With much of our immediate family spread out around the globe, our kids have been traveling often since a young age.
As such, we’ve learned important rules such as:
- If you pack 3 diapers for a one hour flight to Milwaukee. Your new baby daughter will poop four times in said time span.
- If you have a flight booked with kids, the odds of both parents being struck with a debilitating infection within 24-hours of travelling are surprisingly high
- Your child will have to use the bathroom when you are either (a) at the furthest point away from a restroom or (b) at the closest point to the most disgusting bathroom on your route
- If you have stopped breast-feeding your baby, and accidentally leave your formula in Montreal, the highway you are on WILL be shut down for an ice storm while you are in the middle of nowhere.
- When you have a coolant leak, you CAN drive the entire way to Montreal and back keeping your engine from overheating by blasting the heat. However it WILL be during the sweltering heat of summer.
- If you decide to fly your wife non-stop to her parents on frequent flyer points, but have a stop-over for you and your kids in Memphis… they WILL have their first ice storm in 10 years… and your flight WILL be cancelled.
I could go on with some more of our real life examples… but the point of this post was to share how the Martell clan has learned that for any trip you must be prepared.
So here’s how I’ve got us packing up for Canadian East Eats:
- Clothing
- Health cards
- Waterproof shoes
- Swim stuff
- Hats
- Video camera
- Camera & charger
- Laptop
- Laundry bag
- Pillows/blankets
- Towels
- Detergent
- Laundry basket
- Band aids
- Tylenol / kids Tylenol
- Gravol
- Ipods / phones & chargers
- Ziplocs and grocery bags
- Paper towel
- Toilet paper
- Flashlight
- Change (loonies, quarters)
- Sleeping bags
- Reuseable water bottles
- Frisbee, balls, etc
- In car entertainment like colouring books, markers, pipe cleaners artwork, etc
- Markers
- Ponchos/umbrellas
- Bottled water
- Snacks: pretzels, crackers, cereal, juice boxes
- Bug spray
- Suntan lotion
- Sunglasses
- Food cooler
- Baby wipes
Any must-haves to add?
The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav’s personal experience.
germ gel!!! you will be stopping at rest stops along the way and sending your daughters in to the bathrooms…make sure they wipe the seat and i always use purell or a lysol wipe. i’m not a germ freak but it _is_ a rest stop!
Aren’t you glad you don’t require those diapers anymore?
Have a great trip, Gav. (Nice pic!)
Kids! Don’t forget the kids! ;o)
One thing I do is if the kids are in diapers use night time diapers when travelling to give you a little more time before changes.