There’s a version of me from about four years ago who would have looked at my current kit list and laughed. Back then I was travelling with a 36L Osprey Sirrus, a Thermarest Questar sleeping bag, and absolutely zero toddler gear because Freddy didn’t exist yet. Then he arrived in February 2023, completely rewrote my priorities, and somehow made me a better, more intentional packer in the process.
This post is about the evolution. What I used, why it stopped working, what I changed and why — and what I’m currently building and buying ahead of our next cool weather basecamp camping trip in Europe.
If you’re planning shoulder season or cool weather camping with a toddler, this is the honest version of what that actually takes.
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## The Pack: From 36L Solo to 50L Mum, and Now 65L
My first proper backpack was the Osprey Sirrus 36L. I used it for everything — Iceland, Scotland, Vietnam, Peru. It was the right bag for a solo traveller moving fast and light with no dependants and no camping gear to speak of.
Then Freddy arrived and I kept using it longer than I should have, mostly out of stubbornness.
The reality of travelling with a toddler is that you are carrying two people’s lives in one bag. Nappies, spare clothes for inevitable disasters, the one specific snack that prevents a meltdown, a comfort toy, a sleep setup, your own gear — none of it is optional. The 36L stopped making sense the moment I started loading it for two.
So I switched to the **Osprey Renn 50L** and that bag went to Patagonia, to Scotland, to Costa Rica. It fits as carry-on when packed carefully. It has an excellent hip belt load transfer for long hiking days and I have done full trail days with Freddy in the carrier and this on my back without my shoulders giving out.
But for our next cool weather basecamp trip I’m sizing up to the **Osprey Ariel 65L.**
Here’s why. Basecamp camping means a heavier sleep system than a moving trip, more food weight between resupply points, shoulder season layers for both of us, and Freddy is nearly four. He walks a lot of it now but the carrier still comes for longer distances and steeper terrain. At nearly four, we need more room.
The Ariel 65L is women’s specific with a torso fit adjustment and a serious hip belt. For a trip where I’ll be loading 12 to 14kg regularly, fit is everything.
*[Osprey Renn 50L — affiliate link]*
*[Osprey Ariel 65L — affiliate link]*
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## The Sleep System: Why I Ditched the Sleeping Bag
For years I used the **Thermarest Questar** sleeping bag. It’s a good bag — warm, compressible, and it did exactly what it was supposed to do in Iceland and the Scottish Highlands.
The problem wasn’t the bag. The problem was sleeping with a toddler.
When Freddy started coming on camping trips, he slept in my sleeping bag with me. Which works when they’re tiny and you’re essentially just tucking them into the side of you. But as he’s gotten bigger that arrangement has become genuinely uncomfortable for both of us. A sleeping bag is a tube. A tube designed for one adult does not accommodate one adult and one increasingly large nearly-four-year-old without someone’s feet being cold and someone’s knees being in someone else’s back.
I started looking at quilts and the logic was immediately obvious.
A quilt isn’t a closed tube. It lays flat, it can be draped over two people, it packs down smaller than a sleeping bag of equivalent warmth, and it works with a wider range of body positions. For basecamp camping where you’re stationary for several nights in a row and comfort matters more than ultralight weight, it makes complete sense.
So I’m making one.
**The double quilt specs:**
– Fill: 10oz ClimateShield Apex synthetic insulation
– Dimensions: 60 x 80 inches — wide enough for me and Freddy to sleep comfortably side by side
– Target temperature rating: minus 5°C
– Colours: racing red and Moroccan blue
– Attachment system: grosgrain ribbon loops to secure it to the sleeping pad
The minus 5°C rating gives us a solid margin for shoulder season conditions where overnight temperatures can drop to around 5 to 8°C at campsite elevation. I want to be warm, not just not cold.
ClimateShield Apex is synthetic rather than down — a deliberate choice. Synthetic insulation retains warmth even when damp, dries faster, and in shoulder season conditions where morning condensation is real and weather is unpredictable, that matters more than the marginal packability advantage of down.
We’ll be sleeping on the **Klymit Double V Insulated** sleeping pad. It’s a double-wide pad which is the whole reason the quilt system works — there’s actually room for two people to sleep side by side. The V-chamber design keeps Freddy from migrating into the middle during the night, which anyone who has shared a sleep surface with a toddler will understand is not a small concern.
*[Klymit Double V Insulated — affiliate link]*
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## The Shelter: MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2
The tent hasn’t changed and I don’t expect it to. The **MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2** is a two-person freestanding tent with solid weather resistance in three-season conditions. It pitches fast, the dual vestibules give you somewhere to store wet gear and muddy boots, and at 1.7kg it’s not going to punish you on a long approach.
For basecamp camping I’ve added a DIY mesh gear shelf with integrated fairy lights along the interior ridge. The shelf keeps small items — head torches, snacks, Freddy’s comfort toy — off the floor and accessible without rummaging. The fairy lights mean we’re not blasting each other with head torch beams during the bedtime routine. These are not small quality of life improvements when you’re camping with a nearly four year old.
*[MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 — affiliate link]*
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## The Carrier: From Trail Magik to Going It Alone
For years the **Ergobaby Omni 360** was my go-to carrier — I walked the West Highland Way with Freddy on my back in it, hiked in Patagonia with it, and it has been on more continents than most people’s passports.
