Date:         Mon, 17 Oct 2005 13:12:21 -0700
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Traveling/Camping With a Baby
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

We've had to be towed while travelling with the kids and their car seats. We
told the roadside assistance operator about it when we called and they found
a company that had a four-door tow truck.  I gathered it's something that
they handle all the time.

We went tent camping earlier this year with our then six-month-old 2.5 yr.
old and 4.5 yr. old, and when my daughter was six months we flew out to see
my in-laws in Canada (coast to coast trip). We've driven all over the
southwest with the kids. Basically at this point we don't look at it as 'can
we take the kids?' so much as 'how are we going to manage taking the
kids...' Like many other things is all about the planning and preparation.

We try to keep travel segments to about 4-6 hours per day at most, with
plenty of stops along the way. The portable DVD player is a godsend. Get
some snacks and drinks and hit the road.

Cya,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "BJ Feddish" <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 10:40 AM
Subject: Re: Traveling/Camping With a Baby


>>> my question is - would you plan on traveling/camping w/ a 4-month old
> baby?  if so, please explain how you'd do it. <<
>
> This quite often depends on the baby.  I know folks who have taken their
> infant camping since they were very young with no problems. These are
> people
> that have babies that will sleep anywhere. Our daughter was born 18 months
> ago and beforehand we were still reserving our yearly camping sites with
> the
> hopes of taking her. It turns out she was (and still is) a very poor
> sleeper. For the first 8 months she slept for about 45 minutes every hour
> and a half. Most of the other 45 minutes was spent crying unless she was
> held, rocked, etc.  Needless to say there was no camping during that
> period.
> She will still only sleep in her cradle and though she sleeps through the
> night takes little or no nap during the day. Friends and relatives send us
> pictures of themselves at the beach or somewhere and the baby is there
> sleeping on a towel. We find that very humorous. The last thing our
> daughter
> would do is lie down and fall asleep on a towel. She'll be over 2 next
> summer so we are hoping to finally take her camping this year.
>
> On the other hand I see young parents taking their babies to the Philly
> Folk
> Fest and I can hear them crying late at night in their campers while their
> parents are out front partying. It's really noisy there and I think if
> your
> baby is not a good sleeper it is selfish to have them at a place like
> that.
>
> While we are on this baby topic, I know I don't want to think about it but
> what do the other list members do if they break down far from home? It was
> not a problem the few times I have since my wife and I could jump in the
> tow
> truck cab but how does that work if there are 3 of you? What did you end
> up
> doing?  Making a long trip with the baby is going to make me nervous.
>
> Thanks,
> Bryan