Category Archives: Packing

Camping with a Baby: 10 Packing Must-Haves

This past week Mini-Hobo and I braved the great outdoors and went camping for a week. Here are 10 Packing Must-Haves for a camping trip with a baby.

Pop Up Play Tent – This was a lifesaver! The pop-up tent with the screened in walls and attached floor gave Mini-Hobo a spot to crawl around without us having to worry about bugs, too much sun, or him eating fistfuls of sand and twigs.
Wipes, wipes, and more wipes – Expect that your baby will get dirty while camping. The whole family used these wipes for cleaning hands, tidying the table and high chair, and wiping up food so birds or other critters don’t find leftovers.
Sunscreen and Bug Repellant – No matter how much you try to stay in the shade, baby will be exposed to a bit of sun. If it’s too hot to cover up the little bambino with clothes keep some sunscreen on hand. Also, a natural bug repellant to spray the high chair, stroller, or baby’s legs and arms can prevent a lot of itchy bites later.
White noise machine – When camping one is supposed to enjoy the quiet serenity of nature but we know that doesn’t always happen. The birds sing early in the morning and fellow campers may stay up singing around the campfire late at night. Bring a white noise machine to help baby block out all the unfamiliar sounds.
Stroller/Carrier – Having a way to transport baby is key. The stroller is nice if the trails are smooth enough to meander on. The carrier is perfect for hiking or completing tasks around camp. Hopefully your wee one can catch a nap in one of these too!
Sunhat and Sunglasses – See point #3; despite your best efforts baby will be exposed to the sun. Bring a sunhat with a brim and sunglasses with a strap. Now good luck trying to get your little one to keep them on!
UV Blanket – Every afternoon we would walk Mini-Hobo around the campground or down the beach. And every afternoon he would fall asleep. Having a UV blanket is handy in order to drape over the stroller so no sun or bugs have access to your little babe. The blanket is breathable and semi-transparent too.
Storage Bin – You are probably using one of these to pack your belongings; did you know it can do double duty? When Mini-Hobo got overheated or needed a bath we would simply fill the bin up with water and stick him in it. He had a grand time splashing around!
Clip on High Chair – On uneven terrain a high chair that clips onto the picnic table is perfect! We left ours on the picnic table all week and simply took the tray off to give it a wipe (see #2) before every meal.
An Easy-Going Attitude – Heading into the wilderness without electricity or easily accessible running water can seem daunting; especially with a baby. Don’t worry, the fun you will have watching your little one take in all the joys of the outdoors will outweigh any less-than-luxurious living conditions you will endure. Relax, have fun, know that there will be a few hard moments, and enjoy every minute of your adventure!

What is your Camping Must-Have? Add your suggestions in the comments.

Flying with a Newborn

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This past year my life changed…. I gave birth to a Mini Hobo! Since it had been awhile since I’d been on an adventure, I anxiously jumped on the chance to have a long weekend visit with one of my old University roommates. Problem was, she lives in Thunder Bay which is a two hour plane ride away. This posed a whole new challenge for The High Class Hobo – “How do I travel economically with a newborn?”

Turns out, if you do your research, it’s fairly easy. After all, children under the age of 2 travel for free on most airlines. Here’s what I learned:

Choose your Airline Carefully – Before MiniHobo came along I would simply chose the cheapest flight and off I went. With a baby there are more things to consider. First you need to ensure that children under the age of 2 travel for free. Second, check the baggage restrictions. Some airlines make allowances for travelling with children and will allow an extra carry-on and a stroller in checked baggage for free. Lastly, if at all possible, pick a direct flight. Boarding, take off, landing, and disembarking are quite the process with a little one so make your life easier and go direct (even if it costs a little bit more money).

Pack Light – I know this is virtually impossible with a baby but the less you have to lug around and keep track of, the better. Your child does not need allllll their toys. Similarly, you do not need alllllll your clothes! Pick the essential things and try to figure out what you can do without. For example, don’t bring a bottle warmer, just ensure there will be access to hot water at the place you are staying. Try and arrange items like car seats, playpens/cribs, and strollers to be available at your destination instead of bringing them.

