14 days, 3 children, 1 adult, 1 Aeronaut and a LCB

[flaneuse]

Hi I wanted to introduce myself quickly before I get into the packing list details--I'm flaneuse, I live in südwest Germany with my DH and 3 kids (DS1 is 8, DS2 is almost 2, DD is 7 months), and 2 cats in a house full of yarn and fiber. I'm on Ravelry too as flaneuse and a recent member of the TB forum over there.

I discovered TB while trying to find my ideal carry on bag...had to be ultra light, duffel style, carry as backpack. I looked and researched for months before deciding to commit to the aeronaut. Lurking and reading in these forums was a huge help in making my decision. We had been traveling lighter and lighter and I sold off/donated all of our gigantic, unwieldily suitcases in preparation. I ordered 2 aeronauts (black ballistic/steel and black ballistic/iberian), a couple of matching TT, the clear quarter packing cube in Iberian, and a LCB in steel parapack/iberian dyneema. As soon as I opened the boxes I was struck by the high quality of the fabrics (that black ballistic fabric is such a rich, luxurious black!) and upon examination of the items, the attention to detail and assembly was obvious. These are like the Bottega Veneta of travel bags and EDC bags. So, thank you TB crew for making such fantastic, beautiful, functional bags.

Onto the packing list. I am taking the kids to visit the grandparents in the Washington DC area for 14 days, leaving next week. We will have the luxury of doing laundry there and buying toiletries/diapers/baby food. This trip would have been an awesome feat in carry on only travel, but unfortunately I do have to check the double stroller as luggage (I can't risk gate checking it and having it break bc it is too difficult to replace overseas) and in the stroller bag I need to stow the infant car seat. Hopefully. I still need to pull out the stroller stuff and see if it will all fit but I think it will.

I have a bunch of various EC cubes. I use 2 small cubes for the toddler and baby's clothing. For the 7 month old:

3 bodysuits
1 pair pants
1 zippy pj
1 sweater
1 pair tights (I might leave these though if the weather looks to be in the high 40s)
1 Aden+Anais burpy bib

For the 2 year old:

3 knit shirts
1 pair pants
1 pair tights (he will not keep socks on!)
1 pair pjs

For the 8 year old (in a larger sized EC cube):

3 knit shirts
1 pair pants
3 pairs of socks/underwear
1 pair pjs

For myself in a large EC cube:

3 ibex tops
1 sweater
1 ibex skirt
1 pair thermal tights
1 pair pjs
2 pairs socks/3 underwear

The CQPC will be my makeup bag/311 bag:
1 tube travel size toothpaste
1 bottle J&J baby oil
Urban Decay BB cream
Givenchy hydrating lip/cheek balm
NARS mascara
Anastasia brow wiz
YSL lipstain
T leClerc pressed powder
foldable brush
infant advil+dispenser

Travel tray with knitting stuff.

My LCB will fit in the Aeronaut too. Right now I am planning on placing it at the bottom of the bag, unpacked, and removing its absolute strap for possible use on the Aeronaut. I also have a Lesportsac 3 zip bag that holds the travel tooth brushes/1 30-pin iPad charger, 30-pin to lighting adapter, and a powergen charger w/the iPad specific cables.

All this fits into the center compartment of the Aeronaut with still a fair amount of room on the top. I am planning on using the side compartments for holding diapers/wipes and bottle+formula dispenser for the baby. The other side will probably hold my wallet/travel docs/passports.

I am using my son's REI backpack to hold 2 1st gen iPads for the kids, iPad mini for me, snacks, vapur water bottles, 2 older sets of bose AE headphones (these are the only headphones my kids will wear and you can buy them used on amazon for $40 or less), bose nc earbuds for me, and maybe a small travel blanket/EC inflatable pillow.My iPhone will be stashed in either the ergo pocket or the aeronaut. I want to keep the back pack as light as possible since he will have to carry it. I used to take a bunch of toys/crayons/ect but really since the advent of the iPad, that is all the kids need. I try to get them to sleep a fair amount on the plane.

I'm getting through the airport by front wearing the baby in our trusty Ergo, carrying the aeronaut as backpack, and using a cosco carseat with go-go kids wheels attached for the 2 year old. In the plane I plan to put the baby in the car seat and let the 2 year old sit in the regular airline seat. I would kind of prefer to put both kids in carseats but I just cannot carry 2 carseats by myself. Even if I got a snap and go to gate check, I'd still have to wrangle the seats through the plane at the same time which I don't think is possible. Plus I still need a double stroller. I considered trying the cares harness for the 2 year old but I'm worried he would fight it and wriggle out the bottom, making it pretty useless. I ordered a booster seat and sent it to my Mom's house so the 8 year old is covered for the trip.

