulder bag that you can carry. The device even holds pockets where you can place bottles, cutlery etc.
- Adjustable travel booster seat with 3-point harness & seat safety straps which converts into a handy, stylish bag
- Comfortable soft foam cushion. easy clean, waterproof fabric
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- Gas Cooker – This is, of course, essential in heating food and boiling water for you and your baby, in addition to keeping you warm. They can be rather compact and are definitely essential for providing your baby with warm milk.
- Baby Sleeping Bag – As addressed earlier, if your baby will be sleeping alone, try to get yourself a Swaddle Blanket.
- Other Essentials – Other smaller essentials that you definitely cannot forget about include things such as Baby wipes, nappies, reusable nappy bags, baby powder, baby formula. Also take into consideration bringing things from home that your baby is used to, things that keep them comfortable. For example, this could be toys that they regularly sleep with, or a comforter etc. Bringing these will ensure your baby doesn’t feel suddenly in a completely different environment that doesn’t feel like home. If you want to get a good night’s sleep and make the most you can out of your camping trip, make sure your baby doesn’t feel out of place.
Whilst camping should be a pleasurable and bonding experience, remember that your baby’s comfort should be your top priority. Ensure you routinely check your baby and look out for any irregularities, check that they are dressed warm and that they’re not abnormally quiet or still, as this can be a further indicator of your baby being cold or uncomfortable.
