Holly just flew Newark to Cape Town with two toddlers. Door to door from Denver, it was twenty-four hours of travel. We've learned the hard way that an international diaper bag is not the same as a domestic one.
The flight is just the start. Everything you pack has to last all of it.
Bring two bags, not one
The diaper bag does not count as a carry-on. That means you get an extra bag on top of it. We bring a personal sling for ourselves — portable charger, phone, headphones, Kindle, a few parent snacks.
The point: your diaper bag is freed up for the kid stuff. We fill the Crown Carryall with as many snacks as possible.
One diaper per hour of travel
That's the rule of thumb. Split them between the diaper bag and your other carry-ons so you are never out if something happens to one bag.
Pack extra clothes for everyone, not just baby. Blowouts at hour twelve are a full-family event. The dirty stuff goes in the wet bag — ours lives in the Crown Carryall wet bag in the bottom section.
A portable sound machine, fully charged
We never travel international without one. White noise blocks the cabin and helps with the time zone reset on the other end. Make sure it's charged before you leave and you're set.
Cabin air is can be super drying.
The air on a fifteen-hour flight will dry you out. We pack extra Vaseline, Pedialyte powder, and Vanicream lotion. Hands, lips, noses, baby's bum. Everyone needs more than they expect.
Toys: bring new ones, or just hand them the iPad
We always bring a few brand-new toys they have never seen — the novelty buys you actual quiet time. But on a twenty-four-hour day, there are no rules. If they will do screen time, then screen time it is.
Follow the plane's schedule, not yours
The cabin is loud until dinner service is over. Lights stay on, carts are rolling, your baby will not be sleeping anyway. Don't fight it. Bedtime might end up at 9 pm based on when your flight takes off, and that's fine.
— Holly + Caroline 👑
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