Overlanding With Toddlers Discussion Thread

[Hourless Life]

I love this! My kid is 4 montgs old, and we are just about to start introducing foods which will make sleeping through the night a lot easier. The heat and bugs of Florida make camping before October kindof unpleasant, but that will coincide pretty well with him hopefully sleeping well through the night.

Until now, it has just been short jaunts into the woods to walk around in his carrier and let the dogs play.

But, we are moving to NM next spring so I am really excited about the great camping opportunities there!

*edit*

The wife has been really prodding me to get a camper trailer as well. I wanted to buy a plane, but we'll see. I also said that 5 years ago, and now she has a 4Runner TRDP so we'll see where things fall :P .

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There are some AMAZING places to explore in New Mexico. And before I forget your little one is adorable! Those eyes! I have a bunch of Jeep friends in the Albuquerque area. Great trails out that way that are fun and free to explore.

Enjoy your move and that little one!

Eric AKA Jeepsies

 

[TreadHead Garage]

Man what a great looking family! Love the adventures and the part about "make do with what you got". I swear our son is more into rocks than any fancy toys we've bought him. Thank you for sharing the photo and your insight. Would love to hang out with you guys on the trail. I'm going to give you a follow on IG. If you'd like to follow back you can find me at @Jeepsies of course.

Eric AKA Jeepsies

We have over packed all kinds of stuff for the kiddo in the past, no joke his favorite thing to play with is the hook strap off the kayak. Loves running around hooking up "tow points" to other toys etc

 

[Hourless Life]

We have over packed all kinds of stuff for the kiddo in the past, no joke his favorite thing to play with is the hook strap off the kayak. Loves running around hooking up "tow points" to other toys etc

Yeah, I'm concerned about overpacking. The pack and play seems like a must have but even ours is so freaking big for an overlanding rig. Not sure what I'm going to do about that just yet.

As far as toys.. no doubt. He had a hundred toys on the floor and all he wanted to do was play in the box my ARB Fridge Freezer came in #overlandingkid LOL

 

[brien]

We're actually re-thinking our decision not to go to Overland East this year.. so we might try and make it work.

I would highly recommend going! I've never been to East, i think it's quite a bit smaller than West, but I took the whole family along to EXPO West this year, including the baby and everybody had a blast. There are so many other families there to meet and play with and gather experience from. Once your kids get a bit older, there are really great _FREE_ classes for the kids, too. For kids 10 and older, some of the classes offered are really cool advanced stuff, too. This year my 10yo attended the 3-day bridge building class. It was incredible. The kids did all the lashing, rigging, and winching to fully assemble an actual bridge out of big-ass logs. At then end of the project, a Ural was driven over it. Heres a photo of all the kids and the Ural on the bridge:

 

[Hourless Life]

I would highly recommend going! I've never been to East, i think it's quite a bit smaller than West, but I took the whole family along to EXPO West this year, including the baby and everybody had a blast. There are so many other families there to meet and play with and gather experience from. Once your kids get a bit older, there are really great _FREE_ classes for the kids, too. For kids 10 and older, some of the classes offered are really cool advanced stuff, too. This year my 10yo attended the 3-day bridge building class. It was incredible. The kids did all the lashing, rigging, and winching to fully assemble an actual bridge out of big-ass logs. At then end of the project, a Ural was driven over it. Heres a photo of all the kids and the Ural on the bridge:

Wow! That’s crazy cool! So much better than video games!

Oh to be a kid again.

 

[Overland_Serenity]

Definitely following this. My youngest is almost out of his toddler years but I think alot of this applies to the years beyond as well. I just recently started to reprioritize camping trips and I am starting small as I work on my build, but there are plans in the works to start extending out. I want to do the Georgia traverse with them next year, and possibly a couple of the BDRs before we tackle the TAT as a trial run for pulling them out of school and doing a panamerican or even RTW trip sometime in the next 8 years. Dream big is how I live lol.

