Packing Checklist and Must Haves for Traveling with a Baby 2022

September 20, 2022 Kat Cregg

Baby Travel Essentials

Make Traveling with a Baby Easier in 2022

Babies are so small yet need so many things! Traveling isn’t as easy as just packing a small bag for the weekend when bringing a little one. Whether you’re flying or driving, here are some handy tips and a packing list for what to pack and travel hacks for infants 6 months+!

Related post: See all things need for baby from birth to 12 months in this Baby Must Haves List

Ergobaby Metro+ Stroller - best travel stroller

Car Seats and Strollers

If you are driving, you’ll already have your car seat (we love our Graco 4Ever DLX car seat).

If you’re flying I recommend a much lighter car seat like the Graco SnugRide 35 Lite LX Infant Car Seat that doesn’t need a base and can still be strapped in by the seat belt. It only weighs about 7 pounds and helps protect rear-facing infants 4-35 lb and up to 32". You might not need the car seat on the plane which you can gate check it, but you may need a car seat once you land to get to your hotel or Grandma’s house. If you are gate checking, just make sure to grab a tag from the gate host before you board and I recommend this Gorilla Grip car seat gate check cover for it that can also be worn as a backpack! It also packs into a small handy pouch!

We absolutely love our Uppababy Vista stroller but it is a monster to travel with! We bought the Ergobaby Metro+ stroller which compacts nicely into the overhead compartment of an airplane or the trunk of a car. The stroller weigh 16.9 pounds, holding up to 50 pounds or 50” (ages 0-4 typically) in the seat and up to 20 pounds in the carriage below. We also hang the diaper bag on the handles and if it’s not too heavy, the stroller won’t tip over. The wheel suspension is great and work well on a variety of surfaces, pretty impressive for being so lightweight.

We liked the Ergobaby stroller compared to the Baby jogger.

Food and Breastfeeding

Baby’s first flight was when he was 8 months old, so he was starting to eat solids but more solely relying on breast milk than food. We packed a thermal lunch box that had reusable ice packs and packed extra ziplock bags to get ice at a restaurant or on the plane when the packs melted.

When going through TSA, tell them you have breast milk and they may have you put in a separate bin along with baby wipes, so have that ready. In Syracuse, they scanned the milk and opened the bottles and didn’t properly secure one so it slowly leaked everywhere. 😩 Always triple check the bottles and flip them upside down to make sure they aren’t leaking.

During take-off and landing, it’s recommended to feed the baby a bottle or breastfeed. The sucking helps with the pressure in altitude change. I sat in the window seat so there was a little more privacy.

We also packed teething crackers which was entertainment for 20 mins and a snack. Also, your water cup could be the best new toy your baby has ever played with. 😂

If baby is 9 months or over one year old, you’ll want to pack either baby food that doesn’t have to be refrigerated or a thermal lunchbox full of food (and maybe even a sandwich for Mom and Dad). Don’t forget to pack a bib, spoon, bowls, or plates!

We are into baby led weaning and so when baby was 10 months old, I packed a steak knife, spoon, foldable measuring cup, paper towels, small trash bags, baby safe soap, and small cutting board. The steak knife would need to be checked and I would prep as much food as possible so you can check all of these items. I put Mrs Meyers soap in a travel bottle to wash breast pump parts and baby food containers.

If you’re driving, same situation as above, only we packed a small cooler.

SlumberPod is a must have for traveling with a baby!

Sleeping and Travel Crib

Most hotels will have a pack n play but it’s not always guaranteed, so make sure you call ahead. We typically bring ours as it’s the best travel crib if we’re driving and must bring the SlumberPod!

The SlumberPod is a blackout tent that goes over the pack n play to help keep the light out and allows you to sneak around the hotel room without baby seeing you. We always bring the Hatch too for white noise but you can always use an iPhone or iPad for that.

Best Baby Carrier

We have several baby carriers that all have their own purposes. However, we have 2 specifically for travel:

For hikes and outdoorsy events, we like the Deuter Kid Comfort Active carrier. It weighs just over 5 pounds by itself and is perfect for carrying around your precious cargo. Baby’s first trip was when he was 9 months old and about 20 pounds and it holds up to 35 pounds which is the size of a 4 year old. Its an odd size so it’s a little harder to pack than our other carriers. The benefit is that it has pockets and space for your stuff, so you can carry other things in the carrier such as water bottles or snacks!

If you’re looking for something smaller and compact, we also have the Infantino Flip Advanced 4-in-1 Carrier which is convertible where you can have baby face-in and face-out or wear front and back for newborns and older babies 8-32 lbs. It’s super lightweight and very breathable.

Infantino Baby Carrier

Baby Toiletries and Amenities

I pack the following in a toiletry bag:

Baby shampoo and soap
Tylenol + syringe
Baby Comb
Vitamin D
Diaper rash cream
Saline spray
Baby lotion
Baby Sunscreen

Some I have in travel size, others I fill a 3 oz travel bottle. Hotels might have a baby proofing amenity on request, but if you have a crawler or walker, I recommend bringing a handful of outlet covers.

Also, request a fridge ahead of time or when checking-in to your hotel.

In my diaper bag, I always have multipurpose wipes in a Ziploc bag, good to wipe down plane seat areas, table or high chairs at restaurant, toys, etc. I pack an extra baggie of them on trips.

Beach and Pool Travel Gear

If you’re heading to a beach destination, I recommend a few things:

Shade tent - having fun in the sun is great but shade is even better! We liked the COMMOUDS Large Pop Up Beach Tent with UPF 50+ beach sun shade including a carry bag! It’s lightweight is great for 3 people with some room for baby to run around. It is a pop up tent with screen windows (that can also close up) which compacts into a small bag weighing only 2 pounds. There are stakes and bags for sand bags to anchor the tent.
Beach blanket - this is great to have just in general. We like the HIHOHO Beach Blanket Sandproof, Lager 82" X79" and use it at the park or any lawn, really. It has pockets in the corner to fill with sand or rocks or even heavier toys and stakes to anchor. It’s machine washable too!