I'll try to update with some pics if anyone is interested. Also, if anyone has any travel with kids advice I'd love to hear it. Always looking for better and easier ways to travel with them.

[Shanisol]

Welcome to the forums! This whole trip sounds like an awesome feat to me, even with the checked stroller! I can't imagine traveling alone with 3 young kids is easy in any scenario, but it seems like you have it down to a science.

The only thing I would mention is to make sure your 311 liquids are in a quart sized bag inside the CQPC so that they can be pulled out on their own. I don't think our TSA would let them slide just being lose in one side of the cube.

[terayon]

That sounds fantastic! Good for you. I have three kids too, aged five, three and four months. I haven't flown with all three, but did several times with one or two - never as light as you though, and my husband was there too!

I agree, for my kids the iPads/iPhones are really all they need for entertainment, especially as we heavily ration their use most of the time. They like a combination of books, apps and movies. We can download ebooks from our library; I don't know if that's an option for you but it sure beats carrying that much paper!

I also used a carrier similar to the Ergo on the plane. The flight attendants didn't let me use it for take off and landing but it was great for the rest of the flight. Both of my kids had, um, LARGE and MESSY poops during the flights as babies (due to the pressure change, maybe?), and I was glad to have an extra shirt for me as well as clothes for them. And a laundry bag. Mine were soother babies and I think that helped their ears on the way up and down.

I don't know about Washington, but here there are a couple of places that will rent baby gear like car seats and strollers to travelers, if you don't want to haul your own. Also sometimes they can be borrowed locally from friends and family.

[JLE]

Welcome to the forums! You've planned everything out so well. My main comment is that it sounds like you are making the trip on your own with the kids, in which case your DH Owes You One . I'd call it in with a girls' weekend somewhere luxurious and child-free!

I have two boys (5 and 7), and when they were younger I would not have contemplated travelling with so few changes of clothes. My younger one in particular could easily get through four changes in one day, thanks to the density of living. I would also be worried about toileting accidents on board for the two younger ones, when there is basically nothing you can do to clean things properly. Maybe throw in one more change of clothes for each of them? Also diapers. You will never regret throwing in one or two more than you think you'll need!

+1 on the iPads for the kids. We'd never travel without ours either and I have found that the old first gen iPads have been very sturdy and able to withstand plenty of careless handling. You hardly need to carry anything else for them because of the range of amusements and diversions on offer. And it is great not to have to lug books around for them.

You have the same personal gadget setup as me - iPhone, iPad mini and Bose noise cancelling earbuds. Perfect for travel!

Have a wonderful trip!

[flaneuse]

The only thing I would mention is to make sure your 311 liquids are in a quart sized bag inside the CQPC so that they can be pulled out on their own. I don't think our TSA would let them slide just being lose in one side of the cube.

Thanks Shanisol for the 311 reminder! I was kind of hoping I could be able to leave all the liquids behind...anyone have a list of non liquid toiletries out there? I have the tooth powder and bar soap that I could sub in for the tooth paste/baby oil, but what about moisturizer and sunscreen?

I also used a carrier similar to the Ergo on the plane. The flight attendants didn't let me use it for take off and landing but it was great for the rest of the flight. Both of my kids had, um, LARGE and MESSY poops during the flights as babies (due to the pressure change, maybe?), and I was glad to have an extra shirt for me as well as clothes for them. And a laundry bag. Mine were soother babies and I think that helped their ears on the way up and down.

Hi terayon! I know I wish DH could be there to help--it's so much easier to get through the checkpoints with another set of hands. I flew from LAX to IAD last Feb with the two boys , 2 cats, and I was about 23 weeks pregnant with DD. Fun times getting through the check points but no one got lost or escaped, so I think it was a success!

The laundry bag is a good idea. I think one of my EC cubes is a double sided one so I'll make sure to bring it in case of emergency. I know, I always joke that the babies have to de-pressurize.

Welcome to the forums! You've planned everything out so well. My main comment is that it sounds like you are making the trip on your own with the kids, in which case your DH Owes You One . I'd call it in with a girls' weekend somewhere luxurious and child-free!

