Tent Camping: Part II
Sleeping Pads - Children can pretty much sleep anywhere because of their rubber bones but it’s still important to make their outdoor sleeping arrangements as comfortable as possible. I had a sleeping mat I bought in college called a Therma-Rest Z-Lite. It’s a foam material that folds up accordion style. For my 3 year old we fold it in half and let him sleep on that. It’s fairly inexpensive, compared to an inflatable Therma-Rest, and doesn’t take up a lot of room like those huge inflatable mattresses or the fat foam mats you have to roll up. Putting a sleeping pad under your child’s sleeping bag not only makes them more comfortable but it gives them an extra insulation level. It can get cold sleeping directly on the ground.
Sleeping Bags - When we first started camping with our kids we came to find out that there weren’t many options, as far as sleeping bags went, for them. We started off with bags we found at Walmart, consisting mostly of nylon material and a thin layer of batting. Not ideal, but they worked with some help from layered blankets.
Just in the past 5 years manufacturers have made more of an effort to accommodate outdoor kids. We recently purchased sleeping bags specifically made for children that are higher quality. You can spend anywhere from $30 to 100. We went mid ground and bought the Columbia Trekster Junior Mummy Sleeping Bag for $45. It had all the features I was looking for but was still at a good price. There is a wide variety available to purchase at the Nature For Kids’ Store.
When you’re buying a sleeping bag keep in mind what kind of weather you’ll be in. If you don’t plan on camping in cold weather you probably have no need for a bag that is less than 30 degrees. Otherwise I would go for a 0 degree bag. They tend to cost more but can be used through all seasons (Three cheers for snow caves!) Also, if your kids are like ours they wiggle from one side of their bed to the other at night. Purchase a bag that will keep them in one spot and covered throughout the night. Bags that help with that are contoured to the body and have a hood and drawstring that goes over their shoulders, otherwise known as mummy style.
Sleeping Arrangement - When you lay out your sleeping bags in the tent try to keep the kids away from the outer edges. Lay the bags towards the middle. Otherwise they may get a little damp if it rains. Even the morning dew and precipitation can make the walls of the tent damp.
Odds and Ends - If you’re in an area that is known to have more wildlife roaming around, be sure to take dirty diapers out of the tent and away from camp. It’s disgusting, but something like that will tempt bears just as much as a steak dinner.
The only other word of advice I have is…WIPES! Baby wipes are the miracle camping tool! Little rug rats can play in the outdoors all day and you don’t have to worry about them getting all dirty. Just wipe them down and put them in clean clothes and they’re ready for a good night’s rest and another fun filled day.
Leave a comment about any tips you’ve learned while camping with your family!
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