What to pack? ...

[Overlandmom]

My husband wants our family to start overlanding, and I am trying to be a "good sport." Trying, being the operative word here - I am a room service chick. We have camped once in our 13 year relationship and it was at campgrounds. The showers were $0.25 for just long enough to get all your shampoo in your eyes and then shut off.

Yet, I agreed to a trip this May to Moab, Flagstaff, and possibly Joshua Tree mostly to allow our daughter ( who will be 13 months old when we travel) exposure to a more well rounded travel experience from mine. I am excited for the trip. But, my idea of roughing it is a hotel without room service. So, i am looking for some povs on what to pack.

We are driving a D2 and plan to acquire a RTT, shower, and portable toilet. I bought a camping highchair for our baby girl, and some cute hats. You know the necessities.

So, do we need specific medical gear? What about food or cooking supplies? How many towels do you bring? What about clothing for nights in case it gets cold?

I started a blog so please check that out too. I have never blogged so bare with me I will endeavor to make it interesting - www.overland4moms.com/blog

 

[Richietherocket]

Welcome to ExPo. There are lot's of great resources here.

I would start with this - http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/40796-Camp-Baby-Sleeping-Setups
then move onto this one - http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/82540-How-young-is-to-young-to-start-kids-camping
and then this - http://artofmanliness.com/2011/11/07/venturing-beyond-the-playpen-how-to-take-a-baby-camping/

It's just like visiting family for a weekend. Pick stuff up at the market when you need it, take a day to do things that you enjoy but the biggest thing I learned was to stop every 4-5 hours and let them out of the car to play a bit in a park.

Enjoy this time camping. It gets a bit harder when they can walk and talk until they turn 6 or so.

 

[Overlandmom]

Thanks! I have a lot of information to review and that's great. I'm wondering if there are any members out there that have experience traveling in the Moab area and if so are there specific items a family with a baby should bring?

 

[Ramjet]

Bring a camera to Moab. Really......you're not that far from civilization that if anything happens, you can get there in plenty of time. I can understand your concern, my wife has camped a few times and has the same ideology as yours, Room Service Please...... But she is a trooper, such as yourself. So, just enjoy the time with your family and look around the Forum. We are all here to help you get as comfortable as can be in the great outdoors we call home.

 

[Amy H]

Hello there! I have a 9 year old son and have traveled quite a bit with him even to the Philipines and Japan. I haven't overlanded per say, but most people I know haven't traveled/camped as much as I have with a kiddo. My husband teases that I pack more food and meds than the local people have at their entire store.

When going "out", not knowing when I would be able to get to a store within a week or so, I always pack a pretty extensive first aid/medicine kit. For the kiddo: Tylenol, benedryl, pedilyte or rice electrolyte replacer, sunblock, antibotics for travelers diarrhea, gas medicine, baby safe bug spray. Same for the adults. Clean bottled water is key. Traveling overseas, our bodies are not used to different water sources and the same can be here in the US. Which is really important if your breastfeeding...you gotta stay hydrated for baby. I washed all my fruit with bottled water and even brushed our teeth with bottled water. And if I wasn't sure about the food, I made sure it was either heated through or deep fried. Sounds horrible, but in second world countries you just can't take a chance having your little one eat something that is going to wipe them out for days.

Sunblock...it just isn't enough for the elements. Light colored long sleeve shirts and a hat with a large brim and neck cover are recommended. Most stores like Target have them in the swimsuit area for toddlers. I was shocked how fast we burned in the PI the first day. It was so incredibly hot when we were not in the water, I sweated through my shirt in about 10 mins.

I don't know about your little one, but mine loves containers to play with. A camp cup and spoon can go a long way in the dirt. Allow plenty of time for them to explore.

A sling to carry them in. I personally loved my maya wrap to carry my son until he was 2 1/2 years old. It is just fabric with two rings. No heavy frame to pack or store...just ball up the fabric or use it as a pillow.

