Re: Advice on tent camping w/6 month baby in early sept

Ok i recently posted about going camping with my baby when she's gna be 6 months, but I was only looking at one side of the picture worrying about the weather and such..
I was just looking online and some people were talking about there babies having ear problems on the way up and I thought there are alot of other things I haven't considered.. So what would I do in that case to avoid my baby having ear problems on the drive upto yosemite? And any other advice or anything we should avoid doing or what we should do withthe baby..?

Thanks!!
Mrs. O

Some people are going to think I'm mean and evil, but so be it...

If you're camping in a campground, or anywhere near other people who aren't part of your group, don't take the baby, because subjecting your fellow camping folk to the ruckus typically made by six-month-old babies is just plain rude.

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Mixolydian
Some people are going to think I'm mean and evil, but so be it...

If you're camping in a campground, or anywhere near other people who aren't part of your group, don't take the baby, because subjecting your fellow camping folk to the ruckus typically made by six-month-old babies is just plain rude.

I've never had a noise problem from a baby while camping in Yosemite. Loud drinkers and generators are the big problem.

How big of a problem are generators?

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Mixolydian
Some people are going to think I'm mean and evil, but so be it...

If you're camping in a campground, or anywhere near other people who aren't part of your group, don't take the baby, because subjecting your fellow camping folk to the ruckus typically made by six-month-old babies is just plain rude.

Don't want any birds singing or screeching, either!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2011 11:09AM by szalkowski.

Just camped in Upper Pines for three nights. One of which there we were surrounded by babies. They were completely silent and asleep by 9 and I didn't hear anything from them until at least 8 the next morning. However the obnoxious people with their amplified music ruined my experience the other two nights. More power to you for getting your child outdoors so early.

Yeah my little one is usually knocked out by 9-930. So no worries in that area ! Just the elevation thing :-/ I'm worried about

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Ortega0906
So what would I do in that case to avoid my baby having ear problems on the drive upto yosemite?

You might want to use highway 140 to minimize altitude changes.

Thank you!

Agree. Babies aren't the problem but the loud drinkers.

Yup. Anyone who doesn't respect the 10:00 PM noise curfew gets my ire. Babies are usually sound asleep by then.

Well, I think a good indicator would be to go up to your local mountains (are there any near you?) for the day. Eeek has the right idea about altitude. The south entrance, on the 41, doesn't climb much either. The valley, itself, really isn't that high. Now if you go up the 120 or camp off it (White Wolf, Toulmne Meadows), be prepared for elevations (over 8,000 or 9,000 ft., in some places) and cold nights.

I think your biggest concern is keeping the baby warm, at night. Bring rated (a 30 degree rating should be fine) sleeping bags. Yosemite Valley is still pretty warm (80s usually) during the day.

All in all, I think the baby will be fine as long as you come over prepared, like us mothers tend to do. lol Just make sure to bring all of your infant-type medications because I'm not too sure how vast the selections are at the stores. I know they sell over-the-counter meds, for adults. Same goes for fomula, baby food and diapers. I do know that everything in the stores, there, run a lot more, than if you were to bring it yourself.

The valley also has a medical center, so if the baby does have a bad earache, keep that in mind.

Never a problem with load babies...I've had problems with: Crying Toddler (I blame the parents, long story), children riding their bikes through campsite (while eating dinner...uhhh yeah), a man that hacked phlem all night, and a drunk guy barfing in the bathroom all night. Different Camping trips and all in Upper Pines, go figure.

If you're in Upper Pines BRING EARPLUGS!!! Not kidding...

The other biggy (in my book); Foreign tourists. I find most, if not all of them rude....but, if you can handle Disneyland, than you can handle the National Parks, how I see it.

As far as the baby's ears go, check online for solutions for babies on airplanes...the problem is pretty much the same as being on a plane and there are a thousand solutions...from infant decongestants to pacifiers. See what you are comfortable with and be ready to try a few different methods. As far as the other camping irritants being mentioned...they are more than made up for by the surroundings.

