Unusual Things You Should Add to Your Family Vacation Packing List

Painters Tape

The one thing my family always packs is a roll of blue painters tape. We use it (with a sharpie) to mark water bottles. It’s great for taping sunscreen and toiletries closed, and also things we purchase (like honey). If we want to wrap up fragile purchases, we may need to purchase bubble wrap, but we already have the tape! And the kids use it all the time for crafts and even in-room fort construction.

~ Eric Stoen, Travel Babbo

Headlamp

My family never travels without a headlamp. Headlamps are great for under the sheets story time with older kids when you also have a little one that goes to bed early. They are also helpful if you have an early flight and want to pack without turning on the light while the kids are still sleeping. We also throw a headlamp into our day pack if we go hiking, just in case sunset happens quicker than we thought. We even bring a headlamp to the beach. It’s a lifesaver for when you are watching a gorgeous sunset and then you need to pack up your kids toys in the dark.

~ Ranjana Armstrong, Nugget

Post-It Notes

We always pack Post-It Notes when we travel. They work great for the kids to draw on with just a pen or Sharpie or whatever is handy. My oldest loves to make “cards” and then have a battle like Pokemon cards. My youngest practices letters and draws pictures and tries to keep up with his big brother. Another benefit of Post-It Notes is when you are potty training or have a child who is terrified of flushing toilets, putting one over the sensor will prevent them from flushing.

~ Lindsay Nieminen, Carpe Diem Our Way

Duct Tape

Don't forget to pack duct tape. Duct tape does it all…fixes broken shoes, repairs ripped clothes, creates an emergency bandage, and saves torn backpacks/luggage/mosquito nets. Use duct tap to help baby proof hotel rooms, remove lint from clothes, and seal toiletry bottles. The colorful type of duct tape can even be used for crafts during airplane and car rides. To save space, wind it tightly around a mini-flashlight (always handy to have on trips) or around a marker.

~ Lisa Grabelle, Hilton Mom Voyage

Nothing kills the fun of a trip like getting sick from the plane. And no one is better at picking up germs than little hands that want to touch EVERYTHING. That is why I always pack antibacterial wipes in my hand bag and furiously de-germ seats, seatbelts, tray tables, windows…anything my kid has a chance of touching. Do I look like an over zealous germaphobe? Yes. Do we waste days of our trip feeling crumby? Not a chance.

~ Kerry Cavers, Three Good Reasons

Freshette

We have a daughter, and for those of you who are in the same shoes as we, you’ll understand when we say that it takes a little more effort for girls to go to the bathroom than boys. We’re strictly talking about #1, here. For example, in Southeast Asian market restaurants where a hole in the ground is what they call a toilet, squatting is not an option for Western kids. Thanks to Freshette (female urinary director), our daughter was able to remain to stand, just as boys do, to relieve herself without feeling as if she has been contaminated. It’s easy to use, and easy to carry around. It’s a small mechanism that fits easily in a small pocketbook. Works great on planes, trains, and the occasional pulling over in an automobile. Few creations, mediate the biological divide such as this product. Highly recommended!

~ Brenda Tolentino, Dish Our Town

Diaper Wipes

Nobody was happier than I was once my kids were out of diapers, but the one thing I continue to keep in my purse and always, always pack is a package of diaper wipes. Diaper wipes clean faces, hands, gross surfaces you or your loved ones need to touch, and they are excellent for spot removal from clothes as well. Lately I’ve graduated to flushable toddler wipes; not because I want to relive potty training (!) but for taking care of business in less-than-ideal public washroom situations that often have less-than-ideal facilities for personal hygiene as well.

~ Corinne McDermott, Have Baby Will Travel

What to Pack for Motion Sickness

Air Sickness Bags

Bucket

What to Pack for Road Trips

Dryer Sheets and Essential Oils

Road tripping with teenagers can be a stinky endeavor. One thing that we've found really helpful is to use fragrance-free dryer sheets with a few drops of essential oils on them instead of air fresheners. We attach them to the vents so that the fragrance circulates throughout the car. Not only does this mask all those odors that are present on long road trips, but certain essential oils are great for common road-trip ailments. We use citrus for energy (or to keep the driver from getting sleepy), lavender for headaches, and ginger or peppermint for motion sickness.

~ Tara Schatz, Back Road Ramblers

Coffee Can and Kitty Litter

What to Pack for Bathing

Plastic Cup

When bathing your youngster in a hotel bathtub, you need a cup for rinsing hair. Often the only cup I can find in hotel rooms, though, is made of glass or porcelain. For safety's sake, it's better to pack your own plastic cup. As a bonus, the cup works as a bath toy perfect for filling and pouring.

~ Colleen Lanin, Travel Mamas

Febreeze

Wash Cloth

Bath Toys

While you're packing a plastic cup and wash cloth, you might as well bring along some bath toys, too. When my kids were wee, I kept a separate stash of bath toys just for travel. Being reunited with their beloved splashy toys always helped motivate my kids to take a bath while away from home. Stackable cups can double as entertainment on the plane or in a car, too.

~ Colleen Lanin, Travel Mamas

What to Pack for Entertainment

Deck of Cards