Also try to keep to a schedule as you would at home. Hope this helps. Have fun with your family and travel safe.

 

[Overlandmom]

Great suggestion. Thanks.

 

[Overlandmom]

Hello there! I have a 9 year old son and have traveled quite a bit with him even to the Philipines and Japan. I haven't overlanded per say, but most people I know haven't traveled/camped as much as I have with a kiddo. My husband teases that I pack more food and meds than the local people have at their entire store.

When going "out", not knowing when I would be able to get to a store within a week or so, I always pack a pretty extensive first aid/medicine kit. For the kiddo: Tylenol, benedryl, pedilyte or rice electrolyte replacer, sunblock, antibotics for travelers diarrhea, gas medicine, baby safe bug spray. Same for the adults. Clean bottled water is key. Traveling overseas, our bodies are not used to different water sources and the same can be here in the US. Which is really important if your breastfeeding...you gotta stay hydrated for baby. I washed all my fruit with bottled water and even brushed our teeth with bottled water. And if I wasn't sure about the food, I made sure it was either heated through or deep fried. Sounds horrible, but in second world countries you just can't take a chance having your little one eat something that is going to wipe them out for days.

Sunblock...it just isn't enough for the elements. Light colored long sleeve shirts and a hat with a large brim and neck cover are recommended. Most stores like Target have them in the swimsuit area for toddlers. I was shocked how fast we burned in the PI the first day. It was so incredibly hot when we were not in the water, I sweated through my shirt in about 10 mins.

I don't know about your little one, but mine loves containers to play with. A camp cup and spoon can go a long way in the dirt. Allow plenty of time for them to explore.

A sling to carry them in. I personally loved my maya wrap to carry my son until he was 2 1/2 years old. It is just fabric with two rings. No heavy frame to pack or store...just ball up the fabric or use it as a pillow.

Also try to keep to a schedule as you would at home. Hope this helps. Have fun with your family and travel safe.

Thanks for the info! With respect to clothing versus sunscreen have you ever used rash guard tops with UVA protection built in?

 

[Amy H]

Yes, I have used rash guards. If they get wet, they dry out fast. They are easy to wash and line dry, but they are a bit hotter than a cotton shirt. If you get a rash guard, go ahead and get the long sleeve type. It is easier to just put one on the kiddo than having to worry about reappling sunblock every few hours.

We try to pack lots of nylon shorts and pants with cotton shirts for our travels. The nylon pants can be washed out in a sink super easy and the cotton shirts are just comfy. REI has cotton shirts that are spf rated also.

 

[Overlandmom]

Awesome! Thanks I will pick up that stuff. We will be in desert climates and then on the west coast so sun protection is important. What brand sunscreen do you guys use?

 

[Amy H]

We use Neutrogena pure & free baby sunblock spf 60. But that might be extreme for some people. I have a skin condition called Rosecea that requires me to use sunblock every day. Both my son and I are also blonde & fair skinned. In the PI even my husband was using spf 60 since the sun will burn you up there fast.

You'll figure it out it all out. Just be over prepared than under.

Have fun and enjoy these times.

 

[007]

A heavy duty wool blanket makes for a nice place to set a kid down if the ground is harsh, with that, an awning or sunbrella for shade. Make sure you can shade the car windows that are closest to the child.

Portable DVD players are good for everyone, kid movies in the car, and grown up movies after the child goes to sleep.

Bring LOADS of wet wipes.

Go to the dollar store and pick up a dozen or so small toys and books that the child hasn't seen. Dole these out if she is getting bored on the Highway.

Meds - Bring a good thermometer and some Tylenol, Ibuproffin etc. nothing special, just the stuff you use at home.

Pack everything in separate totes, snack tote, toy tote, book tote, medicine tote.

My wife hated camping, until she camped in a RTT and had a Fridge - Now she is unstoppable and always wants to camp!