 

[Kyle & Kari Frink]

We can't wait to start overlanding with Caspian. We're actually re-thinking our decision not to go to Overland East this year.. so we might try and make it work. Our son was on a level 5 rock crawling trail at 4 months old. He pretty much sleeps every time I'm about to roll the Jeep. haha. Going to give you a follow on Instagram too. If you're interested you can find us there at @Jeepsies

Hope to meet y'all someday!

Eric AKA Jeepsies

Definitely will have to meet up sometime for sure! Will also give you a follow on Instagram because lets be real, Instagram is where it's at these days lol. Yes you are right, most of the time they are sleeping when the craziness(controlled craziness) is happening.

 

[GunninIt]

We've had our son out camping since he was 10 months. Then, it was all about bring everything (including the kitchen sink). We had pack n plays, we had tubs for baths, we had it all. As he's gotten older (now almost 5), he doesn't need much but a place to sit and great food to eat. The wife on the other hand, she still likes her comforts when camping (air mattress anyone!). That makes it hard sometimes to pack, as she still likes to bring a lot with her. Roof boxes are my friend.

I'd say, make your kids (and your spouse) comfortable, let them bring comfort items and comfort food. Something a little fun to play with. And they'll likely be able to go anywhere with you!

I agree with most comments about the length of trips. While we do a lot to have fun in the car - talking, stories, reading, games...we do resort to the iPad for real long hauls. Technology is something. I remember the days of sleeping in the back of a truck because my brother and I couldn't get along in the back seat on a drive across the state. Those days are no more!

Some pics of my son while we've been out doing our thing (then and now).

 

[Jeep Advntrs]

Following this thread for sure! We have a 2 year old and recently took her on her first camping trip. She does really well in the car- sleeps most of the time. Other times we do give her the iPad if she gets restless. She can’t use it once we’re off the grid anyway so we’re okay with that. We were sure to bring a couple new toys to keep her distracted when she was close to having any meltdowns. We’re planning on taking her down to Baja soon so I’m definitely interested in all the input.

 

[CCHeath]

Thanks for starting this thread it is prevalent, since I have a 15 month year son.

This question is for Jeepsie how do carseats fit in your Jeep? Do they take up a lot of room?

 

[Rick Levesque]

Hello, my wife and I are in the early stages of planning our first trip with our 2 1/2 year old autistic son and 8 yr old son... the first couple will surely be pretty close to home short trips.. but still a lot to prepare for and think about for sure!

 

[Kyle & Kari Frink]

Following this thread for sure! We have a 2 year old and recently took her on her first camping trip. She does really well in the car- sleeps most of the time. Other times we do give her the iPad if she gets restless. She can’t use it once we’re off the grid anyway so we’re okay with that. We were sure to bring a couple new toys to keep her distracted when she was close to having any meltdowns. We’re planning on taking her down to Baja soon so I’m definitely interested in all the input.

@Jeep Advntrs

The tablet can be a life saver lol thankfully our son due to his younger age he is still able to keep himself amused with what's around him lol.
For our daughter we bought a DVD player that attaches to headrest so she can watch her favorite movies while we drive.
We have coloring books/learning books for her to use as well. However when we get to the places we explore they are enjoying the nature
around them and helping us set up camp/the usual. Yes the "out there" is great for children and usually more then enough but every once
in a while they have a meltdown and that tablet is great for emergency use. When we are out and about we really try to limit the use of the tablet.

 

[Kyle & Kari Frink]

Definitely following this. My youngest is almost out of his toddler years but I think alot of this applies to the years beyond as well. I just recently started to reprioritize camping trips and I am starting small as I work on my build, but there are plans in the works to start extending out. I want to do the Georgia traverse with them next year, and possibly a couple of the BDRs before we tackle the TAT as a trial run for pulling them out of school and doing a panamerican or even RTW trip sometime in the next 8 years. Dream big is how I live lol.

Dreaming big is definitely more than okay and some of the trails you have listed will be EPIC to travel! For the panamerican trip I would look up Expedition Overland on YouTube.
They have 3 whole series of 12 videos each dedicated to that route and it is absolutely amazing.

