How To Pack It

Travel With Children

No, you don't have to pack them (tempting though the notion may be at times), but a lot of people ask about travelling with children in tow. With toddlers and smaller (who will need diapers, favourite toys, etc.) it's a daunting challenge, one likely to be outside the purview of "travelling light". If you have a choice of destinations, choose those where you are likely to want a vehicle anyway (Ireland, say, or the Provence region of France, places where you will want to visit areas not well served by public transportation), and simply rent a car.

Note that foreign rental cars should, if at all possible, be booked in advance (from home); doing so after you arrive can be much more expensive. Your chosen guide book will often suggest lower-cost local alternatives to the major auto rental companies. Don't assume that theft and collision coverage on rentals works the same way as at home; your own policy is unlikely to be valid in foreign countries, and the automatic coverage provided by some charge cards is also very country-specific, and should be verified in advance.

Should the automotive suggestion not entirely resolve your concerns in this department, you'll find lots of good information & products related to travelling with babies & toddlers at BabyGoes2.

While childen are still young enough to require carrying for significant periods of time, you will want to give some thought to comfortable methods for doing so. The very young (and, some would argue, not so young) are probably best carried by one of the many types of body-hugging slings. These vary greatly by culture & geography, and are covered in some depth by the folks at TheBabyWearer.com.

Even if your travels take you only as far as the local market, you should certainly know about the more Western-style child carriers, which exploit backpack frame technology to comfortably transport young ones on your hips and (to a lesser extent) shoulders. Those who lead any kind of active life whatsoever will never regret acquiring one of these. Several companies make them, but Tough Traveler® (pictured at the top of this page) is the brand to beat; they've been building them for over 25 years. You can find their contact information on the Suppliers page.

Educating the Post-Toddler

Once children are old enough to keep up with your walking plans, they should of course be introduced to the joys (and responsibilities) of independent travel. This means they should have bags of their own, in which to carry whatever they choose to bring along (in practice, this will primarily be clothing, and perhaps an item or two for amusement; the accompanying adults will already be bringing the communal needs). A modest daypack should suffice for this; when possible, you should shop for same with its intended user ... not only will s/he be involved in the purchase, but it can be examined for proper fit.

As their ages increase, naturally, so will their carrying abilities, their travel skills, and (one presumes) Mom's & Dad's adherence to the "if you don't carry it, you don't bring it" rule. In all cases, be sure — for any kind of major trip — to include these burgeoning travellers in your final exam exercise.

I happily add that my own offspring have been contented one-bag travellers since they were first able to walk, managing those bags entirely on their own, and happily enjoying real carousels in place of the baggage variety.