Ruby Goes Camping: Part 3 - Containment & Shade

Part 3 of my series on taking our daughter, Ruby, on her first camping trip at 5 months old.

Containment: My daughter has always liked to stand. She has never wanted to sit still. She has always been ready to go and has been standing since she was 4 months old. It's nuts. She has finally learned to walk at 10 months old and it took her less than a week to go from that first step to full on running. I knew when we were in camp and digging for the trilobites the odds of getting her to sit still were pretty close to nil. I was also VERY worried about the lack of shade where we were going. The Mojave is not exactly the most vegetated place on the planet. Even in late March the temperature can get into the 90s during the day (if not more). Some had suggested taking a play pen for her to be in, but at that point we did not have one. The inflatable camping ones are a bit more pricey than I was willing to pay, and I was worried about the desert winds carrying her away. We decided to invest in the KidCo PeaPod Plus. It is a small, collapsible, light weight tent. It has windows on all 4 sides, with shades to cover the mesh windows and keep the sun (and dust!) out. It also came with a inflatable mattress that slips into the bottom to give it some cushion and a small sleeping bag that fits the entire space of the floor.

But do not let the word "small" fool you - I can even fit in this thing, although not well. We found this to be a good place to let Ruby nap in camp and at the quarry sites, while staying out of the sun and away from any 'pests' (not so many mosquitoes, but there are scorpions, spiders, snakes....!). When she was awake in the quarry we would toss some toys inside to try and keep her occupied (even though she wanted to be outside with us!) She could stand in the tent, but could not 'escape.'

Pros:

• lightweight
• good shade
• mesh doors and windows that can also be covered
• pops up on its own instantly (no set up!) and folds up easy
• large enough to be useful for a long time

Cons:

• Inflatable pad is heavy. We only used it in camp and did not hike with it
• needs a fan inside, it can get stuffy with the flaps down and a fan would help with air circulation
• lightweight enough that it can take flight if it does not have weight in it, or if it is not staked down. Stakes not provided. 

Mesh door closed

mesh door open

The tent at the quarry