How to Give a Baby a Bath When Camping

If you are the type of person to take your baby camping, then it’s safe to assume that you are not a clean freak and probably also know that exposure to bacteria actually helps build a baby’s immunity. Your baby can skip bath time and be fine. A few wet wipes will be enough to keep your kid clean. But, if you are going on a longer camping trip, you might need to give your baby a bath at some point.

It can be a bit tricky to give a baby a bath when camping so below are some tips.

New to camping with a baby? Also read:

Bring a Bucket

Using a bucket to bathe your baby while camping is probably the easiest solution. You can also use an inflatable baby pool.

As a bonus, the same bucket of water can keep older babies and toddlers entertained for a long time. My daughter (below) loved splashing the water and tossing things in the bucket. It kept her busy for a record-breaking 40 minutes!

Heating the Bath Water

If the campground doesn’t have hot water, just mix some cold water with boiling water to get the right temperature before plopping your baby inside. Yes, you will need to make sure you have enough fuel for heating water.

To conserve fuel, you can partially fill the bucket with water in the morning. Put it somewhere in the sun. The sunlight will heat the water up a bit. Then you just add some boiling water to get it warmer.

Move Bath Time to Mid Day

I know you might be trying to keep your normal schedule while camping, but it can get too cold in the evening to give your baby a bath. If it is cold or cloudy that day, then postpone bath time until the weather is better.

Using the Campground Shower to Bathe Your Baby

Campground bathrooms are notoriously dirty and gross. They won’t have a bathtub and probably won’t have an anti-slip mat on the shower either.

If you do decide to go this route, you’ll need to get in the shower with your baby. This means both of you get naked (hope you aren’t the shy type). You hold your baby while simultaneously lathering and rinsing.

Here’s the problem with this: Babies are squirmy and slippery when wet. Campground showers rarely have anti-slip mats on the floor. I personally would not feel safe holding my infant in a camp shower! On top of that, you have to somehow get a towel around your baby and yourself – all while holding the baby.

Push a Stroller into the Shower Stall

Here’s a cool tip (I read here) to make bath time in the campground showers easier:

Put your baby in a cheap umbrella stroller. Push the stroller into the shower stall. Hose your baby off until they are clean.

This way, you don’t a have to worry about slipping or dropping your baby in the shower.

Choose a Campsite Near Water

If the weather is warm enough, choose a campsite near water. Then your baby can have some swim time or splash-in-the-stream time while also getting clean. Just don’t use soap in the water!

Be Careful Where You Dispose of Soapy Water

Even biodegradable soap really shouldn’t be dumped into streams, ponds, lakes or other natural water sources. It is bad for the environment and animals living there and against the principles of Leave No Trace. Either don’t use any soap or take the time to empty your bucket at least 200 feet (70 steps) from the natural water source.

Don’t Use the Campground Dish Sinks for Bath Time!

I wish I didn’t have to write this, but please do not give your baby a bath in the campground sinks meant for washing dishes. I really don’t want a baby’s butt in the same sink where I wash my dishes or produce. You might be able to get away with this if you use the campground’s laundry sinks, but still expect some evil-eye stares.

Image credits:
“baby in bucket” (CC BY 2.0) by Tim & Selena Middleton
“A camp bath” (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by christophercraig
“Bath in a bucket” (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by jenpilot