Flying with Baby » Packing

Zip lock bags

Flying with Baby — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:29:19 +0000

I’ve already written about plastic shopping bags, which can come in handy during a flight for various purposes. Now I’m going to tell you about another plastic bag which is an invaluable packing tool - the humble ziploc bag.

Zip lock bags are great for:

keeping clothing separate
stopping any leaking bottle from ruining your clothes
keeping dirty shoes from sullying your clothing
compressing your clothing to take up less space in your bag

Keeping Clothing Separate - if you use zip lock (or the larger sliding lock) bags to separate your clothing into different types (eg underwear) or different people (eg baby) then it will make it easier to find in your suitcase

Stop leaks from spreading - put your shampoo bottles, roll-on deodorant and any liquid toiletries into individual zip lock bags within your toiletry bag/case. This will help prevent any leaks from spreading onto your clothing. It will also stop leaks from ruining your toiletry bag. Always put your roll-on deodorant into a bag - it has a tendency to leak under pressure and there is nothing worse than going to brush your teeth only to find that the deodorant has leaked onto your toothbrush!

Store dirty (or not so dirty) shoes - even if you have just cleaned your shoes they can still mark your clothes, so put them in a bag.

Compress your clothing - save space, put your clothes into zip lock bags and seal the lock leaving a small gap. Then roll the bag to push out any excess air and seal. The resulting flat package is almost like a vacuum pack and takes up a lot less space!

Store snacks for the flight - use individual zip lock bags to store snacks for the flight in your carry-on luggage

Separate toys and art supplies for flight - use zip lock bags to categorize small toys or art supplies (like crayons) for babies and kids on the plane. If you have more than one kid then label the bags with their names to avoid confusion (and fights!).

Cabin Bag Essentials: The plastic shopping bag

Flying with Baby — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:27:18 +0000

If you have read any of my other articles on what to pack in your cabin luggage then you will be familiar with the plastic shopping bag. You may be wondering why I recommend this. There is a simple reason - it’s a very versatile and useful thing to have at your disposal during a flight. Here are some of the situations when a trusty plastic bag comes in handy:

Firstly, you accumulate a surprising amount of rubbish during a flight, with nowhere to put it other than on the floor at your feet. It starts with the plastic packaging for the headphones, plus food packaging from the “keep baby quiet” snacks, then tissues, the packet of cards in the inflight entertainment pack (the one completely inappropriate for a baby but you took it to keep your baby quiet and all s/he did was empty the contents all over the floor), plastic cutlery, drinking fountain paper cups and so on. Before you know it, you are sitting amidst a small mound of garbage with nary a bin or cabin crew member in sight. So having your own personal rubbish bag comes in handy (and the cabin crew and cleaning crew will appreciate it too).

Secondly, should your child vomit during the flight (yes, this has happened to me - more on that later…) or wet themselves or spill a drink everywhere then you will have somewhere to put their wet or soiled clothing. Or , if you have enough warning , you can even use it as a spew bag.

Thirdly, it’s also a handy to be able to scoop up all the loose items and pop them in the bag at the last minute. You can then sort them out once you are off the plane.

I prefer to take at least two regular sized shopping bags (although the small scented nappy/diaper bags will suffice if you have nothing else). If you tie a knot in the middle of the bag it will take up less space and baby is less likely to be able to put it over their head.

Seat pocket essentials

Flying with Baby — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:31:37 +0000

When I take my seat on the plane I find it useful to pull out the things that I am most likely to need during the flight and place them in the pocket of the seat in front of you (located on the bulkhead wall for bulkhead seats). I call these the seat pocket essentials. Remember that once they turn on the “fasten seat belts” sign it could be 30 minutes to an hour before you can get up and retrieve anything from the overhead locker - so keep the urgent things handy!Here’s a list of my seat pocket essentials:

* plastic shopping bag for rubbish - you would be surprised by the amount of rubbish you can accumulate in such a short amount of time (think, plastic bag for headphones, empty cups etc)
* at least one baby toy to distract baby when s/he is fed up with sitting restrained on your lap during takeoff
* dummy/ pacifier
* cloth nappy/diaper for spills and spew
* bottle or cup of water for baby
* bottle of water for breastfeeding mothers (if you are allowed to take one on board!

* cotton or muslin wrap - for calming baby to sleep, or for breastfeeding or for playing hide and seek - there’s a multitude of uses for it!
* pen - for filling in forms
* ziplocked bag with a snack in it, in case baby is hungry

* lip balm (maybe it’s just me, but my lips get awfully dry in the air-conditioning)

If you are feeling optimistic that your baby will sleep for most of the flight then also include a book or magazine - but if you are like us you will be hard pressed being able to read the entertainment program in the inflight magazine!

Dressing baby for the flight

Flying with Baby — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:56:27 +0000

If you’re going on a long haul flight then chances are that you will be flying from one season to another. So what you wear before and on the flight is not appropriate for when you arrive. I find it easier to go from a cold climate to a hot one rather than the opposite way around. This is because it is easy to shed layers of clothing but more often than not I underestimate how much colder it will be going into a cooler climate. This is especially true when flying to the Northern Hemisphere during their winter - for some reason I always forget how *cold* it will be!Temperatures on board aircraft tend to be fairly consistent - although the airconditioning can fluctuate and it can be chilly or stuffy. Layers are the best way to dress both yourself and your baby - that way you can shed layers if it gets too stuffy or put more on if the temperature dips.

I have always dressed my babies in either a cotton onesie/bodysuit or a full romper. If you opt for a onesie then a pair of light cotton leggings or track pants over the top with a pair of socks will keep baby warm should it get chilly. I would also suggest taking off the pants and socks before you take baby to be changed as it will give you one less thing to do in the squashy cubicle. Whatever you choose to dress your baby in, just make sure that the nappy/diaper area is easily accessible.

As for yourself - well who am I to tell you what to wear LOL?! Just make sure you are going to be comfy in your outfit, especially on those 24 hr flights. Take a cardigan or sweater in case it gets chilly. And don’t forget to pack a spare t-shirt!

Zavvy, dressed to fly from an Australian winter to a European summer