Camping gear for a 1 year old?

[Marissa]

We are planning a family camping trip for August, the week of our son's first birthday. We'll be in a tent, in a shaded part of the park. There's a beach (ocean) and hiking trails. The beach is about 1 mile from the camp site, and I was thinking I'd backpack the kid (we have a Yakima with a sun shade) and put other stuff in a wagon of some kind. Should we also bring the stroller? It's a MBUS and takes up a lot of room in the car.

Thoughts/suggestions from other campers are most appreciated!

Thanks,
Marissa

[srlarsen]

Marissa - I know this is an old post, but hopefully you are still looking for ideas for your camping trip in August. We went camping when my son was 14 months, and he loved it. We were in Myrtle Beach, SC and it was a similar set up to what you're talking about with hiking trails, and close to the beach.

I don't know what the MBUS is like, but if it has large bicycle-type wheels like a jogging stroller, then I would definitely bring it along. The regular graco-type strollers just don't cut it in the sand. Also, you'll want to get out of your camp site once in awhile, and it would be nice to have a stroller for trips to the grocery store, etc. But if you can't fit it in, the wagon and backpack should be enough.

We brought along a lot of toys, but honestly he just really enjoyed hanging out in the tent. It rained for 3 days when we were camping (of course) so we were in the tent A LOT! He also enjoyed playing in the mud puddles and running around on the beach. Hopefully by August the ocean will be warm enough to play in. I really think you'll be fine with just your usual camping gear. The backpack is a must, and maybe an umbrella for the beach. We had a lot of fun, my son just really loved exploring the campground, etc.

Good luck!