I have two boys (5 and 7), and when they were younger I would not have contemplated travelling with so few changes of clothes. My younger one in particular could easily get through four changes in one day, thanks to the density of living. I would also be worried about toileting accidents on board for the two younger ones, when there is basically nothing you can do to clean things properly. Maybe throw in one more change of clothes for each of them? Also diapers. You will never regret throwing in one or two more than you think you'll need!

+1 on the iPads for the kids. We'd never travel without ours either and I have found that the old first gen iPads have been very sturdy and able to withstand plenty of careless handling. You hardly need to carry anything else for them because of the range of amusements and diversions on offer. And it is great not to have to lug books around for them.

You have the same personal gadget setup as me - iPhone, iPad mini and Bose noise cancelling earbuds. Perfect for travel!

Have a wonderful trip!

Hi JLE! I am totally looking forward to trying the earbuds on the plane...hopefully the kids will all sleep at the same time at some point over the 8 hour flight.

Idk, I think 1 extra pair of pants plus pjs would be enough if something entirely dreadful were to happen. Knocking on wood that we won't need them. I feel like I always over pack and then end up using only 30-40% of what I bring so that's why I'm trying to go lighter this time.

LOL he definitely owes me one, but part of this trip is a knitting meet-up/event with my friends. I've been looking forward to it for weeks I'm planning on buying a couple sweater quants of yarn and mailing them back. Nice wool is kind of hard to find over here.


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[Toblerhaus]

Welcome! Packing lists for family travel are my favorite. Thank you for sharing! I think you're list is super impressive.

My kids are 8 and 10 now, and I do NOT miss wrangling car seats and strollers! We use RideSafer car seat travel vest now, but I lugged two car seats when they were smaller. I stacked their car seats on a GoGo Kidz Travelmate wheeled cart, wore one in a carrier, and made the other one walk. That helped with in airport stuff, but nothing changes the challenge of getting two kid seats, plus the luggage, AND the kids onto the flight. Not to mention installing the seats and dealing with the kids, who are probably crying by now. ;-)

Travel suddenly seems so easy now that they're older! One lesson I learned was to not be afraid to ask for help. People were always so kind to me when I traveled with two young kids. I always asked to preboard so I had time to set up car seats and kids before things got too busy. If someone offered to help carry something, I always accepted. WIth only a few exceptions, flight crews were also always very kind, and quick to offer help if I was struggling.

Edited to add: this was before we traveled with carry on only bags. Our main luggage was always checked in a single duffle bag, so I was only managing two car seats, two kids, and my carry on backpack. I'm not sure that I could have managed all that plus carry on luggage.

[terayon]

Thanks Shanisol for the 311 reminder! I was kind of hoping I could be able to leave all the liquids behind...anyone have a list of non liquid toiletries out there? I have the tooth powder and bar soap that I could sub in for the tooth paste/baby oil, but what about moisturizer and sunscreen?

If you're going to shop for diapers when you get there anyway, can you just pick up the moisturizer and sunscreen at the same time? I would expect any place that carries diapers would have the other items as well.

[Shanisol]

Thanks Shanisol for the 311 reminder! I was kind of hoping I could be able to leave all the liquids behind...anyone have a list of non liquid toiletries out there? I have the tooth powder and bar soap that I could sub in for the tooth paste/baby oil, but what about moisturizer and sunscreen?[/URL]

Lotion bars (like these Soap for Dry Skin | Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve || Chagrin Valley Soap) work well for moistuizer, and sunscreen can also be found in a solid form, though I haven't tried any of those. I'm not sure how easy they would be to use for full coverage. Googling "lotion bars" or "solid sunscreen" will bring up a bunch of options.

If you're not picky about the products you use, buying when you get here is also a good option.

[flaneuse]

If you're going to shop for diapers when you get there anyway, can you just pick up the moisturizer and sunscreen at the same time? I would expect any place that carries diapers would have the other items as well.

My Mom is being kind and picking up baby supplies in advance for us, but yes, I probably will try to leave most if the toiletries here. I did realize though that I am stuck with a 311 bag bc I have to bring the infant advil. Oh well! At least it will have just one or 2 items in it.

[flaneuse]

Lotion bars (like these Soap for Dry Skin | Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve || Chagrin Valley Soap) work well for moistuizer, and sunscreen can also be found in a solid form, though I haven't tried any of those. I'm not sure how easy they would be to use for full coverage. Googling "lotion bars" or "solid sunscreen" will bring up a bunch of options.

If you're not picky about the products you use, buying when you get here is also a good option.

Thanks for the link to the lotion bars. Those look great and I'll have to order a couple when I get back to try out.