Get to the Airport Early – Arrive early!!! Babies come with so many unknowns. It’s hard to predict when a newborn will need to eat or have a massive exploding diaper. They can also pick up on your stress so if you are at the airport in plenty of time, everyone will be more relaxed. We hit traffic on the way to the airport with Mini Hobo and it was a very tense experience! Somehow Mini Hobo toughed it out and went hungry and dirty while we ran through the airport to catch our flight. What a champion!

If you can get someone to drop you and your wee one off at the airport, go for it! Park and Fly is just one more exhausting step in the process so if you can eliminate it, great. If it’s economical, consider parking within walking distance of the terminal. Check online ahead of time for coupons.

Consider your Baggage – Whether travelling with a baby or without, I always suggest bringing a carry-on only. I hate checked baggage. Since we were just going for a long weekend we did not check baggage but if you are going for longer you will need to. If checking a large stroller contain it in some kind of bag. I would advise against checking your car seat…. have you seen the way the luggage guys whip the suitcases on the tarmac!? That will be your carseat; you may be able to gate check it.

As for transporting your child? I would suggest baby wearing as much as possible. When Mini Hobo was a little older we invested in a cheap umbrella stroller. It was awesome to wheel him right up the plane and then gate check the stroller.

Survive Security – Have your passports handy. If you are not travelling with your spouse you may need a note from them indicating they are aware of your baby’s travels. This is more likely the case if you are crossing borders. When going through security you will get the VIP treatment! People with babies often get to go to the front of the line. They will check bottles, breastmilk bags, and baby food and allow you to take it through security. Lastly, find your gate and wait. Congrats you made it! You will probably get to board first which is another perk of travelling with a newborn.

….hopefully not.

Prepare for Dirty Looks – Within a 5 seat radius I could feel the eyes on Mini Hobo and me. Yup, sorry about your luck, you got stuck sitting near the baby. Not everyone has experience with newborns so don’t expect them to be kind and understanding. I found people were fine but definitely not overjoyed to realize they would be flying with a 3 month old.

Make Take Off a Breeze – This is the part I was most nervous about. For once I actually listened to the emergency procedures! The flight attendants were very helpful. They showed me how to hold my Mini Hobo during take off and landing. I asked if I could nurse during take off and they said yes as long as I had a secure hold on him. My plan was to nurse during take off so Mini Hobo would swallow and his ears wouldn’t hurt. As usual, babies have a way of ruining your plans. But this time it was for the good! Mini Hobo must have been so exhausted from our scramble to get to the airport that he nursed and then slept during take off. Other suggestions I researched online are use a pacifier or have the newborn drink breastmilk/water from a bottle.

Entertain Baby During The Flight – Since it was only a two hour flight we didn’t need too much to entertain Mini Hobo. He slept for a good chunk. He looked out the window and enjoyed gawking around at all the people on the flight. He nursed for landing and the pressure did not seem to bother his ears. We did have Baby Tylonol on hand and were prepared to use it if he was in pain. We used some on the way home but it was because he was having major teething pains. Some other advice would be to bring a few favourite books or new toys, sing to baby, walk the aisles, or if you are desperate entertain baby with your phone on Airplane Mode.

Ease into Arrival – Don’t worry about rushing off the plane with everyone else. Take your time and make sure you have collected all your belongings. In an ideal situation someone will be meeting you at the airport to pick you up with a carseat. You can also rent car seats at car rental spots but there are mixed reviews online about doing that because you don’t know the history of the carseat. Public transportation is a great and easy option for travelling with a newborn as well, as long as you can manage all your bags.

There you have it! Admittedly, travelling with a newborn takes a lot of careful planning and forethought. It was also a lot more work than traveling solo, but in my opinion it was completely worth it! I was very excited to share my passion for traveling with my Mini Hobo. I’m looking forward to many more adventures to come!

Tips for Packing a Backpack

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Fitting all your purposefully picked items into a backpack can be challenging. Follow these tips for properly packing a backpack. You’ll thank yourself later.

