Best Bag for a Plane Trip

[jenjenfirenjen]

Hello all. I am looking for the best bag to take on a trip in a few weeks. Here's the details...

It will be just me and my 5 mo DS and a 3 hr plane ride. I'm going to have to haul him in a sling, his convertible carseat, a large rolling suitcase (will check this) and a diaper bag. What would be the easiest to carry? He's not eating solids so I don't have to worry about that. I'd probably want to bring around a 1/2 dz dipes, changing pad, a change of clothes, a blanket and burp cloths, few toys, and 1-2 bottles of EBM.

I have a Skip Hop but I think that'll be too small. I was thinking a backpack style would be easist to carry but I'm not sure with the sling and all.

So what do the experts say?

TIA!

[Niki_n_Abby]

I think the SkipHop could work. I'd wear the SkipHop messenger style then put the sling over it. Strap the car seat to the suitcase with bungees until you check it. You'll still have both hands free. I'd skip the bottles to save room. You'll need to nurse him at take off and landing to avoid pain/pressure in his ears. Since he's in the sling you can nurse him anywhere without people even knowing, even walking down the corridor:)

So, I think the skip Hop could work, or another messenger style. I found backpacks a little difficult with a sling since I had one shoulder covered. When you land, you can even clip the Skip Hop to your suitcase to make it easier.

Niki

[jenjenfirenjen]

Thanks! Good point about clipping Skip Hop to suitcase. Hadn't even thought of that. That will definitely help while standing in line to check-in-had to get paper tix :-(

You know, I'm probably just looking for an excuse to get another bag ;-)

[callalillyanne]

I am in the same predicament...have a cross country plane ride with my daughter and hubby next month...she will be 3 and 1/2 mos. by then... I have a PPB shoulder bag but am not sure i want to take it on the plane... I don't have a skip hop b/c I am not a big stroller person (at least not yet!) but I have been considering one lately (possib;y in pink cuorduroy).

I was thinking about getting a mothership just for this occasion, but I don't know what to do after reading about everybody's problems with them. I still might buy one if I can find a good price. then there is the A7 and the hannah banana knockoffs....

I would appreciate any additional feedback as well.

TIA!!!

[AAHHmom]

I would really consider the LL bean Bag. It is a great size for all of your gear plus a durable fabric. the pockets are the front are extremely organized for plane ticket and ID and such. I alway wear a messenger type bag with my sling. Always works better for me better than trying a backpack with a sling

[murpheyblue]

I always take my Mothership. I like that it's big enough to carry baby/toddler stuff plus my stuff. It fits under the seat in front of me and stands up by itself so I don't worry about it tipping over and spilling (a bit of a concern with a Skip Hop). It's got insulated bottle pockets for EBM and plenty of other pockets.

[callalillyanne]

Thanks Ali! I myself think this is a good excuse for me to get a MS ;) It seems so big and sturdy that I don't think there is too much that could go wrong!

[jasabo]

I second the LL Bean bag suggestion. I fit everything from my MS into it, and I still have additional room. The organization is 100 times better then the MS and it's much more compact and easy to carry. I can't say enough good things about this bag. Oh, and it's like 1/3 of the price of the MS :) AND you can return it even after you use it if you don't like it b/c Bean always accepts returns, even used. Not nearly as pretty at the MS, but it's very practical.

That said, I took my MS on a plane flight with my twins when they were a little over a year old, so I had to pack a lot - snacks, toys, sippy cups, etc. Dh also took a bag with him, so he'd have everything if we split up. But I still had a ton of stuff in my bag. In that respect, it worked very well b/c I was able to pack all I needed. However, it was extremely bulky on the plane. I had to really jam it under the seat for it to fit, which of course caused big scratches and scuff marks on the vinyl. I didn't get any rips, which was good, but the vinyl was really scuffed up when we got home.

After that experience, I'd never bring a MS on a plane again b/c of the vinyl problems and the bulkiness. The LL Bean bag or an Alpha 7 or some other canvas bag would hold up much better, IMO. Or, if you want to use a backpack, I used our Babybaks back pack when we flew across the country with our twins when they were about 5 months old. Again, dh had a backpack too, but mine was still jam packed and it worked great. Also much easier to maneuver then the MS and held up better. The Baby Sherpa would work as well.

