What to pack for babies and toddlers
Stroller:
Taking a stroller is a must if you have little ones…their boundless energy suddenly ends up with a crash and then it is nap time and you will end up carrying them if you don’t have a stroller….or just go back to your hotel for them to nap. But while they sleep in the stroller you can find some things to do that might otherwise leave them bored and restless when awake, and have some child-free moments to yourself.
If you are flying, airlines will usually let you take a stroller (and car seat) free of charge. In most cases the stroller will be going in to the hold. Some damage might occur, so perhaps you might want to get a cheap collapsible stroller for your trip if your stroller is a more expensive one.
Baby carrier:
It could be a long walk from the plane to the baggage claim, and in some cases you will be doing a fair amount of walking on without access to your stroller, so a baby carrier is essential . It’s also useful on long-haul flights for getting your baby to sleep. You can find a great selection of baby carriers here.
Car Seat:
If traveling in your own vehicle, we assume you already have one. Hopefully it is one of the safety-rated seats such as those offered by Diono. You can find them in our store and read some of the testimonies here. If you are renting a car, then the car rental agency has car seats available; however, we don’t recommend that you use them….they are not necessarily up to safety standards and can even be damaged and unsafe without you knowing about it. You certainly want to feel confident and safe with your child’s car seat, and with car rental agencies you have to just take what they give you. And, of course, you will pay a certain amount each day for their use.
We recommend Diono car seats for a good reason…….check out some of their safety stories from users and you will see why.
You can check the car seat at the airport if you are flying: to help reduce the possibility of damage to your car seat we recommend that you bring it to the gate. From there, the airlines will check it for you, which is less time that it is out of your control. If you decide you just don’t want to deal with that, then pack the car seat in box with some padding around it and check it as luggage. It may cost a bit extra, but the peace of mind is well worth it.
You may want to consider a car seat/stroller combination……fits all your travel needs.
Sunshade:
You might want to get a black-out sunshade to go over the stroller. They are a great help for daytime naps in sunny areas or perhaps crowded restaurants.
Microwaveable sterilizer bags
If you’re bottle-feeding or using pacifiers (dummies, as they are called in some countries), microwaveable sterilizer bags are a great help. They can be re-used so it lightens your packing.
