As someone who traveled to over 60 countries before giving birth, I knew that I didn’t want my adventures to end just because I had a baby. Before traveling with him, I almost gave into the persistent belief that traveling with a baby has to be difficult and that it has to involve tons of checked baggage.
Neither has to be the case. Over 10 trips — two of them international — and 24 flights with my now 8-month-old, these are the essentials I bring when we travel with our baby.
1) LOTS of Diapers
This one will seem obvious, but don’t underestimate how many diapers you will need! We were once on what was supposed to be a one-hour flight that got rerouted mid-air and turned into three flights and most of the day. Airports don’t always have diapers to purchase. We always WAY overpack the amount of diapers we’ll need in our carry on, and I’m glad we do for moments like this.
On our most recent trip to Japan, we packed enough diapers for a week and bought the remainder in Japan. They weren’t as good as what we brought from home, but it helped save much-needed space.
2) A Comfortable Baby Carrier
Although a travel stroller can be a great idea, we rarely travel with one, especially if we need to pack light.
Garrett and I almost always babywear instead – through the airport, on the flight, walking around, on public transportation, and just about everywhere we need to go. Our baby sleeps well like this, and it’s just so much easier for any terrain we might encounter.
In the early days, I loved the soft Solly Baby Wrap, then we graduated to the Artipoppe and Ergobaby carriers, and as he gets bigger, it’s been more important to go for something that wears more like a hiking backpack.
3) Portable Changing Pad
With all of the changing tables that our portable pad has seen, I’m glad that we had it along to act as a barrier between Felix and the, sometimes nasty, tables we’ve had to change him on.
Or benches, forest floors, beds, and so on. This is the portable pad we use. It’s easy to wash and fold up.
4) Comfortable Diaper Bag Backpack
I initially thought that I was going to want a cute diaper bag, and while that would have been nice, when it came down to it, functionality mattered more than anything else. Go for the biggest one within your budget that also has stroller clips.
Trust me, you want it…
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