How do you feel about camping? I'm aware this question will divide the community immediately however, for those of you are who considering it, how are you going to pump whilst camping? Planning to pump with little to no power is very different to normal and could feel quite overwhelming so let's talk through options and get you planned, packed and organised for your holiday away in the country!
Booking a campsite
Let's dive straight in. Start by considering your pumping routine when you're booking a campsite. I recommend pitch.com as it has a huge range of filters and the ones I particularly like for parenthood are:
Showers and toilet cubicles
Washing facilities
Fridge / Freezer
Microwave
Electric pitch (if this is your style!)
There are a tonne more for you to tailor your holiday to what you like but these are my top 3 for an easier camping experience whilst breastfeeding. Some of them are self-explanatory but lemme summarise my logic here!
Shower Block
Some campers can stretch a shower to different set up when camping but when breastfeeding consider shower blocks please! You never know when you're going to have a milk mishap. We've all been there when the pump leaks and you're covered!
Bonus points for a shower block when camping in Summer? They give you the opportunity to cool down after those let-down hot flushes.
Washing Facilities
Not all campsites I've stayed in have washing facilities so never assume this one!
A clean and simple kitchen sink set up is great as all you need to bring is your bowl of pumping bits and your brush and off you go - there's nothing better than clean bottles on site.
Fridge & Freezer
Another essential but often overlooked is a communal fridge & freezer element. This can be a life safer for so many reasons. You can use the fridge to keep milk cool. You have the option to store pump parts in a wet bag. You can bring freezer blocks from home to keep your cooler bag/box cool which will enable you to keep bottled breastmilk cool when camping on hot days.
Tip: Bring more blocks than you'd normally use, so you can rotate blocks to keep cool box temperature consistent.
Microwave
It's not always easy to find but if the campsite has it, then you have a place to sterilise bottles. You can either use MAM Self-Sterilising bottles or the reusable microwave steriliser bags. You don't have to do this but it's an option if others below do not work out!
What do I need to pack?
What do you need to pack when you're pumping with little to no power for the first time? What do you need if you don't have your usual comforts? Well, let's boil it down to the essentials and see how much space you have left in the boot of your car before we add a few luxuries to make life easier whilst out in nature.
Packing list
Manual Pump
Silicone Pump + Stopper
Portable pump + Car Charging Cable
Spare flanges
Baby bottles + teats + caps
Foldable Sink
Wet Bag x2
Compact brush + storage box
Bottle Steriliser Spray
Ice Packs x4
Freezer Pack or Ice Box
Storage bottles (not breastmilk bags)
Big bottles of water
Camping stove
Large pot
Marker Pen
This list is not exclusive, swap and change how you see fit.
I would suggest packing all of this into a caddy so it's easy to transfer around from the car to the tent to the kitchen block and back whenever you need to!
How to prepare:
Charge your portable pump fully and do not use before you go!
Bring a battery pack and cable with you for extra power back up
The large pot is perfect for boiling all your pump parts in one batch via the boiled water method!
Use the marker pen to write on your items that go in the communal fridge. Wrap things up and box them up!
Tip: The Bella Baby Pump can be used as a battery pack! - Little Pumpling Instagram suggestion!
The best thing to do, is to go with an open mind. There will be things that do not go to plan and there will be things that go wrong. I spilt milk on my first ever pump outdoors. I've also had people say to themselves about someones music going off but actually, it was my pump in my bra providing the beats! You will forget something and that's okay. There will be ways around it. There will be shops nearby if you really need to go and get something.
Best of all, please have fun and enjoy the time you're having with your family! They will love the freedom of the outdoors and you may fall in love with pumping in the middle of a field! You may come back liberated!
Leave your camping tips below :)