Camping with Babies

“Go camping with your baby,” they said.
“It’ll be fun,” they said.

Well, they were right!

My husband Theo and I have always been avid campers, even living in our van from 2018-2020. But with the birth of our daughter last year, we weren’t sure how to pick it up again, but we did know that we were eager to do it. Camping and touring beautiful lands in Westy is my favorite thing to do, so I definitely want Ava to get to experience it too. But how to manage a 8 month old infant in a trustworthy, yet “issue prone” van AND go camping out in the woods? Did I mention that the weekend I picked for camping also had rain in the forecast?! Oops.. ha ha, well we decided to figure it all out and get out there anyways.

And so, after lots of doing research for baby camping gear and trying it out ourselves this last weekend, I wanted to share with y’all my favorite items and other tips I found helpful. 

**FIRST THINGS FIRST**
My best piece of advice when camping with a baby: laugh it off and go with the flow. Things may turn to shit (literally), but just do what you gotta do to clean it up and move on, don’t look back. As pretty much all new moms and dads know, taking care of babies can be pretty crazy and weird stuff can go outta control! So to help you stay in control and manage any issue coming your way while camping, read on….

BEST BABY CAMPING GEAR- tried and tested:

Baby camping high chair: 

I love this one that I found because it converts to standing, allow the baby to use and kick their little legs, while of course also having the chair option. The sun shade is a great addition, and it all folds up easily in a bag. Find it here: baby camping chair.

Merino wool onesie and other wool clothing:
Not only is it a needed clothing item because wool keeps you warm, regulates your temperature, and doesn’t let moisture or wetness seep in, but Merino wool ALSO is soooo soft. And can be seen as a luxurious item too since it can be pricey, but I found good deals on Amazon and H&M with their onesies and kid clothing. See below for links:

• Amazon: baby wool onesie
• H&M: baby and infant wool top and bottom

And don’t forget a wool cap! I love this style and the cost is good too.

Wool socks are a good choice too. I found this 3-pack of merino wool socks on Amazon for a good price.

Fleece onesie/bunting: 

For a quick warm outfit, I definitely recommend a warm fleece onesie that can go over a regular outfit once the temps drop at night. It was about 50 degrees when we were sitting outside with Ava and she had on a regular full footed cotton onesie and a fleece onesie over it, plus her wool cap with the onesie’s hood pulled up too. These onesies linked below convert the ends of the arms to mittens for Ava’s hands to stay warm and inside: baby footed jumpsuit, baby bunting bodysuit.

Sleeping bag body suit: 

I really liked this one I found on Amazon because it’s soft and can be worn up until 24 months! Ava fit well in it at 8 months old, says it can fit as small as 6 months. Find it here: baby sleeping bag.

Baby bassinet that travels well: 

We have this bassinet that we used for Ava at home during her first few months, but now it's just taking up space. Luckily we realized that we could still use it, but for camping in the van! We just didn’t use the poles and set up, only the actual crib part which is flat on the bottom. Check it out: baby bassinet.

When Ava was younger like under 6 months, this other travel bassinet worked well.

Sun protective gear: 

Definitely get a few sun hats, one in your baby’s current size and one up a size because I swear they grow like crazy and before you know it- you’ll need a new one and won’t have time to run to a store to get it! I loved these ones: baby flap hat, baby sunhat.

And don't forget sunglasses, cause even babies hate the sun in their eyes! I liked these ones that were bendy so they wouldn't break easily and had a strap in the back. 

Baby sunscreen: 

I love the Coola brand for overall sunscreen and in particular, this one for spraying on my baby’s head and hair. It doesn’t get as oily as other brands but still offers protection.

All-weather Blanket: 

What’s key here is to get a blanket that is waterproof on one side.. and then fleece or something cozy on the other. This is great for laying down on dirt, even if wet, and then your child can lay down, roll around, or sit up and play with toys on the other side and have it be nice and warm. Plus, this blanket is also very wind proof so it will double as a great blanket to wrap yourself in- keep that in mind for future outdoor events or activities! We bought this great blanket at a great price.

Baby backpack carrier for hiking: 

Oh my this was the best thing ever. Major thanks to our friends, the Hall family, for gifting us this backpack for our baby shower. It was amazing. For Ava perfectly because it has so many different ways to adjust the size and I can tell it’ll work on her for awhile- up until we want to be carrying her anyways! This particular carrier has a stand so that you can take the backpack off and stand your kid up in it without having to take them out every time. Find it here: baby hiking carrier backpack

I recommend bringing another light carrying pack for just hanging and walking around the campsite. We have this one and it’s amazing, easy to use and put on: baby carrier.

Portable sound machine: 

This is a given baby gear item, but something you may have forgotten to get for your trip!! We love this one for the long-lasting life and different sounds, plus the attached carabiner to hang it: travel sound machine.

Baby bottle cleaning station: 

Just a small item that helps big time to house your clean bottles for drying on a rack: bottle cleaning travel kit.