On trail days carrying a full pack I used the **Trail Magik** which clips directly onto the back of your rucksack. This is a game changer if you are trying to carry a toddler AND a full hiking pack — instead of wearing two separate things at once your child sits above the pack and the weight distributes properly across your hips.
At nearly four Freddy is largely hiking on his own two feet now. He walks confidently on flat and gentle trails and scrambles up rocky sections with genuine enthusiasm. The carrier comes for longer distances, steep sections and the inevitable moment around kilometre four when his legs give out entirely — but the days of carrier-only hiking are mostly behind us.
The carrier evolution is part of the story of how toddler travel changes as they grow. What worked at two looks completely different at nearly four.
*[Ergobaby Omni 360 — affiliate link]*
*[Trail Magik — affiliate link]*
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## The Full Gear List
### The Pack
– Osprey Ariel 65L *(upgrade for shoulder season basecamp trips)*
– Osprey Renn 50L *(stepping down to daypack duty)*
– Foldable 20L daypack for day hikes from basecamp
– Bum bag for valuables on trail
### Sleep System
– DIY ClimateShield Apex double quilt, 60x80in, minus 5°C rated
– Klymit Double V Insulated sleeping pad
– MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 tent
– MSR tent footprint
– Inflatable camp pillows x2
– DIY mesh gear shelf with fairy lights
### The Carrier
– Ergobaby Omni 360
– Trail Magik *(for full pack days)*
– Carrier rain cover
– Carrier sun hood
### Clothing — Me
– Merino wool base layer top x2
– Merino wool base layer leggings x1
– Merino midlayer / long sleeve x1
– Fleece mid layer
– Waterproof hardshell jacket
– Waterproof trousers
– Hiking trousers x1
– Casual travel trousers x1
– Merino t-shirts x2
– Underwear x4
– Hiking socks x3 pairs
– Merino buff / neck gaiter
– Beanie
– Lightweight packable gloves
– Sun hat with brim
– Hiking boots
– Trail runners or camp shoes
– Flip flops for campsite showers
### Clothing — Freddy
– Polypropylene base layer top and bottoms x2
– Fleece mid layer
– Waterproof jacket
– Waterproof trousers
– Casual trousers x2
– Long sleeve tops x2
– T-shirts x2
– Socks x4 pairs
– Merino or fleece hat
– Lightweight gloves
– Hiking shoes
– Sandals for camp
### Camp Kitchen
– Camp stove + fuel canister
– Lightweight pot / cookset
– Camp utensils
– Collapsible cups x2
– Collapsible bowls x2
– Sea to Summit cutting board
– Biodegradable camp soap
– Small sponge and scrubber
– Dry bags for food storage
### Water
– 1L Nalgene x2
– Sawyer Squeeze water filter
– Collapsible soft flask x2
### Hygiene & Toiletries
– Biodegradable shampoo and body wash
– Toothbrush and toothpaste x2
– Quick dry camp towel x2
– Menstrual cup
– Wet wipes x2 packs
– Hand sanitiser
– Trowel and waste bags
– Toilet paper in a dry bag
– Small mirror
### First Aid
– Blister kit
– Antiseptic wipes and cream
– Plasters assorted
– Ibuprofen and paracetamol
– Antihistamine tablets
– Children’s paracetamol and ibuprofen
– Tweezers
– Emergency whistle
– Emergency bivvy blanket x2
### Electronics & Power
– Olympus OMD Mark III + spare battery x2 + memory cards
– GoPro Hero 11 + spare battery + chest mount
– Portable power bank 20,000mAh minimum
– Solar charger panel
– Multi-port USB charger
– Universal adaptor
– Charging cables in a small pouch
– Phone + offline maps downloaded
– Headtorch x2 + spare batteries
– Backup clip-on LED for Freddy
### Freddy Specific
– White noise machine
– Travel blackout blind for tent
– Toddler travel potty
– Portable snack cups x2
– Reusable food pouches x4
– One comfort toy
– Small magnetic drawing board
– Reusable sticker books x2
– Kid-friendly sunscreen SPF50
– Child-safe insect repellent
### Navigation & Safety
– Trail maps printed for each location
– Compass
– Trekking poles
– Dry bags in assorted sizes
– Duct tape wrapped around a water bottle
### Packing System
– Packing cubes x4
– Compression cube x1
– Toiletry bag
– Tech organiser pouch
– Reusable shopping bag
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## What I’m Still Figuring Out
Meal planning for shoulder season basecamp camping with a nearly four year old is the honest work in progress. I’m building a gluten-free framework around dehydrated homemade sauces, pouched protein and instant rice with regular campsite resupply at nearby supermarkets. In theory this is solid. In practice cooking for a nearly four year old on a camp stove who has decided that pasta is fine actually but not THAT pasta requires a level of flexibility I’m still developing.
Freddy’s hiking capacity at nearly four is also evolving fast. He covers more ground independently every trip and the carrier comes out less and less. By the next big trip I expect the balance to shift again.
I’ll update this post after our next shoulder season trip with what actually worked and what gets left at home next time.
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## Follow Along
Want to see this kit in action — the quilt being made, the tent being tested, the toddler opinions on camp food? Follow along on Instagram at @wanderingbajans. And if you’re planning your own cool weather camping trip with a toddler, grab the complete printable version of this gear list below.
*[CTA: Download the Complete Camping Packing List — $9]*
