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'.

travel smart, travel light

At KidsTravelHappy.com we are always looking for sites that compliment the products, and information we provide. We feel as though JetSetBabies is one of those sites.

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Visit their website for more info, it will save you time, money, and make you that much more efficient in transit.

Not going anywhere? JetSetBabies will also do home delivery of your favorite baby products.

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!

Should you buy your under 2-year old a seat on a plane?

(photo above is NOT a great example of child restraint!)

A friend of mine is travelling with her nearly 2 year old girl next week and we were having a discussion about flying without a reserved seat for an under (barely) 2-year old. They had already made the decision NOT to buy her a ticket, but I thought I'd first touch base on this topic before moving on to her other questions that prompted more investigation.

First of all, we have had this debate in my household, as we have flown many times with our boys, who are now 2.5 and 5. Most recently, we have travelled from Maine to Oahu, Hawaii and our youngest son, Izaac, turned 2 on the trip. We debated changing the trip to save the over $800 for his ticket, and come home before he turned 2. After about an hour into our first flight, we were SO thankful that we'd spent the money. First of all, it gave us room for him and his travel activities, and it also gave the adults their room. It made Izaac feel like a 'big boy' and it made it easier to get him to settle into the seat belt, for meals etc. By half-way through the flight, we would have paid thousands of dollars for his own seat if we didn't already have one.

My opinion is that once a child is mobile (crawling, standing, walking) it's worth every penny to get that seat for them, but infants and pre-crawlers are mostly going to be held anyway (and they are smaller!), so the seat isn't as essential. Also, if the plane is NOT full, I have been given an extra empty seat (unpaid) for my traveling lap child, but obviously, this is not a fool-proof strategy, as more and more flights are filling up these days!

Another thing to think about however, is that some airlines discount a seat for a child under 2. This was the case when our boys were under 2, but not sure with all of the changes in travel regulations these days. The ticket price (even at full fare) may be worth the extra luggage allowance your small travelling companion now has - we always made good use of it, checking car seats (although, usually these are NOT counted as part of the allowance), kid carrying backpacks or other things we would not PAY to take along.

Our investigation shows that some airlines require any child (even under 2) have a seat for international or similarly long flights.

A link on the FAA you may find useful (in reference to child restraint safety)

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/

SO, now it brings us to the question of what can one bring for the UNticketed passenger?

As far as we can tell, a lap child is considered part of an adult's ticket, and thus is NOT allowed any luggage. Note that airlines will usually check a stroller at the gate, and a diaper bag is usually NOT counted as one of your carry-on bags. It is best, however, to check with your specific airlines. Airline's websites usually have this information in a not-so-hard-to-find place.

One other last tidbit worth mentioning when flying with an 'under 2' child. The bathrooms are equipped with a changing table, but if you've never used one, successful use of one is based on practice, and preparation. The space is tiny, and if you have unexpected turbulence (YIKES) it's a bit scary. Board the plane with your own self contained system you may be able to use on the floor (discretely), and all will be happier!

Make sure you pack proper activities to keep the young traveler busy. One cool activity is a set of hand puppets from Manhattan toy, where one is sized for a 'big' hand, and one for a 'small'.

Or, get a set of finger puppets and entertain with storytelling!

Enjoy your trip!