Now that we've been home for a couple of days, and we've all enjoyed some deliciously restful nights in our own full-size beds, I wanted to take the time to write down some helpful suggestions for travelling with a baby and staying in an RV.
Today I am describing some awesome baby products we used during our big road trip, and providing a link to Canadian retailers where possible, along with a stock product photo and some "live action" photos of us using the products as well!
1. Guzzie and Guss Perch Hanging High Chair: This wonderful portable high chair attached easily to our kitchen table in the trailer, or picnic tables as well. We used a place mat to make sure he had a clean surface to eat on, and to make clean up easier.
2. Camelbak Eddy Kids Bottle 0.4 L: I came across this product while at a "mom and me" baby wearing dance class. Another mom had one for her one year old, so I thought I'd give it a try, even though the product suggests it's for children over the age of 3 years. Our son readily and easily drinks water from this bottle, and to top it off, it doesn't spill when tipped or turned upside down. I should mention thought that we had him using a baby straw cup (this one by Munchkin with a weighted straw) for a couple of months prior to using this bottle.
3. Playtex bottles with disposable drop-in inserts: During this trip, our 9 month old was still drinking up to 4 bottles a day. By using Playtex bottles with disposable drop-ins, and buying about a dozen nipples, rather than having to wash bottles every day, we only had to wash nipples every few days. We did the same thing when we went to Mexico when our baby was only 5 months old too, but we also used bottled water because he was so young then.
4. JJ Cole All-Purpose Foldable Blanket: We used this foldable blanket for impromptu picnics at parks or road-side turnouts that didn't have picnic tables, or that didn't have enough picnic tables. It was really easy to fold up, and to wipe off too.
5. BOB Revolution stroller: Ours is a model year older than the one I've linked to, but it's excellent for walks with baby on any surface. The wheels are rubber with proper inner tubes like bicycle tires, and the stroller has suspension to make rolling over bumps a non-issue. It may look big, but it's no wider than the majority of strollers. We've also added a cup holder for mom and dad on the handlebar. Yes, we are also runners, though we didn't have time for running during this holiday. We bought this plum colour from Amazon.ca at the time it was being discontinued, and saved $100 compared to the other colours.
6. Thule Corsaire XL bike trailer: This bike trailer can be used as a double stroller or as a double bike trailer, you just have to buy the right accessories. We also had the baby support straps inside. There are pockets inside to store drinks and snacks, and lots of room for additional layers of clothing or blankets. It doesn't fold completely flat, but did fold down enought that we could keep both our stroller and the bike trailer in the back of our Jeep. We got ours second hand on Kijiji and saved over $100 doing so.
7. Lug Tuk Tuk Diaper Bag: With a 9/10 month old, we needed a sturdy bag with lots of room and lots of pockets for diapers, wipes, snacks, meals and extra clothing. This bag was an upgrade for me from a smaller Skip Hop Messenger bag. I love it! It has so many little pockets, plus a bottom breathable one where I keep bibs, and a dry sack with a change of clothes just in case of calamity. Plus, it comes in fun, fashionable colours, and can be used with a suitcase at the airport as a great carry-on even after baby gets older. It easily clips onto our stroller, and my husband doesn't mind carrying it either.
8. MEC Happy Trails Child Carrier Backpack: A pack like this is the only way to go hiking with a baby, if you are going on longer (2 or more hour hikes) with baby. It distributes the weight to the wearer's hips, has attached bags to bring along baby's necessities, and it is very comfortable for baby too. We really liked the velvety covered shoulder straps for baby, and the sun/rain cover, which was essential for us with a baby that refused to keep any kind of hat on. Also nice is that it's good up to 50lbs, so it can carry baby until they become a toddler. Oh and I must mention that the metal bars allow you to set baby on the ground in it and it stands up nicely - we were able to easily feed baby snacks in the carrier during breaks thanks to this feature. This is another item that we picked up on Kijiji second hand, and saved about 50% off the new price.
9. Tula baby carrier: This isn't just for travelling. I keep it in the car for regular use as well. If we are just hopping out of the car for a short wander around a touristy spot, or dashing into a store that doesn't really allow for a stroller, or we just don't feel like carrying a squirming, heavy baby in our arms, we put him in the Tula. I even wore it for a babywearing dance class for 10 weeks! You can wear baby on the front, or on your back. Now that he's older (10 months), he really likes riding on our back, as he can see so much more. It's a chance to have a nice cuddle with baby and easily carry him around. Plus, it's very comfortable to wear and comes in many beautiful designs. The company I bought mine from in Canada is currently not in business (the owner just had a baby), but I'm sure there are other ones out there. Oh and I shouldn't forget to mention that this baby carrier does go up to 50 lbs, or if you prefer they also sell a toddler carrier that has an even higher maximum weight.
10. Gerber Puffs: I always carry a small snack container with these in it. Often we are on our way to having dinner, but still need to drive or hike another 10-20 minutes, and these can keep baby happy until meal time, and travel very easily no matter what the temperature. They easily dissolve in baby's mouth, whether or not baby is a pro at eating solids yet (6 months and older is fine), and come in several flavours. Side note: we discovered that the American version of this same product is fortified with even more vitamins and minerals than the Canadian version. I don't understand why there's a difference though!
11. Go-pod by Kidco: This is what we jokingly call the "poop chair," only because if baby needs to go number two and plays in this for any significant period of time, he comfortably and easily poops thanks to the upright position. Really, it's a foldable, portable exersaucer. You can attach toys using the loops, and there's even a cup holder and snack holder, which may be useful for older kids, though we just put toys in them. This is where our baby would hang out when we were setting up or packing up the trailer, as it only took about 30 seconds to get it out and set it up, and the same to take it down. Ours came with an infant insert (as shown in the stock image), but we didn't use the insert with it for very long, as we have a fairly tall baby.
12. Summer Infant Pop 'n Play Ultimate Playard: This gave our baby a chance to practice sitting up, playing on his tummy, crawling and even pulling himself up to standing. It was nice to be able to let him play independently with some toys, and to play outside as well. I can see us using this indoors when we go to visit friends or relatives with houses that aren't baby-proofed. This one takes a little bit longer to set up than the Go-pod, but still only a few minutes. We rarely used the supposed sun shade, as the way it attaches allows sunlight through underneath anyway. We just made sure to set up the playard in the shade. Oh and as I posted a picture of ours, I just recalled that we brought four large foam interconnected squares (bought at Walmart) to put under the playard when we didn't have soft grass to put it on.
