What’s In My Bag…….the Long Haul Flight Edition
The time has come; the dreaded 24 hour journey half way around the world. With a 10 month old. Alone. Most people would be freaking out about what to pack for the 6 week holiday. Please, this is the least of my worries. Instead, I am freaking out about what to pack in my carry on, and how to strategically pack everything into one bag. After all, I am traveling alone, with my 10 month old, so the less I can lug around airports the better.
I start with a checklist, a week before departure. This gives me time to decide whether or not things are really necessary, or if I’m wasting valuable real estate. Don’t worry, the gummy candy made the cut. Obviously.
So what made the list for the 24 hour journey from Singapore to NY? Take a look. And yes, I did manage one bag, thanks to Lululemon, with a few attachments; the Skip Hop Pronto Signature Changing Station and a cooler bag.
12 diapers. Better safe than sorry. Even though James has been averaging five diapers a day, I plan for the worst; a diaper every 2 hours. I put four or five into the changing station bag for the trips to the changing room, while all the others live in the backpack. In the end, I only used six.
Wipes, travel pack. Wipes are very heavy, so I opt for the travel pack, which lived in the changing station bag. I had plenty left over at the end of the trip.
Destin. Never leave home without it.
2 changes of clothes for James. You never want to risk the potential blowout. And, with solid foods, eating can get messy. We used all outfits, and managed no blowouts!
1 change of clothes for mum. I think I ended up getting dirtier than James. I wish I had an extra change of clothes.
2 board books. James has been loving his board books, so naturally I went to the store and bought two new and exciting books. They never came out of the bag.
1 soft book. I am so excited by this new soft book that has all sorts of touch and feel activities. James has no interest on the plane. Still, 3 weeks later, he hates it.
3 toys. Again, I spent so much time buying new toys for James so they seem exciting when I take them out of the bag. And I strategically pick toys that would fit easily into the bag. Ironically enough, his favorite game the entire flight was opening and closing the arm rest and playing with the tv remote.
3 chew toys, including toothbrush. James has no interest on the plane, except for his toothbrush.
2 large bottles, 1 small bottle. I use the small bottle for water, as it creates the least mess. Sippy cups are not a good idea at this point in his career. Staying hydrated on a long haul flight is so important, so we refilled that thing several times. Because I am still breastfeeding about half the time, I only used one of the bottles, maybe once or twice. And I definitely took advantage of the lovely Singapore Air crew and had them wash out the used bottle.
Haakaa portable breast pump. Flight aside, this is the best thing in the world for breastfeeding mums. Get one! The worst thing in the world is feeling engorged on an airplane. Thankfully I didn’t have to use it!
2 magazines. I didn’t get around to reading these magazine until weeks after we arrived.
iPad. The best part about being jet lagged is catching up on bad television via Hulu!
Passports. Yes, I have to put this on my checklist.
Wallet. Since I’m not planning on bringing my purse, there needs to be a place for the wallet!
iPhone. Can’t forget this!
Oatmeal. I want to keep James on his normal eating schedule as much as possible, so I brought just two servings of Earth’s Best Whole Grain Oatmeal Cereal.
Formula. James has a history of not wanting to nurse while on the airplane, so I am sure to pack plenty, just in case.
7 pouches of baby food. Singapore Airlines offers a baby meal, but I don’t love not knowing exactly where it came from. I instead opt for Earth’s Best Puree Pouches. I originally had eight, but somehow managed to loose one, so we are down to seven. In the end, we used four. These are the best for travel.
Skip Hop cooler bag. This attaches to my backpack and holds all of our pouches and oatmeal. I didn’t use it to keep things cool, but just to keep all the food in one place.
Puffs. The ultimate distraction!
Gummy candy for mum. I love gummy candy on airplanes. However, I never opened a single bag.
l2method 