Yes we are definitely doing some shopping on this trip. I am looking forward to stocking up on some dry goods at costco and mailing them back. Even with shipping, things like baby wipes and some of the bulk spices/dry foods are cheaper

[flaneuse]

Welcome! Packing lists for family travel are my favorite. Thank you for sharing! I think you're list is super impressive.

My kids are 8 and 10 now, and I do NOT miss wrangling car seats and strollers! We use RideSafer car seat travel vest now, but I lugged two car seats when they were smaller. I stacked their car seats on a GoGo Kidz Travelmate wheeled cart, wore one in a carrier, and made the other one walk. That helped with in airport stuff, but nothing changes the challenge of getting two kid seats, plus the luggage, AND the kids onto the flight. Not to mention installing the seats and dealing with the kids, who are probably crying by now. ;-)

I am looking forward to the day when we can leave the carseats behind! I've looking into those vests and while my younger kids are too small for them now, I think they will be a great option in the next year. I'm tempted to buy one for my 8 year old though. How do your kids like them?

We always ask to preboard but only about 30% of the time does it actually happen. It's so annoying too, because it's not like I want to get on the plane and sit with my fidgety children for a whole extra 10 minutes before everyone else boards

I've also asked at the TSA check in for private or family screening rooms when I travel with the kids and pets, since I KNOW we slow up the line and no one wants to be behind us. But again, it has only happened once. I'm not really sure why the TSA even bothers to advertise their private or family screening rooms.

[Toblerhaus]

My kids really like the travel vests, but it did take a while for them to get used to being lower in the car seat. Those car seats do a nice job of boosting them up to see out the window, and it's not the same when you sit lower.

The vests aren't great for kids who still fall asleep in the car, but are wonderful otherwise.

We almost always preboarded until the last couple of years, mainly because of the need to install car seats on the flight. We also have peanut and tree nut allergies, so I often board early to clean and sanatize the area to make sure my kids are safe. It's amazing how often I find nuts that are left behind!

[Toblerhaus]

Also, I wanted to add support for Chagrin Valley products. I use their shampoo bars a ton, and also love their deodorant (though not a solid).

Hubby uses the shaving brush and solid shaving bars all the time.

[flaneuse]

So, we made it to VA! The aeronaut worked out perfectly. I think fully loaded it weighted about 16-17lbs, which was a little heavier than I wanted but at that point I could not have cut anything out of our list. I am definitely sore today from carrying the baby (16.8lbs) in the ergo on my front and the aeronaut on my back but that is to be expected. A day before we left, my order with a couple OPs arrived and that was great. I ended up using the large dyneema OP to hold all of our passports/birth certifs/flight paperwork and my son's homework folder, and I attached an 8" key strap to it and clipped it to the zippered pocket that holds the backpack straps (if that description doesn't make sense I am sorry!) and then I could slide it into the backpack strap holding area when I didn't need it.

[flaneuse]

So, here we are all ready to head back to Germany tonight! I ended up deciding last minute to leave the LCB back at home and ordered a CP in ballistic navy/solar and a SE in Nordic/Solar and had them 3-day shipped to my parents's house in VA. They arrived the same day I did!

The CP has made a fantastic EDC bag for me. While visiting, I use the SE to hold diapers/wipes/hand sanitizer in one of the pockets of the main compartment of the CP, and used a 8" key strap to make a grab loop on the SE. The left pocket with the ultra suede pocket holds my iphone, and my glasses/sunglasses. The center pocket holds my 12oz Zojirushi thermos, and the right pocket holds a pen and an 8oz life factory bottle for the baby. In the main compartment, asides from the SE, I put my wallet in the other pocket, a TT with my knitting project, various snacks/formula and lipbalm zipped in a clear medium OP, and the surprise gift pouch with the food shears clipped to the o ring.

For our trip, I'm using the CP outer pockets the same way, but I'm putting my ipad mini in its cache, the TT with knitting, wallet, and a steel dyneema SE with my snacks/handwipes in the main compartment, and using the zipper pocket to hang off the gogo kidz handle on the carseat, so while we wait at customs I'll only have to carry the baby and the aeronaut.

I'm using the nordic SE as a waist pack to hold the passports/travel docs and handwipes. I planned ahead and stashed the waist straps from the LCB into the aeronaut before we left. I have some S carabiners clipped to it so I can hang it from one of the seat pockets.

I think my next purchase will be a synapse 19 to replace my son's REI school bag for travel. The REI one is fine for school work, but I hate how everything sinks to the bottom of the pockets and becomes difficult to find/remove when we pack it for trips.