Packing Guide: Baby Travel Gear (approx. 6 - 18 months)
Traveling with a little one is not easy, BUT it is also incredibly rewarding and a ton of fun. With the right gear and a LOT of patience I’m pretty certain we can all conquer most travel experiences with little ones in tow. With a couple of longer journeys and several lengthy road trips under our belt I wanted to pull together a list of our favorite gear. I am very much a less-is-more type of packer however, with a baby you do need some extra stuff. Here are our top picks when away from home. Most of these would probably work in the 6 to 18 month range, though some could be used early and some long after. Happy travels!
{Sleep}
Pack n’ Play - we didn’t register for a Pack ‘n Play and truth be told we didn’t need one for a long time as due to COVID our early travel opportunities were quite limited. However, on our first trip to Washington DC to visit my brother we were hit with the reality of hotel cribs (read: not pleasant). My brother-in-law and sister-in-law kindly passed theirs along to us and it has been a lifesaver. I got new sheets, this blackout cover and this travel bag to go with. Bonus: the travel bag is large enough that you can stuff extra packs of diapers around the perimeter on your way over and dirty clothes on the way back.
A travel white noise machine (this app also works in a pinch) is critical for car sleep, plane sleep, hotel sleep, you name it.
{Eat}
Disposable placemats. Be prepared to destroy every table cloth you encounter BUT if you luck out with an uncovered table (somewhat of a rarity in Europe I must admit) these little gems so help contain the mess somewhat.
If you plan to eat out a lot (or eat in and don’t have access to a sturdy highchair) this roll-up travel high chair is great. I also linked another option below that is a bit more sturdy and more of a real chair but this one is super compact and works really well.
Snacks! You never know when a meal is going to take five minutes longer than a little one can tolerate and you need a snack stat to avoid a meltdown. These and these are favorites.
Straw cups, suction bowl and bib
{Clean}
Wipes, wipes and more wipes
Travel bottle cleaning set (don’t forget to pack some liquid dish soap too)
{Misc.}
Sunscreen (spray and stick) and bug spray
Masking tape — for outlets and cords and goodness knows what else
Packing cubes and laundry bag set - keep a few in your diaper bag for dirties on the go
Genius little tethers to keep toys from flying everywhere
{Go}
I’m sure you’ve seen its praises sung all over the internet, but this little stroller really is an MVP. I kid you not, you can push it down the airplane aisle which saves you from wrangling a squrimy kid and bags.
