I’m no expert on mothering or backpacking. But, I have successfully and WARMLY camped/backpacked with my daughter (under 8 months) for 6 nights in below freezing temperatures now! Do I get a Mama polar bear badge yet?!
I’ve gotten some questions on this… and I get it! It’s super intimidating to take baby out in the cold. SO many variables and making sure baby is warm is SO important!!
Here’s what I’ve learned about camping in cold weather with baby
First… let me mention two disclaimers!
We cosleep 70% at home and babywear for 80% of naps. This kind of lifestyle makes it really easy to pick up and make home where ever in nature we want to be! No need to “recreate the sleep environment” with dark curtains and a pack and play. This works for us, but I know it’s not for everyone. I will say it does tremendously help the kind of lifestyle we align with AND with getting us outside to camp and backpack!
This is real life of how Piper has been napping for the past 1.5 hours as I work on this post.
Raising our baby outside is really really important to us. We are outdoor enthusiast that believe cold air is good for the lungs and that there is no such thing as bad weather… just bad clothes!
Last disclaimer, I’m an exclusively breastfeeding mama. My writing will include my experience and perspective which reflects this!
The best piece of advice I have…. layering layering layering.
If you haven’t read my post about layering well for winter activities… give it a read!
I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Twice, Piper has woken up sweating because she was TOO warm in our tent. If her base layer was cotton, this would have been pretty hazardous to have wet clothing next to the skin that’s retaining the moisture. More important then understanding what pieces of clothing to layer with is understanding the WHY behind what choices to make when it comes to layering.
Here is what we use to layer:
Base-layer - this is the layer closest to the skin. It needs to be a moisture wicking layer. NEVER COTTON. We choose to use Patagonia’s infant capeline. We were gifted the size 3-6 month and we’ve used it for Piper from 2-9 (and still fits!) months! I use it as her baselayer for colder activities and her only layer for summer activities as sun protection. It’s a winner in our books! There are lots of other baselayers out there, too. Merinowool is another great option!
Mid-layer - these should be warm and insulating. Something like fleece or wool work well. You can also layer multiple mid-layers depending on how cold it is. Mid-layers are also the first layers to go if you’re shedding a layer because it’s too warm. We have some fleece buntings as well as a Reima wool layer.
Outer-layer - this should be windproof, waterproof, and breathable. We use a down bunting (also from Reima) for Piper. If she was in rain or snow I would probably add a shell on top of the down bunting.
Accessories - warm socks, booties, mittens, and a warm beanie are also a must!
Cold weather sleep situation
This was the first time we backpacked in coldweather. I later learned that the down bunting was too much! But better to start out too warm than too cold. If you don’ have a down blanket in addition to the sleeping bag I’d keep baby in the bunting.
Baby wears…
Baselayer - patagonia capeline
Warm socks - smartwool
Wool layer - Reima
Maybe another fleece layer if it’s extra cold.
Beanie
Mama wears…
Honestly, I usually wear whatever i’m wearing for the day.
A nursing tank is super helpful for night breastfeeding
A downjacket unzipped is also nice since chances are you won’t be totally in the sleeping bag
Sleeping gear…
A comfortable sleep pad you can share (REI camp bed is a nice option for camping!)
A backpacking/camping pillow makes a world of difference when side-lying breastfeeding
A down sleeping bag - we use an 800 fill power down rated to 15
A down alternative or down blanket - I bought one from costco for $12! This is also a game changer for sleeping with your bag half zipped… or rocking baby for naps…
Portable sound machine! We use white noise a lot at home… so having one on the trip was especially helpful! Depending on how long your trip is you may want a charging device too.
Sleeping tips…
What worked for us is having my sleeping bag unzipped and not over Piper’s head. Then, adding the down blanket over both of us. We had lots of breathing space but it limited the amount of air to warm up.
Plan on breastfeeding a lot of the night. Baby will need it not only for substance, but also to warm their hands/faces/nose!
Expect to not get much sleep! haha! For real… lower your expectations. Our first trip Piper slept GREAT and I slept TERRIBLE. Our second trip we both slept REALLY good! She even slept in until 8AM one morning!
What about napping while camping or backpacking?
Naps are the best time for hiking! Or cleaning up camp! I wear Piper and she sleeps through most noise and loves the movement. But again, I do this at home… I’ve been wearing her while I make smoothies and she still doesn’t wake up (9 months old!).
On the last trip I wore her and was able to teardown my tent, make breakfast, pack up, and drink coffee while she snoozed away!
This hike turned into a nice nap. :)
Here is a more relaxing way to take a morning nap :) Using the down-alternative blanket for extra warmth this chili morning! It was in the 20s!
That’s really all I got for ya! If you have further questions please feel free to reach out and ask!
I hope this inspires you to get outside, bring your baby, laugh, and have fun! One of the highlights for camping with Piper is how much we BOTH enjoy it. Time slows down… expectations are lowered… and we come back restored. :)
