Co-sleeping When Camping

Use an airbed. It's different than an "air mattress" which is used for swimming. We slept on the ground one time & that was it, we used an airbed ever since when we tent camp. TRUST me, they are firm enough. True they kinda have a minor/slight bounce to them when you crawl on them to sleep but once you get settled down for sleep, they're fine but putting up w/a very minor, slight bounce is a WHOLE lot more comfortable than the hard ground. They come in different sizes. We started out w/a pup tent, sleeps two, then upgraded w/a larger tent but either way, after raising the tent, we'd put the airbed in first BEFORE inflating. Position it where we wanted it then inflated it while it was inside the tent then when we'd leave, deflated it inside the tent & folded it back up. We place it in a large green trash bag to keep it from getting dirty or getting punctured. We used sleeping bags & zipped them together (one full or oversized will sleep two adults comfortably so I'm sure it'd fit your child in there w/you). We'd fold over the adjoined sleeping bag & voila, instant cover. Of course if you need more cover for all 3 of you, then you can take an extra blanket or whatever you think you'd need. But I would DEFINITELY suggest highly that you go w/an airbed. Your back will thank you for it later. Good luck!

My daughter and her family co-sleep. She bought a very good air mattress that blows up very firm and is also the one that is up off the floor a lot once blown up. They used it to sleep at my house during and after a hurricane. Works great.

Maybe you could buy one of those inexpensive Ikea foam mattresses. They are fairly cheap and firm and you would get a lot of use out of it. We have one and and we use it when we have other kids stay over and my son (2.5) uses it for lounging and rolling around on the floor.

We had a portable play pen type thing that we took camping with us. We have co-slept with our kiddos (my 2 year old still does) but when we went camping, we took the portable because the great out doors are not kid proof, so it was a lot of help. Otherwise, we had an inflatable matress and sleeping bags. This time of year, the ground is very very cold, so some sort of padding is a must.

J.,

We've co-slept with our two, with the 2 1/2 year old still in our bed.

What's worked best for us, was to bring our 8-man (two room) tent, with two queen-sized air mattresses, and two 2-person sleeping bags. (I think it's Coleman that makes a battery-powered air pump for this - that works GREAT.) The first time we tent-camped with them was when my youngest was 4 months old (oh, yeah - and she was a preemie). Hubby bunked with the older one and the baby with me for those frequent nighttime nursings. (For future reference, I highly recommend Pull-ups for this, even for those that are potty trained. I was determined to avoid finding a laundromat in the middle of the night, so we called them "campin' panties," and the 3-year-old went for it.) We're going again in a couple of weeks, so we may trade kids this time. We'll see. I know it's a lot of gear to haul, but we do the cushy camping. . . back the car up to the site with electricity and water. If you're going primitive, I won't be much help.

Where are ya'll headed?

Best of luck and lots of fun!
M.

Hi,
We've co-slept on an air mattress, but only after my son was over a year old. Especially when the air temperature changes from evening to night to morning, air mattresses lose a lot of air during the night, so I wouldn't recommend it.

I have never camped with my little guy, but I have friends who have. One place you might want to try is the discussion forum on
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=37
They have a whole thread just on the family bed, and I'm sure moms there would have ideas.

My advice depends on how much space you will have when you go camping. We went camping on the beach with both my kids when the youngest was about 8 months old and took along a sofa sleeper mattress which we put in the tent sideways so all four of us could sleep on it (though the adults feet were hanging off). Surprisingly, we were able to get the mattress to fold into the trunk of our civic and still have some space to put in camping supplies like sleeping bags. The car was cramped with stuff, but it was worth it as we got better sleep. The other thing we did when our oldest was 13 months was that we took the mattress inset from out Graco Pack N' Play and took it along and had it next to us. It wasn't as comfy as a sofa mattress, but it was smaller and easier to carry - and really, it wasn't any harder for him to sleep on than if it had been in the Pack N'Play. It's shallow enough you can put it between you or lay on it a little yourself.

Good luck, and have a great adventure.

You could use a playpen in the tent. What I actually would do each year is put the mattress part only of the playpen down on the floor and lay my baby on that. They were next to my sleeping bags or cots but on their own bed and comfortable right next to me.

did this and will not ever do it again.

if he is still in an infant car seat and will sleep in it, that's the easiest way IMO, that way he's safe off the ground and won't roll around and you won't roll on top of him! if not, then perhaps take the bottom out of a pack 'n' play if you have one of those, use the bottom as a pad for him to sleep on and use a child's sleeping bag. then you would just have to sleep next to him, maybe have him between you and your hubby so he doesn't roll around?

We've tent camped and used only insulite (sp?) pads...we backpacked with the kids and air mattresses weren't practical. I left my bag partially unzipped and had baby right next to me. Baby wore long john type pjs with either a blanket type footie pajama or a blanket sleeper that zipped at the bottom for warmth if he scooted out of the bag. Hats are nice too :) We both covered with a second warm blanket or sleeping bag. I just made sure that we were warm and covered. Nursing to sleep made baby quiet and not disturb other campers. If you can put extra padding under your insulite pad or bring a pillow for your self it always helps your back, but I would agree the air mattress scares me with the little one, too conforming to the face in my mind. Remember to get a nap if you need it in the day so you're not so sleepy that you'd roll and not wake up...maybe while baby's also down.
I reread your other responses...don't know what you're tent size is but the pack n' play's not a bad idea for car camping. Especially during the day it might help keep baby from getting loose or into something in the great outdoors, or even assist with nap time so you have a few minutes of peace of mind. Anyway, something to think about.

This would work:
http://www.target.com/First-Years-Close-Secure-Sleeper/dp...

Or even this for extra close co-sleeping:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3190423
You could use the "play mat" option for close snuggling with a firmer bottom on top of an airbed.

Let me know what you decide. We will be doing it with our then 4 month old in May!

This is the airbed we have and LOVE IT!
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3942890

http://www.target.com/Fisher-Price-Infant-to-Toddler-Rock...

our son is one and still sleeps in this rocker. The toy part comes off and there is a stand so it wont rock and it lays back a little more. There are also travle beds or play mats that have four sides its like having him sleep in a little box. I love our rocker and our four yr old neice can sit in it...it converts to a rocking chair for older kids.