We traveled to 25 different national parks before Peart turned 1 year old. These are some of our favorite items that made our travels easier*, in no particular order. Peart is 2 years 2 months old now, and we still use a lot of these things day-to-day and when traveling.

Slumber Pod black out sleep tent combo with portable bag and fan
- This tent fits over our travel crib and any Pack N Play. We still travel with our Slumber Pod to this day, even when we fly (its so small it fits in a suit case!). It takes less than 5 minutes to set up and provides a complete black out room for Baby — no need for adults to get ready in the dark. It has a space at the top for a camera monitor and also a compartment near the bottom for the fan, which circulates the air.
Baby Bjorn travel crib. When possible, we travel with our own crib because we’ve run into issues requesting Pack N Play’s from hotels (i.e. no guarantee it’s available even when reserved, can take a long time to get one delivered to the room, smells funny/not cleaned, etc.). It’s also nice for Peart to get to sleep in a crib he is used to and that has familiar smells. Note: it is not free to check at the airport and is too big for a carry on.
Uppababy Vista V2 stroller with bassinet
- We bought the stationary bassinet stand for at home, but being able to remove it and attach the bassinet to our stroller really came in handy when traveling.
- We have several of the accessories for our stroller including the snack tray, stroller bag for traveling, cozy ganoosh (keeps child warm in below freezing temperatures), mosquito cover, rain cover, etc. We love them all.
- We also have the Uppababy Minu stroller. It is very compact, lightweight, and easy to use, so great for travel, but it doesn’t have a bassinet option or option for extra attachments besides a snack tray. We have used it a great deal for travel and like to have it, but definitely prefer the Vista when I know we will have enough space in the car. This stroller also has a travel bag available for purchase and I highly recommend it so that the stroller doesn’t get damaged if traveling by air.
Infant car seat: Uppababy Mesa. Such a great car seat - light weight, easy to install, and comfortable for Peart. We had the travel bag for it which kept it nice and safe for airport travel. The Mesa car seat attached to our stroller without having to buy any extra attachments which was another bonus. Note: car seats and strollers are free to check at the airport and can be checked at bag drop or the gate, but I highly recommend the padded travel bags.
Convertible car seat: Nuna Exec. So easy to install and super comfortable for Peart. We have the Nuna travel bag for it which makes transporting it through the airport very easy.
- Peart outgrew his infant car seat because of the height limit at 9 months. Because we love Uppababy products so much, we at first went with the Uppababy Convertible car seat. Peart was clearly not comfortable in it (he whined and fussed a lot more than normal) and had a hard time sleeping. We gave that one to my mom for her car and bought the Nuna Exec. It was a life changer!
- We also have the Graco Slim Fit 3-in-1 car seat and Peart doesn’t ride in it often, but when he does he complains of being uncomfortable. He’ll say his back hurts, neck hurts, etc. My niece used it for a week while visiting us in Arizona and she also, at almost 2 years old, complained of her back hurting. For at home around town, these other car seats do just fine, but for longer road trips, having the really nice “luxury” car seat is worth the extra money to my husband and I.
Hiking pack: Osprey Poco Plus. Children must be able to fully sit up on their own before using it. Peart started being able to use it around 5 months. It’s very comfortable to wear, holds a water bladder, and has lots of storage. He still uses it to this day. It has a 48.5 lb limit, and that includes the weight of the pack itself which is about 8 lbs, plus any extra gear and water. Peart weighs about 34 lbs at 2 years 2 months old. Admittedly we push the weight maximum once I add in water and snacks, but the pack still feels sturdy. Peart is able to take naps and doesn’t complain while riding in it so we assume it’s comfortable. I love this pack because even fully loaded, it’s easy to put on and take off myself, which means Peart and I can hike just the two of us! We have the rain cover accessory but we’ve actually never used it — turns out we don’t like to hike in the rain!
Baby carrier: Ergo 360. This carrier was my favorite for hiking/baby wearing before Peart could sit up on his own. It has adjustable positions for Baby’s size and holds up to 48 lbs. At 2 years old I could no longer comfortably carry Peart in it, but my husband still can. Also, Peart stopped wanting to go in it around 18 months. For at home baby wearing, this carrier was not my favorite because of its bulkiness — I preferred the WildBird Ring Sling.
Portable sound machine. Peart prefers to sleep with white noise. At home we use the Hatch Rest, but for travel we have the Hatch Rest Mini. The Hatch Rest Mini is compact and simple to use. It’s great for hotel rooms because it helps filter loud noises from other people in the room. We even use it when camping along with our Goal Zero Yeti Portable Power Station so that the Hatch can run all night. Pro tip: we always bring a surge protector with us on trips so we are sure to have enough outlets for all of Peart’s accessories!
Camping chair. It’s not just for camping! We still use this camping chair all the time and always take it on trips, even when we fly. Peart has used it in hotel rooms and cabins that didn’t have high chairs, in the trunk of our SUV to eat at rest stops on road trips, at lakes, on beaches in Hawaii, and even on hikes to rest and eat where we didn’t want him roaming free on the edge of a dangerous cliff. It has a waist and crotch strap so the child can’t fall out, anti tip feet for the legs, and a detachable tray.
Beach tent. This little half-tent shelter folds up so small it fits in a carry on. We took it to Hawaii with us so Peart and my mom would have a spot to sit on the beach while my husband and I snorkeled. We ended up leaving it there, thinking we wouldn’t use it again, but then bought another one for our most recent trip to Florida. We won’t get rid of it now!
Gathre mat. I actually leave this mat in the back of my car — I end up using it everywhere. It’s great for picnics, the beach, parks, anywhere you need to sit. When Peart was little it was awesome for diaper changes on-the-go and tummy time. On road trips we often use it for picnics at rest areas. I never know when it will come in handy so I don’t leave home without it, even when we fly. It’s super easy to wipe clean and folds up small.
Sleep Sack. We prefer Kyte Baby sleep sacks because they’re so soft and durable. I like to bring a 1.0 and a 2.5 TOG sleep sack on our trips so we can make sure Peart is as warm/cool as he needs to be. I used sleep sacks instead of swaddles since Peart was 4 weeks old, so from a very early age he knew that when the sleep sack goes on, it’s time for bed. This worked so well for us the first couple years of flying with him on my lap, because I could put his sleep sack on and he knew it was time to sleep, even when he wasn’t tired at all. He didn’t always go to sleep but it seemed to help him be somewhat calm and quiet. It’s always nice in hotel rooms, too, because at least it’s one thing that’s familiar to him and it gives him the sleepy cue. For camping we use the Morrison Outdoors Baby Sleeping Bag.

We are no experts — these are just the things we’ve found we like and its what works for us.

What gear has made traveling with an infant or child easier for you? Drop your favorites in the comment section below!

*None of the links in this blog are sponsored.