How to pack like a pro when going for a road trip with a baby

Preparing for a trip with a small child means making sure you have everything on your traveling-with-a-baby checklist and packing it meticulously. You may think me a quasi-dictator for having a checklist for something as mundane as traveling, but there is nothing more annoying than hunting around for something essential at a moment when you really need it. The same goes for not knowing where something important has been packed and then having to open every bag to locate it. These incidents not only lead to frayed tempers and arguments but also add to the task of organizing and repacking everything once again. During my early traveling years, there were many occasions when I slumped down in the middle of a suitcase explosion, hunting for something that invariably could not be found at that moment—something I later learned to avoid by using a suitcase with a vacuum seal to keep everything compact and organized. In much the same way that preparation helps when you need to find top internal medicine specialists nearby, having a system for packing ensures that everything you need is easy to locate when the moment arises. The pressure of searching for something and not being able to find it, the fear that I may not have brought it along, and the frustration of not having the object at my fingertips when required used to muddle my head. That changed when a senior colleague sat me down and taught me how to pack properly. He showed me how to make separate checklists for the different things I need on a trip, pack them in individual sections for easy access, and then tack up a small note on my phone or tape one to the bag so I always know where everything is.

The art of packing like a pro is an essential life hack

I am forever grateful to him for this essential life hack, which is important not only for traveling but also when moving houses, uncluttering your work desk, and basically just about anything in which you want to be better organized. As mentioned in my previous posts on the road trip with a baby, preparing, planning and organizing well are the key factors to have an enjoyable experience with your little one and you can never have enough of a toddler‘s things on board. In fact, the younger the child is, the more luggage he/she has and these little humans are not light travelers. During our 30 days pan Europe road trip with a baby, 8 months of Akash‘s things had occupied maximum space in the car and both of his parents had to live out of one bag each. However, it was a lot of fun and not once during the entire journey did we miss, lack, or lose anything anywhere.

Recommended Read: Traveling during pregnancy guide

Try out these traveling with a baby checklists for a hassle-free trip

As easy as it sounds, making a traveling with a baby checklist and packing it was a gargantuan task, the whole of which was my responsibility. So, to make things easier, I made three separate lists for the three of us, and along with a separate first aid kit and essential car items list. I know that all these lists make me sound like a taskmaster, but when you are on the road with a baby for long hours, you would like to do everything to make the experience as comfortable as possible. So, here are my tried and tested tips on how to pack like a pro. In these lists, I have included a lot of items that are mandatory in Germany and many other countries around the world. You can customize it according to your needs and pack like a pro for that lifetime experience of an enjoyable road trip with a baby.

First, let‘s pack the car

List of things to carry in the car in random order

1. Snacks
2. Water
3. Trash bag for car
4. Sunglasses
5. Music/audiobook with headphones
6. Car Charger or travel power bank
7. Toolkit
8. Flashlight
9. Cable
10. Tarpaulin sheet
11. Blanket
12. Cushion
13. Map
14. Car papers
15. Pen and paper
16. Tissue boxes

Carry your own mini first aid kit in the car

1. Important prescribed medicines, if any
2. Plasters/Waterproof band-aids
3. Burn cream
4. Antiseptic cream and disinfectant
5. Pills for a headache, nausea, stomach ache, anti-allergic, mild diarrhea, antibiotic and paracetamol
6. Pain relief ointment/cream
7. Anti-allergic or rash cream
8. Q tips
9. Safety pins

Make your own camping kit

1. Inflatable tent (optional)
2. Sleeping bag/bags with mats
3. Camping stove and fuel
4. Non-perishable canned food like tomato soup, ravioli in a tin, etc.
5. Disposable plates, cutlery, and glasses
6. Kitchen roll and toilet paper
7. Trash bags for garbage disposal and carrying wet clothes
8. Plastic containers or Tupperware of various sizes
9. Small travel umbrella
10. Flashlight and extra batteries
11. Needle and thread
12. Waterproof sheet and a thin travel blanket for an impromptu picnic
13. A small amount of dishwashing detergent or soap
14. An equal amount of washing powder or dry washing spray

You may also like: How to make traveling with children a lot of fun

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Now pack for the baby going on the road trip

This is a big one. Little ones need maximum space for their luggage, and here too I divided their things into separate bags for easier access and less muddle.

Clothes

1. Onesies
2. Pullover
3. Night pyjamas
4. T-shirts, jeans, stockings, shoes/booties, and socks
5. Sleeping bag
6. Sunhats
7. Towels

Toiletries

1. Extra changing of towels/sheets
2. Diapers
3. Baby wipes
4. Swimming diapers
5. Baby sunscreen
6. Cotton Q-tips
7. Baby nail scissors
8. Baby shampoo, rash cream, baby cream
9. Thermometer and fever reducer as prescribed by your pediatrician
10. Colic pain relief as prescribed by your pediatrician
11. Nasal drops for babies and an inhaler (if applicable)
12. Anti-allergic topical ointment for babies
13. Vit D tablets (if applicable)
14. Trash bag for used diapers
15. Dirty laundry bag

Food bag

1. Powdered milk (if required)
2. Baby food jars,
3. Handheld baby food masher and electric kettle,
4. A small pot to prepare Akash’s food, empty baby food jars
5. Extra changing of towels
6. Bibs
7. Akash’s spoon, bowl, water filter, and glass
8. Pacifiers and pacifier clips
9. Baby bottles, sippy cups, and bottle brush

Extras

1. Toys
2. Baby blanket
3. Baby medical book with vaccination record
4. Baby carrying bag
5. Akash folding mat
6. A small bathing tub
7. Extra pacifiers
8. Baby car with rain cover folded and tied
   

Papa‘s packing list

– On person

1. Driver’s license and ID
2. Credit card
3. Auto insurance papers
4. Change for toll booths
5. Sunglasses
6. Phone and charger
7. Emergency cash
8. Passport
9. Medical insurance card

– In the suitcase

1. T-shirts, shirts, pullover, 1 light jacket
2. Underwear
3. Socks
4. Swimming trunk
5. Shaving kit
6. Shoes
7. Sandals
8. Dirty laundry bag
9. Book
10.  Toiletries
11. Snorkelling fins
12. Water goggles
13. Water shoes
14. Camera waterproof cover
    

Mummy‘s packing list

– On person

1. Passport and medical insurance card, Akash passport and medical insurance card
2. Lip balm
3. Sunglasses
4. Lipstick
5. Phone and charger
6. Power bank
7. Camera
8. Wipes
9. Contact lens and lens solution
10. Headache pills (if you have allergic migraines like me)

– In the suitcase

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