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OTHER THOUGHTS:

Heating in your van: For us, it got down to 40 degrees in the middle of the night so we had to make sure we’d all be warm. I wrote a lot about how to stay warm in a van during winter/cold nights, so check it out here: www.alisaninthevan.com/winter-in-van.

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And now... here are some pics of us camping with Ava for inspiration! Hope you get out there soon and enjoy yourselves. :) Happy camping!

Traveling in Vans with Dogs

If you want unwavering loving support, even more of an excuse to go outside, and a guaranteed cuddle partner, traveling in vans with dogs is the way to go! Who wouldn't want to be able to hang with their dog 24/7? The constant companionship far outweighs the smells and mess from your dog.

My dog Noah is such a joy to have around, he has a constant smile on his face. When I was living in San Francisco, it was so difficult leaving my pup at home. Now that I live in my van full-time with my partner Theo, we get to see Noah all the time, and the memories that we've created traveling around the U.S. and Canada will be cherished forever. I never thought that my big 'ol Rottweiler would one day see so much of this world, 26 states and 2 countries to be exact! I can't say if Noah loves the actual travel (he hasn't told me yet) but I think he's a lot more at peace getting to be with his Mom and Dad, aka: the loves of his life, full time.

So I'm going to share some of my favorite dog-friendly places that we've been to along the way, and also offer up some advice on traveling full-time with your dog. 

How to camp for free on public lands

All photos in this post were taken on public lands.

Van life is awesome for many reasons, but a big one is that you don’t have to spend money on rent! And depending on what kind of lifestyle you want to live, you can certainly do it all on the cheap. One of the biggest spenders in van life can be campgrounds, especially if it’s tourist season and you’re in a popular place. I’ve seen campgrounds charge as much as $50 per night! More often than not it’s closer to the $20-30 range and those expenses add up. So free camping is definitely something to look for if you want to save some of your hard-earned bucks. Besides stealth camping in towns or parking in Walmart or Cracker Barrel locations, there’s one other way to camp for free… public lands! This is also known as "boondocking".

Winter in the Van

I’m sure this is a contested opinion, but I see winter as a magical time. I love the glistening snow, experiencing the thrill of skiing, and enjoying hot chocolate (with booze, let’s be real) by the fireplace.. but things change when you live a van during the winter time. It can be just as magical, but there’s quite a few challenges in guaranteeing comfort. Of course, warmth is the first thing on your mind, then there’s navigating more difficult weather, and finally, you’ll have to figure out where to park since many campgrounds close for the off season. So I’m here to help you out a little and give some insight into how we survived living in our van in the Rockies last winter. 

So last winter, ‘17-’18, was a LOT of fun, and yes it was hard but it didn’t matter because it was truly living the #vanlife of my dreams. We got to be the ski bums we always wanted to be, driving to ski resorts, parking there and sleeping overnight, and waking up to a glorious day that we’d spend on the mountain. We had the Ikon Base Pass, so it allowed us access to mountains all across the country, but we stuck to the West. We started in California, going to Mammoth then Tahoe, then we booked it across Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah where we skied Alta and Park City.

Van Life FAQ

Alright folks, here it is. The Frequently Asked Questions on Van Life... as it has been in my experiences thus far. We are one year and a few months into our life on the road, and I’ve definitely learned a lot about how to do it efficiently, and especially how to slow down and laugh more at life’s inconsistencies. Living in a van is not always glamorous as some may see on social media. There’s a lot of planning involved, and of course plans fail sometimes. But I'm going to share with y'all how I’m doing van life. Read on if you want the inside scoop.

How I live an eco-vanlife

Hello lovers of the world! Are you feeling the desire to make your routine more earth-friendly? I put together a small but mighty list of the best tips and hacks for an environmentally-conscious life. All of this can apply to vanlifers, campers, travelers, and homesteaders alike! This isn’t an exhaustive list, I’m sure you’ve heard and read a lot about eco-living and don’t need a list of 50 actions to do. And I realize that there are a million articles and blogs already out there that give great advice on this subject, but it’s hard to know what’s right for you to do, and what fits in best with your lifestyle. We’re all well aware that we can’t be perfect, so rather than not try at all, we pick what life tips can be best applied and do them right. So to give y'all some inspiration, I'm sharing the eco-actions that I do, and I hope you'll feel welcome to adopt too in "greening" your life 💚.

"Where do you shower?"

Although I love being in the van, I don’t necessarily want to look like I live in a van (down by the river). When planning for van life, I knew hot showers and hot water would become more of a rarity, so I had to get creative when it came to hygiene while living on the road. All while following my rule for vanlife: keep stuff to minimum and make sure it’s worth it. Lucky for me I didn’t have to adjust too much since I wasn’t a product junkie before, but I did have to make decisions such as “bring nail polish or not?” and “do I really need both day and night moisturizers?” (those answers were no and yes). But I did manage to cut back on my beauty and bath supplies by a LOT, and I made some swaps to make my routine more efficient. So I’d like to share what I have learned, and what I do to make myself look and feel my best for good van living. 😘