My 5 favorite can’t-camp-without items that I wish I had started out with from the very beginning.
A manual breast pump is great for overlanding trips in groups and road trips where you can’t stop every 10 minutes to feed your infant. I’ve mastered the ‘lean-over’ quite well by now, but a bottle is much better for the bumpy roads.
Staying in the category of breastfeeding, my friend and fellow mom lent me her Latched Mama sweatshirt for our first camping trip with our second child. And what an epiphany I had. No more skin exposed to cold weather and struggling to actually find the boob through the layers. I live in this thing day and night on our trips, so I recommend getting two.
Garden clogs - or anything else waterproof and easy slide on - is a MUST HAVE for the constant trips in and out of the tent that babies and toddlers often require - day and night. Avoid breaking an ankle in the attempt of putting on hiking boots half asleep AND have room for your thick socks which flip flops won’t allow. Most slide on sandals are fairly inexpensive too.
Same friend as before (who is obviously much better kitted than I am) also lent me her Milk Snob nursing cover. Again I wondered how I managed to raise one baby without this. It’s fantastic for multiple purposes: as a nursing cover for crowded or windy places, as a cover for the car seat when baby is finally napping and as a compact and stylish shirt for me for the plane or the car. They come in multiple colors and patterns as well as different price levels.
Finally, the one item you think is completely obsolete. But my Kindle has helped me zone out and fall asleep at night when fresh air has not been enough - no reading light needed. It packs light AND doubles as an excellent night light for nursing or diaper changes during the night.
What camping/overlanding/travel items do you think are absolute must-haves? Comment below!
Please note: I was not paid or compensated to review these products, although I have added the affiliate links. I truly love and recommend them.
Need inspiration for the perfect gift for your outdoor or camping loving dad or your partner? Check out my list of 10 things that are sure to improve his outdoor adventures.