I don't want to sound like I'm bashing the MS, b/c it's a really great bag. I just wouldn't use it for travel b/c of the vinyl and bulkiness. JMO though :)

Happy shopping!

Lisa - mom to 20 month old twin boys

[ginamlee]

I really disliked the MS too. I ended up selling it NWT because it really lacked in organization. It confuses me that people here think it has a lot of organization. I guess I'm just used to a lot more than it offers

For a small baby, I'd take a Lands End Do It All Deluxe - hands down, no competition. It was the ultimate plane bag for me for many years for both of my youngest two. Now that my daughter is a bit older and I also like to carry a laptop, I am going to use the Timbuk2 Urban Commute on our upcoming cross-country trip.

[callalillyanne]

Thank you for that advice! I guess I didn't think about the scratch issue for the MS...In that case, does anyone know whether or not the material on the pink and blue A7's scratches like the vinyl on the MS does?

[jasabo]

I don't know for sure b/c I sold my pink A7 without having used it. But I kind of think it would scratch or scuff. The covering is different then the MS but it's still sort of plastic-y, if that makes sense. So I would think that shoving it under plane seats would leave it open to scratches. Also, with the solid colors, I think the scratches would show up fairly easily. Again - I can't say for sure b/c I never used mine, and you may not be as rough on your bags as I am. But I personally wouldn't chance it with such an expensive bag.

If you want to go with an A7, there are others that are just canvas. I have a red canvas A7 and I've been very happy with it.

Lisa - mom to 20 month old twin boys

[callalillyanne]

Thanks for your help! I am having sort of a dilemma...I think that I just want an excuse to get a Mothership...but I certainly don't want to scuff it right after I get it! What to do . . .

[hobokenmom]

I just flew last week with my three kids, without my husband, and I used a LE do-it-all. It was great. It fit lots of stuff, and the way it opens was great. I could put it under the seat open, and then reach everything I needed.

It's too big for an everyday diaper bag IMO, but I'm sure I'll be using it whenever we travel by plane.

I traveled with: my new P3 hip hop, snugride, laptop computer bag, LE do-it-all diaper bag, and then my older two carried their own backpacks.

Good luck!!

[kkb99]

I have not tried many bags myself, so not much to offer as for suggestions, but did have one thing to pipe in here. I LOVE backpack diaper bags for strollering and also its great when you have 2 toddlers (can easily use a hand for each kid) walking or one walking and one strollering. However, with my 4th baby, I got into slings (never did that before) and discovered that my backpack diaper bags did not work well at all with the sling. That's actually how I found this board- needed a new bag! Anyway, I think there are tons of great uses for a backpack, and it will be easy to rationalize getting one in the future, but I do not think it is a good choice for your trip, or if you sling a lot, for your daily use. I ended up with the T2 PeeWee, which I really really love, although it is not the perfect bag (does one exist??).

Depending on your level of comfort of BFing in public, you could maybe leave out the bottles. I NEVER BFed my first kid in front of anyone, not even my parents in my house. By the 3rd kid, I did it everywhere with everyone (like sitting at dinner with some childless friends in a visit to Toronto- did not even stop talking, just started feeding her right there at the table without a thought! Later, I thought of the change in me, and still find it remarkable and hysterical!). Anyway, depending on your comfort level, it may not be an option to leave them out, which is totally fine, but thought I'd mention that option since that was one of the things I really liked about BFing- never packing any bottles!

Kristen

[jenjenfirenjen]

Thanks for everyone's feedback!

I went ahead and ordered the LL Bean diaper bag. We'll see how it goes. I just think that my Skip Hop is too small and I worry about it tipping over and everything falling out (especially in the X-ray machine.)

I'm totally comfortable NIP but DS is so into the world around him now that it's getting harder. I thought the bottle might be handy if there are turbulents and I need to keep him happy while strapped into carseat (he hates binkys!) The sling is new to us but I am hoping he'll get used to it and maybe we can nurse on the plane that way (it does kind of keep him in place and stops the constant rubbernecking.)