When you’re on the go as much as we are, packing and unpacking can be a chore. Between work travel and fun travel, we’ve had years where we lived out of a suitcase at least 70% of the time. With little kids and their varying and demanding “needs” (lolol), we have some things that we decided to simply never unpack. That meant that for some items, we bought an extra that stays in the bag.
// To be very clear and transparent up front, this was definitely a full-fledged privilege move. It made sense for us and we were able to make it work, but I also understand that everyone’s situations are different and that spending an extra $100 on something that lives in a bag most of the time isn’t the right move. I bought a few of these extra things from Rhea Lana, a children’s consignment sale I attend, and I was able to get them for like, 25% of the original price! You can check here and see if one is near you. //
Anywhoodles! Here are the things I keep in my never-to-be-unpacked bag.
**This post uses affiliate links. If you buy via those links, I receive a small commission.**
This nightlight. Full disclosure, I actually bought this nightlight to use in the hospital when I was pregnant with Avett, and it’s transitioned to our travel nightlight. It plugs into the wall (and you can use it like that!), but once fully charged, it can go a solid 12 hours just on battery. It taps off and on and has a bunch of different colors to choose from.
This sound machine. I’ve talked in the past about what a sucker I am for the Hatch brand. We have the Hatch Restore in our (grownups) bedroom and the kids both have a Hatch Rest+ in their bedrooms at home. We travel with the Hatch Rest Mini, but it has since been discontinued and replaced with the Hatch Rest Go (which we also have lolol). Truthfully, I like the Go. It is compact and comes with a little loop and carry ring that can hook on to your stroller or your carrier. It also holds a great charge. It doesn’t get nearly as loud as the discontinued Rest Mini did, though. If you’re needing a little more power, I’d get the Hatch Rest+ and the travel carry case. The Rest+ can also work on battery!
This video baby monitor. I really like the VTech brand. It’s what we use in our house for both kids (we also have Google Nest cameras in there, but we’re insane). This is a great little monitor for travel because it can function both on WiFi (for checking on your phone if you use babysitting services while traveling) and just via the parent monitor (if you’re huddling in the bathroom waiting to see when you can emerge 😂). We once stayed in the Tulsa Club hotel when Scout was young. Our room was literally right next to the bougie bar (when I say “literally,” I mean they shared a wall). We put Scout down and sat at a table by our door and had a glass of wine while she slept. All that to say, this monitor has a decent reach through walls!
My toiletry bag. I am both old and Southern/Midwestern, so I’ve been using the same Vera Bradley toiletry bag for twenty years 🤷🏽♀️ BUT! In it, I always keep shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (I usually like trying the hotel’s different toiletries, but just in case, I always bring my own). I love the Dae brand for hair. It smells incredible and leaves my hair super soft. There’s a travel set on their website for under $20. I also keep a small face wash (Cetaphil ftw), a small toothpaste, a hairbrush and comb, some sort of styling product (usually a gel for humid trips and a smoother), Q-Tips, hair bands and bobby pins, floss, and lotion. Usually, I just have to toss in my toothbrush the morning of and we’re done!
This sleep sack. Why, oh why, is a sleep sack the one item that I will always forget?? If I had a dollar for the number of times we’ve arrived at a hotel for me to send Dale to Walmart ten minutes later, I’d have enough to pay for the evergreen sleepsack that now stays in my bag 😂 we’ve been pretty brand-loyal to the Halo sleep sacks and swaddles (fleece in the cold months, cotton in the warm months). This is also a great item to find second-hand. I bought a set of three at Rhea Lana for $12!
Wipes and sleep diapers. Again. Just why? Why do I forget something so important? Le sigh. I remember the regular diapers, just not the accesories lol. Anyway, I now just keep a pack of wipes and a week’s worth of sleep diapers in my bag. If I remember one of them while I’m packing, I pat myself on the back!
This book light. Plane, train, automobile, or hotel, it’s nice to be able to read in the dark if you get a moment. I have multiples of this book light and love them. The little head can bend and tilt, it has two different brightness settings, and one side completely pops off to charge (it’s a USB port!). They also come in handy in a pinch for a toy.
And then I store it all in a Calpak Luka duffel, which is my #1 go-to carry on bag. Trust me, I’ve done some research on the perfect bag, and this is as close as I’ve come. It’s big enough to carry what you need, but still small enough that you can’t cram so much that it’s hard to carry. There’s nothing worse than walking like Quasimodo because you overestimated your core strength in relation to your bag weight.
And that’s it! Having this bag that I never unpack has made a world of difference in my stress level when trying to pack the kids up for another trip. If you have any suggestions about what to add, please let me know!
