“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” St Francis of Assisi
There are so many different choices out there for equipment and by that I mean anything from those items your insurance company might pay for, to the stuff at Target that just makes life easier. Here is a list of my favorites. I might add links later, I highly encourage you to use craigslist and ebay for most of it.
Strollers-
If you have a non mobile kid it will make all the difference when you travel to have the right stroller. We do not travel with my son’s wheelchair. its simply too big and heavy and designed for nice smooth american pavement. Most countries don’t have wheelchair ramps, wide streets and doorways, or even sidewalks for that matter. For this reason I highly recommend the Baby Jogger. It’s narrow enough to fit through most doorways (unlike the wider BOB). The wheels come off super easily so its fits in most taxi trunks or front seats and folds down super quickly. The back seat of it reclines pretty far so your kid can sleep in it. It’s also got a nice wide canopy for sunny days. Plus, there is a little lip on the front that a smaller kid can sit on- as my daughter likes to do. On our trip to Bali I borrowed a dear friend’s fancy stroller and it was the worst choice. I got wooded by all the ways you could reposition the seat (front facing/rear facing) but it was way too hot, not rugged enough, and was difficult to fold down.
Here are the things you need to consider:
- Comfort- if its not comfortable it doesn’t matter how many other niches it fills.
- Heat- my kid overheats. His stroller needs to have ability to open flaps for cross breeze and a wide brim to protect him from the sun
- Ruggedness- we like to get off the beaten trail so the wheels have got to be rugged.
- Does it needs to lay down? I like this feature in case we stay out late and Joaquin wants to sleep, variation in positions also helps keep him comfortable
- Does it needs to compress down small? Taxis and rental cars in other countries are small. Plus in case you end up taking a tuk-tuk or even a donkey drawn cart, it needs to be able to reduce in size!
Also, consider getting one of these- its a shade extender for your stroller and it rocks. Sun shade is what its called.
A backpack- do you even need one?
Every time we travel anywhere we bring one. We use it 1-4 times each trip. Hard to say if it’s worth carting it around, especially since now that we have 2 kids we bring 2 with us. But, usually these hikes tend to be the highlight of our trip, which is why we keep lugging them along with us. So again, this is all about comfort. Our first big trip once Joaquin was big enough to fit in one (Bali) we brought a pack that was not comfortable for him. It made it impossible to do any serious hiking- he rightly complained the entire time. Some packs come with a deep sun shade which is a must. Before the next trip we went to REI and tried every one they had, took some trial runs around the neighborhood and voila- we had found the answer. My guy liked one by osprey- our next trip he happily did a 4 hour hike in it.
Also, if your kid is small don’t bother with a hiking pack, just get a baby carrier. I jammed Joaquin into one until he was 4. For me this is much more comfortable then a hiking pack. My husband felt the latter was more comfortable and he does most of the travel kid-schlepping. Also, a baby carrier is not the best when its really hot or humid because the kid is so close to your body- in that case a hiking pack is better. Ergos are the ones I found most comfortable. Joaquin loved to face front so much, if I could find one that still fit him I would seriously still carry him around in it. Its also great for my daughter- ever wonder how your gonna get on a plane with 2 kids who both want to be carried and only 1 adult? gotta have a baby carrier.
Camping hammock- for your sensory loving kids-
Joaquin gets really bored when we travel because he is missing all his normal routine and his equipment at home. Its a bummer but its a fact. I try and keep him entertained in whatever way possible and this hammock is one of the answers. He loves to swing and this hammock folds down super small so its no prob to cart around with us. I advise getting the ropes that make it more easily attachable to trees etc.
Speaking of swinging- I also carry around a long scarf or a sarong with me so that if we come across a swing set I can tie him to me (wrap it around him and me and tie it in the front) and we can swing a bit- this bring him endless joy. I love a sarong because it can be used as a mat for changing diapers, a quick shade maker if needed, a blanket, a pillow, a beach towel, the uses are endless.
For those kid who overheat–
Spray bottle
I’m not joking that I bring one these things with me to every country, city or neighborhood walk that is hot. I like this sprayer because you can pump it up with pressure and then it fine spray mists you just right. I stick it under the stroller and spray away as needed. People look at you like your crazy but at least your kid is comfortable!
Cooling pad/mat
These mats work wonders to keep your kid cool. They come in big sizes as well. you can wet them with salt water or tap water.
GOTO chair
This cool chair came out a couple years ago from this company Firefly. I like them because they are thinking out of the box about really useful things. It’s a travel chair for kids who can’t sit up on their own but it handily attaches to any regular chair, its not perfect but a good attempt. The primary problem with it is that most regular chairs are a little too upright for my guy. Also Joaquin is really low tone so it doesn’t quite offer enough support. But its better then nothing and we have used it for horseback riding and it workedgreat. Also, there is a new model that looks even better and has a 2 angle floor seat attachment that you can buy. The new model is more expensive. http://www.fireflyfriends.com/shop/us/goto-seat-1.html
Feeding chairs/high chairs
When Joaquin was little I actually dragged feeding chairs with us everywhere and it was totally worth it. Strollers are simply hard to feed low tone kids in, and who wants to be in a stroller every moment of the day? This offered some position variation. The first is a tumble form. Because its made out of foam it’s lightweight and has a tall back so your kid can grow into it for a while- warning, they are expensive- we got ours on loan for a couple years from CCS (California state PT/OT). Fisher price space saver high chair was also awesome when he was a little baby.
please don't cue the sad music 