How to pack like a pro when going for a road trip with a baby

Preparing for a trip with a small child means making sure that you carry everything jotted down on your traveling with a baby checklist and packing them meticulously. You may think me to be a quasi-dictator for having a checklist for something as mundane as traveling, but there is nothing more annoying than hunting around for something essential at a moment when you really need it badly. The same counts for not knowing where something important has been packed and then opening up all the bags trying to locate the item. These incidents not only lead to frayed tempers and arguments but also add up to the task of organizing and repacking them once again. During my early traveling years, there have been many occasions when I have slumped down in the middle of a suitcase explosion and hunted for something which invariably could not be found at that moment. The pressure of looking for it and not being able to locate the same, the fear that I may not have brought it along with me and the frustration of not having the object at my fingertip when required used to muddle my head, until one day a senior colleague of mine sat me down to train me in packing. He taught me how to make separate checklists for the different things I need on the trip, pack them in individual sections for easy access and then tacking up a small note on my phone or as a note taped on the bag so that I know what where.

The art of packing like a pro is an essential life hack

I am forever grateful to him for this essential life hack which is important not only for traveling but also when moving houses, uncluttering work desk and basically just about anything in which you want to be better organized. As mentioned in my previous posts on the road trip with a baby, preparing, planning and organizing well are the key factors to have an enjoyable experience with your little one and you can never have enough of a toddler‘s things on board. In fact, the younger the child is, the more luggage he/she has and these little humans are not light travelers. During our 30 days pan Europe road trip with a baby, 8 months Akash‘s things had occupied maximum space in the car and both of his parents had to live out of one bag each. However, it was a lot of fun and not once during the entire journey, did we miss, lack or lose anything anywhere.

Recommended Read : Traveling during pregnancy guide

Discover the life hack of packing right                                                                                                                                Image Credit – Shiftkarado.com

Try out these traveling with a baby checklists for a hassle-free trip

As easy as it sounds, making traveling with a baby checklist and packing them was a gargantuan task the whole of which was my responsibility. So, to make things easier, I made three separate lists for the three of us, and along with separate first aid kit and essential car items list. I know that all these listing make me sound like a taskmaster, but when you are on the road with a baby for long hours, you would like to do everything to make the experience as comfortable as possible. So, here are my tried and tested tips on how to pack like a pro. In these lists, I have included a lot of items which are mandatory in Germany and many other countries around the world. You can customize it according to your need and pack like a pro for that lifetime experience of an enjoyable road trip with a baby.

First, let‘s pack the car

List of things to carry in the car in random order

1. Snacks
2. Water
3. Trash bag for car
4. Sunglasses
5. Music/audiobook with headphones
6. Car Charger or travel power bank
7. Toolkit
8. Flashlight
9. Cable
10. Tarpaulin sheet
11. Blanket
12. Cushion
13. Map
14. Car papers
15. Pen and paper
16. Tissue boxes

Carry your own mini first aid kit in the car

1. Important prescribed medicines if any
2. Plasters/Waterproof bandaids
3. Burn cream
4. Antiseptic cream and disinfectant
5. Pills for a headache, nausea, stomach ache, anti-allergic, mild diarrhea, antibiotic and paracetamol
6. Pain relief ointment/cream
7. Anti-allergic or rash cream
8. Q tips
9. Safety pins

Make your own camping kit

1. Inflatable tent (optional)
2. Sleeping bag/bags with mats
3. Camping stove and fuel
4. Non-perishable canned food like tomato soup, ravioli in tin etc.
5. Disposable plates, cutlery, glasses
6. Kitchen roll and toilet paper
7. Trash bags for garbage disposal and carrying wet clothes
8. Plastic containers or Tupperware of various sizes
9. Small travel umbrella
10. Flashlight and extra batteries
11. Needle and thread
12. Waterproof sheet and a thin travel blanket for an impromptu picnic
13. Small amount of dishwashing detergent or soap
14. Equal amount of washing powder or dry washing spray

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1. 

   Organise the packing in the car                                                                                                                                           Image Credit – Notosnet.gr

Now pack for the baby going on the road trip

This is a big one. Little ones need maximum space for their luggage and here too I divided his things into separate bags for easier access and less muddling up.

Clothes

1. Onesies
2. Pullover
3. Night pyjamas
4. T-shirts, jeans, stocking, shoes/booties, and socks
5. Sleeping bag
6. Sunhats
7. Towels

Toiletries

1. Extra changing towels/sheets
2. Diapers
3. Baby wipes
4. Swimming diapers
5. Baby sunscreen
6. Cotton q tips
7. Baby nail scissors
8. Baby shampoo, rash cream, baby cream
9. Thermometer and fever reducer as prescribed by your pediatrician
10. Colic pain relief as prescribed by your pediatrician
11. Nasal drops for babies and inhaler (if applicable)
12. Anti-allergic topical ointment for babies
13. Vit D tablets (if applicable)
14. Trash bag for used diaper
15. Dirty laundry bag

Food bag

1. Powdered milk (if required)
2. Baby food jars,
3. Handheld baby food masher and electric kettle,
4. A small pot to prepare Akash food, empty baby food jars
5. Extra changing towels
6. Bibs
7. Akash’s spoon, bowl, water filter, and glass
8. Pacifiers and pacifier clip
9. Baby bottles, sippy cups, and bottle brush

Extras

1. Toys
2. Baby blanket
3. Baby medical book with vaccination record
4. Baby carrying bag
5. Akash folding mat
6. A small bathing tub
7. Extra pacifiers
8. Baby car with rain cover folded and tied
   

   Little ones carry maximum luggage                                                                                                                                Image Credit – Lovetaza.com

Papa‘s packing list

– On person

1. Driver license and ID
2. Credit card
3. Auto insurance papers
4. Change for toll booths
5. Sunglasses
6. Phone and charger
7. Emergency cash
8. Passport
9. Medical insurance card

– In the suitcase

1. T-shirts, shirts, pullover, 1 light jacket
2. Underwear
3. Socks
4. Swimming trunk
5. Shaving kit
6. Shoes
7. Sandals
8. Dirty laundry bag
9. Book
10.  Toiletries
11. Snorkelling fins
12. Water goggles
13. Water shoes
14. Camera waterproof cover
    

    The new travel member can be a lot of fun

Mummy‘s packing list

– On person

1. Passport and medical insurance card, Akash passport and medical insurance card
2. Lip balm
3. Sunglasses
4. Lipstick
5. Phone and charger
6. Power bank
7. Camera
8. Wipes
9. Contact lens and lens solution
10. Headache pills (if you have allergic migraines like me)

– In the suitcase