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Bearproof
As far as the baby's ears go, check online for solutions for babies on airplanes...the problem is pretty much the same as being on a plane and there are a thousand solutions...from infant decongestants to pacifiers. See what you are comfortable with and be ready to try a few different methods.

See, e.g.:
http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/earsAltitude.cfm

Thank u for the useful link n 411!! Will defntly come in handy.. I'm a new mom first time camping with the baby, can u tell lol

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Bearproof
As far as the baby's ears go, check online for solutions for babies on airplanes...the problem is pretty much the same as being on a plane and there are a thousand solutions...from infant decongestants to pacifiers. See what you are comfortable with and be ready to try a few different methods. As far as the other camping irritants being mentioned...they are more than made up for by the surroundings.

Airplanes are generally pressurized at about 7500 feet.

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Old Dude

There's a medical center?! Oh wow all these years of going and never saw that! That's good to know though. Thank you!

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Ortega0906
There's a medical center?! Oh wow all these years of going and never saw that! That's good to know though. Thank you!

There is, but it's not a free clinic. Expect to pay handsomely (even with insurance) for any service they provide.

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Ortega0906
There's a medical center?! Oh wow all these years of going and never saw that! That's good to know though. Thank you!

My son slipped on some slippery rocks and got a few stitches in his forehead there some years back. Cost $220 which was a deal.

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Old Dude

Man, all these stories are making me so happy that I don't camp in campgrounds and backpack where no one is around instead. Since I don't go to campgrounds, I haven't experienced it there, but working with generators day in and day out, I couldn't imagine trying to go to sleep with one running around me.

That being said, try doing a test run with your baby first. Is there a local campground around you with some decent elevation? Or try a day trip into the park to see how the baby does. If your test goes well, there is no reason that you can't get out and enjoy the park and get the baby started on a lifetime of enjoying National Parks.

I camped at Yosemite Creek with a baby about that age last summer. He didn't seem to have any problem with altitude changes at all. The bear made more racket.

Hey eeek,

How is that campground? In all my years I haven't gone off that trailhead, just wondering what its like.

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oakroscoe
Hey eeek,

How is that campground? In all my years I haven't gone off that trailhead, just wondering what its like.

It's okay. Pit toilets but the newer ones are pretty good. But I prefer Porcupine Flat.

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eeek

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oakroscoe
Hey eeek,

How is that campground? In all my years I haven't gone off that trailhead, just wondering what its like.

It's okay. Pit toilets but the newer ones are pretty good. But I prefer Porcupine Flat.

Thanks for the info!

I would take precautions when it comes to food storage and food smells. I've heard about perhaps taking car seats out if they have spilled food in them, although advice varies. I know that babies have spit up and can leave a mess on clothes, so you might want to clean that up before getting in the tent. Then there's feeding in the middle of the night and the inevitable spills. I don't know how one is supposed to handle that, especially when breastfeeding. I'm not sure if it would be an interesting smell to a bear though. At the very least, I'm thinking it would be difficult to go to the bear box and mix formula every few hours in the middle of the night.

It's generally not so bad leaving stuff out that has food residue smells in it as long as bears have a chance to explore and realize there's no food to be had. All campgrounds are chocked full of food scents, and the key is to avoid giving a bear a reward. I saw pots and stoves left out all the time, and the bears that come in just take a sniff and move on when they realize there's no more than just a smell.

You can keep hot water in a thermo in your tent and powder in the bear box. At night, just mix enough and put the milk powder/bottle back in the box.

That's what are friends did during our trip. Less hassle heating up hot water in the middle of the night with a propane tank.

Drive slowly and take lots of breaks. You probably have to anyway for feeding and diaper changes. It helps a lot for the elevation adjustments.

Advice: Don't worry too much and just have a great time with your baby :-).