Remember, you can always stop at a motel every few days if its getting too rough.

Have fun, you will love exploring.

 

[Overlandmom]

We use Neutrogena pure & free baby sunblock spf 60. But that might be extreme for some people. I have a skin condition called Rosecea that requires me to use sunblock every day. Both my son and I are also blonde & fair skinned. In the PI even my husband was using spf 60 since the sun will burn you up there fast.

You'll figure it out it all out. Just be over prepared than under.

Have fun and enjoy these times.

Thanks!!!

 

[Overlandmom]

A heavy duty wool blanket makes for a nice place to set a kid down if the ground is harsh, with that, an awning or sunbrella for shade. Make sure you can shade the car windows that are closest to the child.

Portable DVD players are good for everyone, kid movies in the car, and grown up movies after the child goes to sleep.

Bring LOADS of wet wipes.

Go to the dollar store and pick up a dozen or so small toys and books that the child hasn't seen. Dole these out if she is getting bored on the Highway.

Meds - Bring a good thermometer and some Tylenol, Ibuproffin etc. nothing special, just the stuff you use at home.

Pack everything in separate totes, snack tote, toy tote, book tote, medicine tote.

My wife hated camping, until she camped in a RTT and had a Fridge - Now she is unstoppable and always wants to camp!

Remember, you can always stop at a motel every few days if its getting too rough.

Have fun, you will love exploring.

Thank you for the detail! We are looking at RTT now. We are looking at Eezi Awn or Howling Moon. Any povs on those?

 

[007]

Eezi-Awn is very high quality. I would highly recommend a RTT that has a full size lower annex. It makes for a great place to change clothes, keep a port a potty, watch movies, and cook or hang out in bad weather. It also works well to have a little buddy heater down there to heat the tent and take the chill off in the morning.

The link at the bottom of my signature is an example of this type of tent.

 

[LR Max]

Have your husband read this:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...ouse-to-the-idea-of-family-adventure-planning

Couple of ideas:

For the child, see what consumables you use per day. Then you will have an idea of what to budget for the kid (I am not a parent so this is the "unknown but try to quantify" within me). Also begin researching on hospitals in the vicinity and other places just in case, you know where to go (once again, I'm not a parent but I do this on trips because accidents/illness happens to ANYONE so knowing is easier than figuring it out).

Shakedown runs (local camping/trips) before is a CAPTIAL idea. Somewhere your husband is familiar with is always preferred. The problem initially is that you pack too much crap. I know I did it. I had a giant truck and even with only me in it, I would have it slammed full of crap. It took a while to fully understand what I NEEDED and what I didn't. This came with practice. I learned that if you bring a bunch of little items that are "spares", then it adds up.

At the hardware store, there is this stuff made for your lawn to keep bugs away. You sprinkle it on the ground. I would research this.

The RTT is a capital idea and as others have said, go all out with the extra everything. An awning is also a great idea as it'll give you shade when you are eating lunch and whatnot.

For you, get proper outdoor gear. My girlfriend is the same way. She doesn't have hiking boots, doesn't understand layering socks, nor has a decent rain coat. Until she met me, she didn't need them. So getting the right gear makes all the difference. Knowing that your boots will provide you ankle support and minimize blisters is ideal.

Have the cooling system of the truck flushed and viscous coupling replaced before your trip. Seems like everyone who goes out west has some sort of cooling issue. Its easier to complain about it now rather than in the desert (once again, an opinion to consider).

The shower and proper facilities is crucial. You can buy a little pop-up tent thing to give you privacy for these requirements. Personally I don't need them but I've pretty much decided it is needed if I'm going to take my girlfriend with me. Also say once every 3 days, head for civilization. Laundry, etc can be done at that time.

As for cold, you need a good jacket. I'd go with down. Also invest in a couple of big, dumb, ugly wool blankets. They have many, many uses.

Dunno, just throwing this all out there. Good luck!