For our summer holiday, our family has planned a beach vacay in Destin, FL. Avery and I haven’t been on vacation together since he was born so I was so excited to see him deep his toes into the ocean for the first time.
What I didn’t expect was how difficult packing would be!! Prior to having Avery I was Team Carry-On, meaning that if it didn’t fit in my carry on bag, I didn’t bring it. I didn’t like hanging out in airports hours before my flight left and I also didn’t like lugging around tons of items that would never get used or worn. Also, I had discovered all of these travel hacks and glitches that only worked if you were Team Carry-On!
So then I found myself trying to figure out how to keep Avery’s needs met on a trip without overpacking. Here’s a list of what I found to be our most needs for a 1 year old on a 4 day trip.
Travel List
- 20 bottles/cups of milk (five 5-7 oz bottles per day. You may want to bring 1.5 days worth of bottles/cups and wash each night.)
- Bottle washing soap
- 4 sippie cups of 1/2 juice, 1/2 water if your child drinks one juice a day like mine does. (or 2 sippie cups and wash each night)
- Any teething toys or pacifiers if your baby uses them.
- Snacks such as fruit squeeze pouches. These are great for on the go. We also brought pretzels, bananas, blueberries and clementines.
- 6 swim diapers (more if you plan to swim more)
- Beach sandcastle tools for sand play.
- Sunhat, sunscreen and other sun protectants
- Swimwear
- 2 Beach towels (hang dry every evening and reuse)
- Beach float (if applicable)
- 2-3 toys from home to keeps things familiar and comfortable
- Cooler with ice or reusable ice bags
- 6 diapers per day
- Wipes
- 2 bibs if you still use them, hand wash and repeat usage.
- 6-8 outfits for daytime wear. This is an average of 2 outfits per day.
- 1 pair of sandals that could also work as water shoes.
- Shampoo and body wash combination.
- 4 pajamas
- House slippers or 4 pair of socks.
- First-aid kit for emergencies
- Any medicine that your child may take (allergy meds, gas drops, etc.)
- Stroller or collapsible beach wagon. We used a beach wagon with sand friendly wheels the entire trip.
- Carseat
Avery also has a travel crib that is super easy to break down and set up (similar to those folding chairs that people have at festivals) that I brought that isn’t necessary if you don’t mind co-sleeping.
You could shorten this down a whole lot if you just bring enough for your travel and then purchase the rest of this at your destination. I wasn’t sure of what would be readily available to me upon immediate arrival and with this being my first trip with Avery, I would rather be safe than sorry.
Additional Tips
- Start your packing a few days before your trip so that you do not become overwhelmed. Make a list of items that you will need and tape this your mirror or somewhere visible. Each time you pack away an item from the list, cross it off the list.
- Make sure that you have sturdy bags for travel. For example, I have rolling luggage with wheels that roll in a 365 degree direction. Also, my diaper bag is a backpack. You want to make sure that you have lots of support.
- For the travel part of the trip, be sure to pack snacks for both you and the baby for the trip. Make sure sure that you have enough bottles/juice/snacks, toys, blankets, and change of clothes for the baby.
- Always place any leaky items in resealable plastic bags. This includes your lotions, shampoos, etc. and be sure that they are the right size for airline regulations if you are traveling by plane.
- Don’t forget to pack your camera, battery charger, memory card, cellular device and any charging ports.
For a FREE $40 travel credit on your accommodations through AirBnB , be sure to click on this link to sign up.
Easy downloadable list coming soon.
What’s on your family travel check list?
Just The Kings 