 

[Dakota Houligans]

We started both our kids (6 years, 18 months) camping as soon as the weather warmed up. Both where born in February so by about 3 or 4 months old they have been camping and enjoying the outdoors. We have traveled a fair bit with them since then as well. Our oldest did her first 10+ hour road trip to Denver when she was just a month old.

We have a tablet with some games and puzzles on it for her to use. But usually she colors and talks. We have a rule that when in the mountains or more scenic areas she has to turn off the tablet. Bring simple and easy to clean toys for them to play with outside. If they are old enough let them pick what to bring to play with. We usually have one bag for in the car entertainment and one for camp.

Fun and easy to make foods that the kids (depending on age) can help to plan and make. For us letting them help pick what to see or which way to go has increased their interest in having adventures. It seems to help if you let them find ways to entertain themselves and explore with out you telling them what to play with. Our little boy will play with a bucket and whatever rocks he finds for hours. Although we tend to find rocks in the tailpipe of the truck or other random places.

Shorter trips and like others have said stopping every 2-3 hours to let them run and play helps.

 

[Hourless Life]

Thanks for starting this thread it is prevalent, since I have a 15 month year son.

This question is for Jeepsie how do carseats fit in your Jeep? Do they take up a lot of room?

We have the Diono Rainier in the center of the rear seat. It is a phenomenal car seat and I’ve heard you can use two in the back of a Wrangler though I have no experience with that.

Take a look! Solid build, but heavy!

 

[Lee Mims]

We have an 8 month old. And we actually started prioritizing camping once a month if possible once she was about 4 months old. My wife and I both grew up backpacking and camping, don’t really have the energy to do that as new parents, so now we car camp. Or overland. Or whatever the cool kids are calling it these days.

We’ve been on 3 trips this summer, with the roof top tent. We’ve got 3 more coming up this fall and winter. Just some random observations:

1) pack and play is worth the space it takes up in the rig. We know our daughter is 100% safe in that and isn’t going to get dirty or scratched. Also great for naps.

2) RTT is fine. The 3 of us sleep up there together, it’s a bit tight but it works. She normally sleeps at my wife’s feet, on a little bed of folded up blankets. If she wakes up and is fussy we put her between us.

3) Bedtime is rough. We’ve learned to not force 7:30 bedtime when camping, it just doesn’t work as well. So bedtime for the baby is later. But we still put her to bed way before we go to bed. She also has a lot more trouble going to sleep because she’s not in a quiet room, there’s a lot more lights and sounds at night that are distracting to her when we’re trying to get her to sleep. My wife normally takes her up in the RTT, nurses her and gets her almost asleep, then we let her cry it out for a while. Then she’s fine. And we can hang out around the campfire and be normal adults for a few minutes.

4) we don’t worry about her falling out of the RTT. We just fold up all the windows but zip all the mesh doors and windows closed and she can’t get out. She’s normally fine, one time she rolled into a corner funny and woke up crying, we went up there, fixed her up and got her back to sleep. She’s not going to fall out, and we’re sitting right under the tent, we will hear it if she has a problem.

Our long term plan is having her sleep in a cot in the RTT annex we keep attached, as soon as she’s old enough to sleep on her own in a tent without getting scared, or without us worrying about her falling off the cot or something. We don’t do the cosleeping thing, that’s just not us. She’s just too young to be on her own if she’s not in her crib, at least that’s how we feel for now.


All in all, it’s doable. Difficult, but I think everything about parenting is more difficult than the non-parenting version lol.

Haha! I had to make sure I wasn't reading a post I wrote myself. You have had the exact same experiences, and decided to do things the exact same way as me. (i.e. no hard bedtime. RTT works, pack and play was necessary).

Fortunately at 3.5 years old, he no longer needs as much large space things (pack and plays), and eats regular foods, etc.

Great thread.

