Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Tips for Traveling with Twins/a Baby; Packing Tips for Twins/a Baby, Packing List

I meant to post the packing list for the trips we took to Florida at 3 months (flying) and Argentina at 4 months (flying), but I never got around to it.
This list is more or less a variation on those lists. Of course the needs change as the babies get older (for instance, we have to worry about solid food items now) and the list changes depending on the season.

BUT, no matter where you are, clothing items can be hand washed and air dried overnight and dishes can be washed in a condo sink or hotel sink.
If you pack for a week, you can pack for a month. It's the same amount of stuff!

We have rented condos in Florida, Argentina and North Carolina and find this arrangement works best for babies. Hotels are tough as you are all in one room and what do you do when the baby goes to bed at 6pm?? You either sit quietly in the dark or sit on the balcony and get eaten alive by mossies! This way you have a real living arrangement and a real kitchen.
We have never bothered with a 2 bedroom as we have found one bedrooms still fit 2 cribs or pack n plays. However, we are already used to the twins sleeping in the same room with us.

We are also big believers in renting cribs or pack n plays for the condo OR making sure the hotel/guest houses we stay in have these available for our use.
You can use a site like BabiesAway for rentals all across the USA.
Also, if you are traveling within the USA, consider shipping items like diapers, wipes and even baby food to your location from a site such as Amazon or Diapers.com.
This will save you a lot of packing space!

When we fly we keep it to (2) overhead size suitcases, one (big) diaper bag and one backpack PLUS the car seats, snap n go stroller bases (we have 2 singles which we find much easier than the double which we hated) and 2 baby carriers (Ergos, etc).

Obviously since we were driving we had the luxury of packing a few more items, but overall, I find less is more.
I like to be able to make one trip: Wearing the baby/Strolling the baby with a diaper bag on my shoulder (or backpack on my back) and pulling the suitcase. We did this for all air travel and it worked great.
Now that the twins are outgrowing their snap and go car seats, it's going to be a wee bit more complicated for awhile, but we will figure that out as we go and I'll let you know how we do it!

For now, the list. I hope this helps someone on their travels! It's more work with twins for sure, but it can be done and it can be FUN!

In Diaper Bag
Breast Feeding supplies:
2 collection bottles, 2 caps, 2 phalanges
lanisoh ointment
tube bra for pumping
breast pump and cord
4 Dr. Brown's bottles
1 can formula
Bottle brush
dishwashing detergent

baby zantac
medical syringe
2 baby medicators
children's tylenol
saline drops
thermometer
clippers
nail file

pack of (40) 7th Generation diapers
packet of wipes
California baby wash and lotion
laundry detergent

8 packages Plum organics squeezable baby food
4 baby spoons
immersion handheld blender
8 empty storage containers to make baby food
6 cloth bibs plus a handful of disposable bibs for the car
***we did not bring any baby bowls to feed them out of as we figured we could use the ones in the condo***

In twins overhead size suitcase:
6 burp clothes
2 blankets (probably won't use/need)
2 crib sheets (probably won't use/need as the cribs we rented come with sheets, but just in case of a night time leak)
2 hooded towels
4 baby washcloths

6 footed pj's
2 pairs pants (probably won't need)
8 short sleeved onsies

2 sun hats
2 swim diapers (eco friendly and reusable from One Step Ahead)
2 baby robes to wear after getting out of the water
2 pairs baby sandals (ridiculous gift, probably won't use!)

Misc Items:
sun tent (from One Step Ahead)
foldable blanket mat (from Pottery Barn Kids)
2 Ergo baby carriers
jumperoo (could've left this at home as there is NO where to secure it to a door frame here. lesson learned!)
car seats and padded body/head inserts
clip on toys to go on car seats
beach sarongs to cover car seats to keep out bright lights at night and sun during day (this was my best idea yet getting multiple use out of a sarong!)

Back Pack with:
toys
books
ABC taggie blanket for floor
One small overhead size suitcase with: (if Chicken and I can't fit all our stuff into ONE overhead suitcase, we've overpacked. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't go.)
our clothes, shoes, swim suits, etc.
bathroom bag
sun hats
suncream

In my (large) handbag:
wallet
makeup bag
sunglasses
snacks for the car
iPhone
iPod and charger
Crackberry
car adapter chargers
camera, batteries, charger and cords
travel pillow and neck pillow for car
ear plugs and eye mask for car

Laptop Bag:
2 laptops and related power cords

We shipped to the condo from Amazon (or Diapers.com)
One box of diapers
One box of wipes
3 new toys for the car ride back home

7 comments:

nutella said...

Just imagine how much less stuff you'll have to pack when they're eating table food and off milk feeds! Great list and very helpful. We also find that having a large ziploc bag or a zippered wet bag with emergency outfit, and some doggie poop bags in the diaper bag is essential for accidents and messy diaper changes.

Strawberry said...

I'm adding that when we get a hotel room, if our bathroom is big enough, Miles sleeps in his PnP in there and we just use the hotel bathroom for our personal bedtime routine ;-) Can't usually fit twins in a hotel bathroom though.

Jen said...

How big is your diaper bag?!?!?! That list would take 3 of our bags. I have my pump bag that is a seperate item (which I adore!) but overall had a similar list for our roadtrip, although he was out of the snap n-go at 6 months so we just took an umbrella stroller which is so much easier. Also, we take our own pack-n-play where ever we go... odd that I will sleep in a hotel bed, but I don't want him to sleep in a bed someone else's baby has sleep in...don't know what that's about :)

Next in Line said...

I second the dog poop bags. I keep them in the diaper bag in case things get out of hand.

Puffer you are super organized. I guess I was too, but I never wrote a list. I just kept throwing things together until it was done. The most important thing I learned was another set of clothes for myself and Miss Poopypants. That seems to be better now, but still don't trust her!

I have been thinking the same thing about hotels...they don't work unless I can put her to sleep in the bathroom.

Marcia (123 blog) said...

FANTASTIC list!

Why did you not link to it on my travel post? :)

I didn't want to... but have reluctantly booked two rooms so we can actually have a life. Ours also go to bed at 6pm and would definitely cramp our style.

Unknown said...

We've rented a crib from Rainbow Travel baby equipment rentals. Both times we've rented a full-size crib (includes mattress and sheets). This year we also rented a Diaper Genie and a dump truck for our 2.5 year old. He was so excited to play with that truck every day during our vacation! And having that diaper genie saved us from a garbage pail full of smelly diapers in our small vacation condo - totally worth it

http://www.rainbowtravelhi.com/

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