5 questions to Manon :
Her tips for a family camping trip
How old was Petit Flocon when he spent his first night in a tent?
We did his first night in a van when he was 2 months old and … he gave us his best night ever. His first night in a tent was when he was 10 months old.
What advice do you have for managing nights in a tent with a young child?
For bedtime, we keep exactly the same ritual as at home. We prepare the bottle with him, he drinks it in the tent, then we change the nappy, put on the pyjamas, read a book or two, give him a big cuddle and settle him down to sleep. My advice: avoid placing the tent close to a source of light, put the child in a travel cot, provide food and one or two toys in the tent, as this will help to delay getting up.
How do you manage a young child’s meals when hiking?
At home, we prefer home-made meals, but on a road trip or bivouac, small pots or jars of vegetables (ratatouille, peas) with pasta, semolina or rice …. are very practical! We have a stove that we always take with us for meals, but also to heat up baby bottle water quickly. For snacks, we always take bread (or biscuits), fruit and fruit compote.
To manage meals: check the time regularly and start looking for a picnic spot a little before mealtime, so that you have time to find a nice spot, settle in and get your meal out. For lunch, we prepare it the evening before, so there’s no need to cook for lunch. And the golden rule when out and about: let go! It doesn’t matter if, exceptionally, he eats less balanced food than at home, if he wants to eat Mum and Dad’s cakes, if he doesn’t eat as much fruit as he needs…
How do you deal with changing a child’s nappy in the middle of nature?
We always have a mobile changing mat with us that we can put on a bench or table. And if there isn’t one, we put it directly on the grass or, if we’re on a cycle path, on the bike trolley. Keep a changing bag (with 2-3 nappies and cotton wool) to hand, as well as a small bag to store dirty nappies until you find a bin.
Last question: how do you keep a baby occupied in the mountains?
Clearly, there’s no point in taking lots of toys! Nature is a huge playground. Between the trees, pebbles, sticks, flowers, little animals… there’s plenty to keep him occupied and playing. And if not, you can always offer him the crockery, saucepans, etc. that you’ve taken along to cook with, or even biscuit wrappers – it works every time!
