Baby’s First Vacation: Essential Packing List For Infants

Guys, I am BEYOND excited! Little L will soon board his very first flight. Well, not technically: he came with me on over a dozen press trips during my pregnancy. But this time he will have a better view as we hop on a transatlantic flight to Greece. Yup, Luka will finally get a glimpse of what mommy does…

There’s just one thing: although I’ve personally mastered the art of packing by now, I have NO CLUE what infants need on flights or trips in general. I know there are two things I definitely can’t leave home without: diapers and wipes, but the rest is a bit of a mystery to me. So, I did what all mamas do and asked my travel-savvy mom friends to share their must-have tips. Here is the crowdsourced essential packing list for infants with my two cents included:

1. Diapers

I can’t even go for a quick coffee without diapers stuffed in my bag. That’s because Little L is a machine — I’m talking 12-15 diapers a DAY. We have his ferocious appetite to thank for that. Anywho, I’ve already determined that my carry-on will be filled to the brim with Huggies Little Snugglers (they keep his skin clean and healthy, are fragrance and lotion free AND I love the wetness indicator so we don’t continually have to sniff his butt). I know some people like to buy diapers when they arrive at a destination, but I prefer to skip the hunt and keep my favourite on-hand so I can spend more time at the beach. Speaking of which, I’ll have to pack some Huggies Little Swimmers too!

2. Wipes

There are wipes and then there are WIPES people. Anyone who has used the “crappy” wipes will tell you how frustrating they can be (dry, non-absorbent, harsh on baby’s skin) so there’s no way I’m leaving my Huggies Natural Care Wipes behind. They’re hypoallergenic, fragrance and alcohol free, gentle and have a touch of aloe and Vitamin E. Happy bum = happy baby… Oh, and the Clutch N’ Clean carry case is perfect for travel.

3. Scented Bags

Recommendation From Erica Schott (Blogger And Mom Of Two): I never leave home without Diaper Genie scented bags (which come in a handy little holder with a clip). I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that babies are gross and I have been very happy to have had these on hand many times, including flights where you are obviously in close quarters and smells are difficult to contain.

4. Baby Carrier (definitely a must so I’ve included two different recos from my mama friends)

Recommendation From Yashy Murphy (Travel Writer And Lifestyle Blogger): When it comes to gear, infants really don’t require much and our BABYBJÖRN carrier was my favourite travel item. It enabled us to fall asleep on long haul flights with a baby strapped on (outside of take-off, landing and turbulence) and it helped us avoid the dreaded cobblestone and busy streets in Europe and India. Being calm has probably been our most effective approach to all travel struggles; babies feed off your energy, and if the parents are calm, cool and collected, chances are good that a baby can be quickly soothed. Also, if all else fails, the lavatory is relatively sound proof 🙂

Recommendation From Elaine Atkins (Blogger And Influencer): My must-have item for travelling anywhere with an infant is a good and comfortable carrier. My favourite is the Ergobaby 360 – it’s easy for me to put on quickly and keeps my hands completely free which is important for lugging around baby and luggage! If I’m lucky T will have a quick snooze in it too so that he can enjoy the journey with me.

5. Sleep Bag & Toy

Recommendation From Zeba (Blogger): I used a Grobag Baby Sleep Bag for the twins when we travelled. It would keep them warm and cozy, and ready to sleep anywhere. They were also obsessed with the VTech Little Singing Alfie which sings and flashes lights – very useful for entertaining them while waiting to check-in or for our suitcases to come.

6. Travel-Friendly Stroller

Recommendation From Natalie Preddie (Travel And Freelance Writer): I love travelling with the Bugaboo Bee⁵ stroller. It is the perfect city stroller. The Bee⁵ is light to carry up stairs, easy to manoeuvre through crowds, fast to fold up, fits in small places and the canopy extended to cover Charlie when he naps. Hands down, honest to goodness, adore this stroller!

7. Stroller Canopy

Recommendation From Summer Lewis (Owner At BSL): My favourite travelling item is the Stroller Comfort Canopy from Munchkin Canada. We recently visited Antigua and I loved using this canopy to protect Aimery from germs, bugs, and 98% of UVA rays.

8. Extra Clothes

Recommendation From Mar (Morley’s Mom, Blogger And Influencer): In her first year and a half, Morley has been on two flights – venturing to Edmonton at three months and Cuba at ten months. The best advice that I can give is to not only pack extra clothes in the carry on for your babe, but also for yourself. You never know what will be thrown at you (bodily functions and all).

9. Poncho Towel

Recommendation From Sunshine Punzalan (Mama Of Twin Boys And Influencer): I have a poncho towel that’s dual-purpose: great for a beach destination and keeps them warm on the plane — avoids me having to pack both!

10. Pool Float With Canopy 

Recommendation From Renee LeBlanc (Lifestyle Blogger): Shaded baby pool floats are a great way for both parents and baby to enjoy the pool together. It keeps the powerful rays off of baby and parents don’t have to carry their little one around in the pool, such a life saver!

11. Snacks

Recommendation From Nicole Martin (Mom & Blogger): My family lives on the other side of the country so we fly a lot with the kids. Bennett has been on close to 30 flights and Berlin took her first airplane ride at two weeks old. The key to our success… snacks! I think I pack more snacks than toys. Goldfish, yogurt drops, cereal bars, squeeze packs, mum mums… I basically buy one of everything in the baby snack aisle and I try not to look at the sugar/sodium content. Special treat! No spill snack cups are helpful at any age (you don’t want to be picking Cheerios off the floor). Younger babies find them challenging, but it keeps them focused and occupied!

And that’s our essential packing list for infants! These mamas have thousands of kilometres under their belts and I wholeheartedly respect their opinions so I hope you find it as useful as I do. They also happen to be super-humans who have somehow mastered the ability to run love-filled households while building online communities. I look forward to learning more from them during my motherhood journey!

This post was sponsored by Huggies® Canada. As always, all reviews and opinions are my own.