How old were your children when you first took them camping?

[Black-Pig]

So my wife and I have just had our first child, and as I got our camper trialer with an extra annex, that is called a kids room (only door out is through main area unless the joins are undone) I was wondering what ages people started camping with their kids?
I think I remember going at about age 4 maybe for the first time. But that was with a heavy old tent, not the rig I have now.
As it is coming ito summer I thought that as my daughter is going to be 6months old by the time we head off for a weekend that she should be ok.
Thoughts?

[StrvnMrvn]

Get them in early, so they start to enjoy what it is like to be away from all the electrical stuff ie. iPad / iPod.

They also have to start thinking of fun stuff to do using their own imagination!!!

[Garfish]

We took ours from around that age but at CParks for convenience and access to laundry / rubbish as we didn't want to carry heap of soiled nappys. I have read a number of my swag blogs where they took them younger no thing as old enough it is about the parents being prepared equipped to manage if you and partner think you are sorted then do it get them started early


Sent from my fingers via my brain

[Clouty]

She'll be fine..
Our young fella was 2 months old and we were up at double island point for a few days..
And we only had the Oztent as well oh the good old days

 

[Bird]

6mths...
younger you go the easier it is..

We had (and still have) Southern Cross Extreme Trekker and had a portable cot for Cameron to sleep in.. Worked brilliantly.

[nackdog]

The first time took our son camping in a tent was at about 3 weeks old though was next to a friends shack.  He was about 2 months old when we went free camping.  Currently he is 9 months old and has done 6 trips that I can remember. The first 4 were in a tent with one free camp.  The last two were with the camper.  The last two were free camping in the camper.  Has been really great though taken much planning to organise to make sure we had everything.

[lyn4680]

Agree with Strvn. Ours was 9 weeks when we did it first o/nighter. He's almost 18 months now and has spent 10+ weeks 'under canvas'.  And he loves it.

We rarely use a c'park. I find them more difficult as you are very close to the neighbors and if he has a rough night I don't feel quite so bad.

6 months will be fine.  We did a 4 week road trip too north when he was 5 months and it was a great age.

 Now if we're going for more than 4 nights in one spot we take the full sized cot from the grandparents place. It would take an extra 5-10 mins to set up/pull down. And we find it easier to pack plus the LO sleeps much better and my back isn't destroyed from the bloody portacot.

[MDS69]

Our boy was about 9 months old and we tented it in a CP.

[V8CRSA]

Our son was only 4 months old when we first took him away camping.
He started of in a portacot and has just moved into his own swag at 2.
It's good to get them started young, just keep them warm and they will be fine.

Matt and Brooke

[Silvo]

6weeks for the first.. 2 weeks for the second.. when they are younger it is way easier.

[Nomad]

We camped with our daughter at Teewah when she was 2 months and we were building our house there.
We decided to run to Rainbow and she wouldnt go to sleep driving up the beach but as soon as we hit the Cooloola trail which was a bit rough she dropped of to sleep.......still does today at age 9.

 

[Coiled]

Ours had his first camp at 3 months. Due to my health (back injury) we didn't go camping again until he was 9 months but head out very regularly.

I cannot recommend it highly enough as he loves experiencing the new things in the outdoors and also the undivided attention of his parents with the absence of TV and mobile phones etc. I find I spend my most quality time with my son when we get away camping. He is now 22 months and has his 'jobs' when we go camping that he knows he does to help, like putting the pegs and ropes back in the bag when packing up.

[robsjack]

We camped at our favourite spot as we did each year and set up a portable cot up in the tent for our 3 mth old daughter.
wasn't a problem at all.
rob

[jd]

We took our 1st camping at 6 weeks and to a concert at Kuranda. At about 6 months we spent a week up  Lakefield at Hann crossing. Not a problem at all just make sure that mum is comfortable especially if breast feeding and its all good. When their that young its easy. We prefer bush camping away from people which makes it easier during the night if they wake up. Our 2nd is 7 weeks now but haven't been camping yet but not far away hopefully.

[oldmate]

I was born in a tent, well I think I was, my mother kept asking me that when I was growing up, something to do with doors

 

[austastar]

Hi
   A few weeks only, both of them.
Now they sometimes take me.

Cheers

[jclures]

I was born in a tent, well I think I was, my mother kept asking me that when I was growing up, something to do with doors

 

I must have been born in the same tent, just goes to show how small this world is then.

[oldmate]

I must have been born in the same tent, just goes to show how small this world is then.

Ahhh someone yous didn't have doors either

[jclures]

Nope.

As to taking kids camping,  does it count now taking your father instead.

[JD-120]

well im going to buck the trend with this one.

We didnt take our kiddies camping till they were 5 and 7. We have only just started camping ourselves and loving getting out and about.

[Muckinhell]

1st son was 4 mnths in a tent and it poured rain most of the second day, 2nd son was 6 weeks, he just turned 1 and been camping 5 times in that past year since. much easier when there little and cant run around yet....or crawl away to start eating good only knows what hahahaha but there awsome to watch there reactions to the wild life etc.

[Rumpig]

6 months....you'll be fine, we had both our kids camping on Fraser Island on the Eastern beach in a tent well before they were a year old, and have friends have a few month old baby camped on there one time with us also. We used to take a porta cot for the kids to sleep in to put inside the tent, it was what they were used to sleeping in when we out at family and friends places on weekends etc, so they were used to it.
At 3 years of age our eldest went to Cape York sleeping in a tent with us, and our youngest crossed The Simpson Desert at 3 years of age sleeping in the same trusted tent also 

[discorover]

Took my eldest(now 4) away when he was 8 months was all great we don't usually stay in caravan parks. However on this trip we broke journey to do washing etc at a busy caravan park and ended up having a blue with the older couple behind us for our kids (mine and a mates)screaming and crying all the time they were here for a holiday and didn't want this noise. Funny thing was at this stage both were sleeping through the night from 6.30pm on and they were complaining about the noise during day. They ended up moving spots it left a bad taste in my mouth and 80% of the caravan park ended up coming to our spot once they heard the drama and told me I should've decked the bloke(as a new dad figured time to change that stratagy). Only time I've ever had an issue
First trip with 2 kids a 2yr old and a 6month old to Cape Leveque, great times.
And now I'm off in 3 weeks  to Red bluff(quobba) on our first trip with 3 of the little tackers youngest being 8weeks.
I have found that the overnights need to be kept to a minimum these days we just try and pick a destination to spend a week or two at.

[discorover]

Oh and the space in the back of the 4wd gets smaller and smaller

[Black-Pig]

Quobba Point...  What a corker of a spot. Blow hole, the gold fish bowl, fishing... nice walk on the beach... if your into that! From our trip around Aus that is one of a favourite places, to the extent it is one of only a few places we said "lets stay here longer" and did. Hope you enjoy it mate.
I think we will give the camping a crack sooner rather than later.