SELECTION: First you will need to carefully choose your items. As a general rule, lay out everything you would like to pack and then cut that in half. Click on the following link for advice on what to bring and what to leave at home. Packing Hobo Style

COMPRESSION: Use compression bags to categorize items for easy organization (EX: all socks and underwear go in one bag). Roll your clothes instead of folding them in order to prevent wrinkles. Line up your clothes with the ends of the rolls facing the top of the bag for easy selection of articles; then Squeeze! Use the straps of a compression bag to extract any excess air or space out.
Compression Bag

CATEGORIZING: Using clear ziplock bags categorize items into the following:

– Gels and liquids…. If you are using your backpack as a carry-on you will need to remove all gels and liquids from your backpack to get through security.

-Medication… To save space remove pills from the packaging but make sure they are still clearly labeled. Click the following link for suggestions on which medications to pack. High Class Health Care

Liquids and Gels in separate bag.

-Toiletries…Put all non-liquids/gels in a separate bag. EX: Toothbrush, make-up, hair brush, hair elastics, nail clippers, feminine hygiene products, soap, toilet paper, razor, ear plugs

-Food…It’s always nice to have some snacks so you don’t have to buy expensive airplane food. Pack some granola bars, nuts, and protein bars. Put a collapsable water bottle in this bag too so you can fill it up once you pass airplane security.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS: Next put all your important things that you cannot lose in something that will be strapped to your body all the time! A waist belt that goes under your clothes works or a very small camelback that can be worn on the front and buckled to you is a good option. In here, put most of your money, passports, credit cards, phone, important paperwork, and any else that you cannot risk losing. Consider putting all these items in a ziplock bag as well in case they get wet.

Sidenote: Keep photocopies of your passport and credit cards in another bag and leave a copy with a reliable friend at home. Also, hide some emergency money in a few different places. An emptied out chapstick tube or a secret pocket with a zipper are solid places to hide money.

LEFTOVER ITEMS: Some items you might have remaining are sleeping bag, trekking poles, flashlight, towel, knife, lock, journal, etc. Only bring the essentials and if you must bring it, make sure it is as compact as possible (EX: Micro fibre towel vs. fluffy beach towel or jacket that zips into it’s own pocket). Set these things aside and most will go in random leftover spaces.

Jacket folded into the pocket.

My Hand is in the picture for comparison.

PACKING: Now that everything is as small as possible, it’s time to load it all into the backpack. Follow these tips:

-Put your heavier items closer to your back. If you are a male (or stronger in the upper body) put the heavy stuff in the middle. If you are a female (or stronger in the hips) put your heavy things towards the bottom. Never put the heavy stuff at the top. This way, when you do up your waist strap, your hips and core are supporting the majority of the weight. Packing heavy up high or far from your back will leave you top-heavy and wobbly.

-Pack items that need to be taken out when going through airport security at the top where they are easily accessible. This would be your gels/liquids bag and any technology.

-Do not strap anything to the outside of your backpack. It will most likely get lost or stolen.

-Fill all corners and spaces. An easy way to do this is to pack large items first and fill in the rest of the area with small items. Use all space available! EX: Fill your shoes with socks and underwear.

-Leave 20% of your backpack space available. You may want to buy souvenirs and unfolded dirty laundry takes up more room that your carefully compressed clothes.

-Your backpack should not be taller than you and there should be nothing loose or rattly. Take your pack for a test walk. It should be easy to carry, not bulky and awkward.

-Wear your bulkier clothes such as long pants, sweatshirt, and shoes on the airplane. Don’t be afraid to layer up, the more you wear the less you have to carry.

PACKING FOR PURPOSE: If you have additional room in your backpack or an extra luggage bag allowance, consider bringing donations to the country you are visiting. There are organizations that will assist you in bringing needed supplies to developing countries. If you have the space and time consider filling an old duffel bag with donated items from your friends or family and delivering those items to people in need once you arrive at your destination. Pack for a Purpose

Backpack, FrontPack and Pack for Purpose bag

Good luck Hobos and Happy Trails!