Packing with 'Multi-Purpose' in Mind (so there's room for the FUN stuff!)

My husband and I used to compete in Adventure Races (long story), where we usually had to carry everything we needed for a certain period of time(a few hours to more than a week at a time). The lighter our backpacks (see my tiny pack in photo for a race in the mountains of Switzerland), the faster we could travel. Thus, we analyzed every piece of gear we had, and we would do our best to bring things that had multiple uses – for example, we would plan to use the pad in our backpack as our emergency sleeping pad, or we would cut the handle off a toothbrush to save weight.

Well, we realized with kids that these measures don’t ALWAYS apply, and are NOT always practical, but the philosophy itself IS very practical.

When packing for a trip (a few examples of multi-use items)

• do your items have as many uses as possible?
• could you use the vinyl travel play mat as a changing pad in a pinch?
• the child soft carrier could make a great pillow if necessary.

When going on a trip (especially by air), we will lay out all of the items, then try to assess the need and uses for each item. Yes, sounds a bit overkill, but with all of the charges for luggage these days, it’s worth the savings. We also make sure each child has a reasonable carry-on bag that can be filled with (pretty much) whatever they want. A critical thing to think about with a child’s carry-on is that inevitably, the adults are going to have to carry it at some point (note in picture, my husband with 2 rolling bags, plus kids' Trunkis, and our then, 2-year old boy!). So, we recommend taking that into account when having a child choose a bag for the trip. Some kid-sized products ARE adorable, but when filled, too heavy for the child and too tiny for an adult to carry, thus becoming cumbersome during any layover, plane change, or even loading into and out of a vehicle. (we are all about making sure "adults travel happy too"!)

Why go thru all of this trouble? Well, in the end, it's the toys, games, and activities that are going to make the kids happy - they don't care about how many outfits they have (in fact, left to his own, my 6-yr old would wear the same thing day after day, clean or not). Plus, if you stay somewhere with laundry facilities be it a hotel, campground, any town will have one, etc.. you can just WASH the clothes and save the space! A little laundry detergent and a roll of quarters is MUCH cheaper than an additional bag, and take in the experience. Laundromats are alway a fun mix of experiences, and a good way to force some slow down time (go find a nice cafe while you're waiting....)

OK, so that's really just my opinion, here are a few links to other sites and specific ideas for packing LIGHT to travel with children.

• Family Road Trip Packing - Car Vacations with Children
• 13 tips for Packing Light with Small Children (More air travel oriented)
• How to pack light for a Family Vacation
• Some useful Basic Packing Lists

The above links will surely lead you to even more info, and once you've 'packed small' don't forget to visit us for to keep you children busy and 'traveling happy'.

a KABOOST "little kids sit like big kids"

Have you seen this? (the GREEN thing in the photo to the left). This is one of the coolest inventions we've added to our 'travel gear' offerings, and we're proud to have them at KidsTravelHappy.com.

What is it exactly? Well, I'd call it a spring-loaded, 4-pronged single piece contraption that fits on most types of chairs. SO, instead of boosting the child IN the seat, the whole seat is BOOSTED.

Best of all, it folds, and the DELUXE version comes with a Travel Bag (or is sold separately, if you are partial to a different color).

We carry the GREEN (in the first photo), a NATURAL, and the CHARCOAL (which is the color that comes with the DELUXE KABOOST).

We just HAD to get one, and trust me, you'll be happy to get rid of the high chair, psyched you can pack it to grandma's house, or throw in the car for any trip to a restaurant. No more small child peering above the edge of the table (no mouth in view... we KNOW where that food is going), and no more "but I want a seat like BIG brother/sister". Brilliant!

A few last "quick facts"/selling points

• sets up in seconds
• improves chair stability
• holds up to 300 pounds
• stays attached even when you pick up the chair to move it
• portable - lightweight and compact
• easy to fold and carry
• ready to be taken anywhere!

Isn't this the coolest, craziest thing?

A SOLO (with a babe) TRAVELER's MUST HAVE

I recently ran across this on the web (another blog?), and couldn't resist contacting the company (Mommysentials) to be able to provide this on my site as a 'travel gear' option.

www.KidsTravelHappy.com as mentioned in previous posts is foucused on providing high quality games, books, activities and toys for kids of all ages for travel, home, and gift-giving, but when we come across strikingly unique 'gear' products like this one, well, we can't resist.

What is this thing?? It's called the Mommysentials Babykeeper Basic. What does it do? Isn't it obvious? It allows Mom (or whoever is on 'solo' duty with the babe) to use a bathroom, grocery cart etc. in a way that keeps the young one safe, nearby and clean! We just feel this is brilliant. And, with highest regards for the creators, we must say this looks hilarious (the baby 'model' upper right is particularly adorable!).

From the Manufacturer "Finally, the answer for when the Mom (or Dad) on the go...
HAS GOTTA GO! The Babykeeper is the only portable, safe and sanitary
solution for what to do with your infant or toddler while
using public restrooms and fitting rooms."

The Babykeeper Basic® is a patent pending infant carrier style seat, that hangs from the stall wall in most public restrooms, and can also be used in many public fitting rooms.
- For babies 6-18 months, who can sit unassisted
- Simple to use harness system keeps baby securely in the carrier
- Made with only the finest materials, to ensure your child's safety
- 2 large metal hooks encased in safety webbing, each lined with non-slip material for added security
- Durable and easy to clean nylon fabric
- Easy to use, and small enough to take everywhere you go

The Babykeeper® also provides you with a safer and more reliable means of restraining your child in a shopping cart. By using The Babykeeper® as a harness, you are making it practically impossible for your little one to climb out of their seat, thus preventing a fall

Visit our site to purchase, and pay only $6 flat rate shipping!

The GRABBER saves a Sock!

(Ok, this isn't my kid - it's a Toysmith stock photo, but gives you an idea of what I'm about to write about!)

This is one of those pieces of 'travel' gear that one may never think of - a Grabber (or the Grabbit, which I'll touch on later!). Thankfully, I took some of my own advice, and carry one of these in the car for when one of my boys drops something in the backseat, and can't reach it.

Well, the other day I was at the Laundromat with my 2.5 year old son, and all was going fine (we were washing a bunch of bedding due to a suspected cat hair allergy... but that's another story). Then, when it came time to get all of the clothes out of the dryer, my son decided he was going to help put it in the little wheelie cart. With the aim of a child just spun to pin the tail on the donkey, he hucked a sock farther than I'd ever seen him do. Low and behold, the sock found it's way behind a washing machine, into the black hole of dust bunnies, plumbing, and other unreachables!

Sighing at the thought of losing a high dollar Smartwool sock (I wouldn't have cared about a cotton sock, we have plenty of miss-matches of those!), I told my son to stop throwing, as he looked a little frightened and said in a cute 2-year old lisping voice "shorry mommy, shorry".

Just then, I remembered the 18"grabber we had in the car. Without pause, I ran out to the car, got the grabber, and far-from-gracefully laid myself down on top of 2 washing machines. I extended my now nearly 5-ft long arm into the 'sock' trap. Two squeezes of the handle and I accomplished my mission! Saved.

What does this all have to do with travel? I'm not sure exactly, except to note that the best items for travel are those that have other uses as well. The 18" grabber is a great car 'accessory' during long road trips. Not only can toys and other items be retrieved, you can make 'grabbing-games-of-skill' as well. For a more packable tool, I recommend the 12" Grabbit. The Grabbit fits in a standard sized kids backpack, and is more practical for anything but vehicle travel. Also, see our Essential Travel Kit for more things you didn't know you needed!