Packing Strategy to Travel with a 15-Month Old

Packing to travel with a toddler is a bit different than packing with a baby. Suddenly you need things to keep your toddler occupied, you need snacks, you need milk, you need clothes and diapers and what feels like one thousand things. Let me break down my packing strategy for you including everything from snacks, to my diaper bag, to what I'm packing for a week long trip:

Baby Gear:

1. Car Seat: If you purchased a seat for your child, bring the car seat on the airplane. Invest in a solid car seat bag so this is easy to carry around and stays protected if you end up checking your bag. We use the J.L. Childress bags for our car seat and stroller. The car seat bag has a silicone air tag holder inside of it which has come in handy for us several times when our car seat went missing.

Now that my son is a little older, we use the Nuna Rava car seat. This has fit on every airplane we have taken it on, including the smaller hopper planes.

2. Stroller: I bring this on the plane no matter what. I have tried to travel without bringing the stroller and it is not as pleasant of an experience. Even without a layover, it is worth it to give your body a break and put your baby in the stroller. If you end up with a velcro-baby, you can always use the stroller to haul any/all of your gear around. We have the Ergo Metro+ which does not fit in the overhead compartment on most planes so we gate check it. The JL Childress compact stroller bag has kept my stroller protected on over 40 flights.

   
   

3. Hands-Free Carrier: I use the hands-free carrier to get on and off of the plane and then I put my baby right into the stroller. I prefer the WildBird Aerial carrier, but it is pricy. I like that I can put it on and take it off by myself without any struggle. It has an added head support flap in case my guy falls asleep. However, any hands-free carrier that you have will work!

   
   

4. Airplane Pockets: This is a very inexpensive solution to many traveling issues. I pre-load this with the ipad, toys, books, bottle, and my headphones so I am not reaching under the seat constantly with my baby on my lap. Check out how I used this on our international flight.

Luggage:

1. Diaper Bag: What I pack in my diaper bag depends on how long of a travel day we have. I am able to strap my diaper bag to the handle of the stroller, keeping my shoulders free of extra weight. I always include:

   • toys

   • snacks

   • diapers, wipes, and a changing mat (1 diaper/every 2 hours of travel + 1)

   • books

   • LifeVac Anti-choking device

   • Milk and bottles

   • Sweater

   I have created several reels showcasing what is in my diaper bag depending on the travel length:

   • 6 Hour Travel Day, 1 Layover

   • 4 Hours of Travel, no layover

   • 24 Hour Travel Day

   Wondering where to find the items I use? Here is the complete list.

   
   

2. Personal Bag: I bring a small wheeling suitcase that fits in the overhead bin. In this bag I pack extra bottles, milk, extra outfits, medications, and anything else I might need should the big bag get lost in transit. This is strategic because you can use this suitcase to strap your computer bag to. I then push the stroller with one hand and wheel the suitcase with the other hand when I travel alone.

   
   

3. Computer Bag: This is where I keep my things - chargers, computer, water bottle, wallet, etc. I always use a bag that has a luggage handle pass through so I can strap my computer bag to the small suitcase.

   
   

4. Big Suitcase: The big suitcase gets checked. Always.

   
   

5. Baby Suitcase: If we are going on a long trip, my son has his own bag. My favorite is the No Reception Club Duffel. It has an insert that makes packing a breeze. If you decide to pack everything together in the Big Suitcase, you can pull the insert out and pop it straight over into your bag keeping your baby items separate from your own items. It is my favorite bag - so well designed!

   • You can see the bag and how I packed it for a 5 day trip here

   • I used the same bag to pack for a 12 day international trip

Snacks:

Snacks are undoubtedly the most critical component to traveling with a toddler. Bring more snacks than you think you need. Offer one snack at a time - not the whole assortment. Use this strategy to keep your toddler busy and occupied with one thing at a time and to reduce the opportunity to throw an entire snack tray on the ground. Check out this reel to see more on how I pack snacks for my toddler.

Want to learn more about traveling with a baby? Check out the free travel guide here.