My son, wife and I have logged at least 15,000 miles since he was born. At least 3 major trips of 3,000 - 4,000 miles each.
Big Bend, TX
Mt. Nebo, AR
Tishomingo, MS

Honestly he's cool with riding, I think mainly because he's just been brought up doing it.

 

[Ben Cleveland]

Haha! I had to make sure I wasn't reading a post I wrote myself. You have had the exact same experiences, and decided to do things the exact same way as me. (i.e. no hard bedtime. RTT works, pack and play was necessary).

Fortunately at 3.5 years old, he no longer needs as much large space things (pack and plays), and eats regular foods, etc.

Great thread.

My son, wife and I have logged at least 15,000 miles since he was born. At least 3 major trips of 3,000 - 4,000 miles each.
Big Bend, TX
Mt. Nebo, AR
Tishomingo, MS

Honestly he's cool with riding, I think mainly because he's just been brought up doing it.

Yes definitely great thread. Its good just to hear what other people are doing, and its awesome to hear when you're not the only one coming up with the solution you happened upon! RTT has been awesome for us, even with the baby.

We're hoping as our daughter gets older we can quickly move away from the pack and play, and we can increase her endurance for longer trips. She has a time limit of about 2 hours before we need to change things up or take a break.

How was yalls trip to Big Bend? We live about 5 hrs away, planning a second trip out there early spring next year. Hoping to get out to Big Bend Ranch too for some more remote camping. Its just too hot for a little kid out there right now.

 

[itsdchz]

When you have children, the decision to not do something because of their age, the tantrums, the naps, or perceived inconvenience, far outweighs how much enrichment will come to them, and you! We have been overlanding for the last 8 years with children. We started our first child at about 16 months driving across the country. By the time he was 4, he had seen more National Parks, monuments, and states than many his age. 2 1/2 years ago we had our daughter and started her at Disneyland at 2 months. Soon after , at 6 months, we were hiking in Hawaii, minus Mauna Kea summit due to altitude. We hiked 120 miles of Hawaii with her in the ergo baby carrier. By the time she was 1, she had already been to 7 states and counting. We off road with them every chance we get, from sea level to 11,000+ feet. She has since been to Disneyland 5 times, 16 states, car rides totaling 20 hours/1029 miles (YES we stopped a lot), and most recently 100+ miles hiking during out 4034 mile, 16 day, 9 state adventure. It is far from easy, but the sooner you get them used to it, the easier it becomes.

 

[Lee Mims]

How was yalls trip to Big Bend? We live about 5 hrs away, planning a second trip out there early spring next year. Hoping to get out to Big Bend Ranch too for some more remote camping. Its just too hot for a little kid out there right now.

Incredible. We stayed at Chisos Basin and we arrived during magic hour. It was mind blowing how beautiful it was.

We did Black Gap road, and while it was pretty easy, it was a lot of fun and a good time for the whole crew. Stock vehicle should be fine there, but being modified helps a good bit. (FYI for anyone who's thinking of doing it).

I wish we had time to go back, maybe we will one day.

 

[Ben Cleveland]

Incredible. We stayed at Chisos Basin and we arrived during magic hour. It was mind blowing how beautiful it was.

We did Black Gap road, and while it was pretty easy, it was a lot of fun and a good time for the whole crew. Stock vehicle should be fine there, but being modified helps a good bit. (FYI for anyone who's thinking of doing it).

I wish we had time to go back, maybe we will one day.

YES! Big Bend is gorgeous. Also love the roads out there. Last time we were there, we were in my mildly lifted tacoma with AT tires (sold now), and it was overkill for that even. Wouldn't take a stock sedan out there or anything with low clearance, and wouldn't do big wheels and skinny tires because of the rocks on the trail. Other than that, any stock vehicle could make it out there. With the right tire pressure and correct skinny pedal usage, 4wd wasn't even really necessary. Kept it on just because though.

FWIW, we saw a little honda civic just trucking along out there, past some crazy washouts that I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT how they got past. They were out there though.

I want to do the river road next time we're out there, I've heard its one of the more "difficult" offroad sections, it sounds fun.