Santa's sack - or - The Art of Packing

Mary Poppins is the only person ever recorded on film who has mastered the art of packing a small carpet bag with all the essentials of life. Remember the scene? Ensconced in her new room at the Banks household she stuns her little charges by reaching deep into the mysterious bag to fetch out a full height hat stand and a wall mirror amongst other things too numerous to mention.

Saint Nick must have a sack with the same capacity, likewise the burglar who recently emptied my mother-in-law’s house of all its most useful things.

“But how,” asks Miss 3, “did the robber get Gran’s t.v. into his sack?”

Good question. One which shows that to a child anything is possible in the grown-up world. It also explains why she is not afraid to ask Santa to bring a pony for Christmas. Grown-ups can magic these sorts of things. Mary Poppins has proven it.

And so we come to the great vacation packing experience.

It’s already been commented (in the UK Sunday Times no less) that to carry the amount of kit I suggest is necessary for air travel with an infant (see www.flyingwithkids.com/checklist.htm), the hapless parent would need to engage a small army of Sherpas.

Oh really? It is very important to be self sufficient when travelling with your young. When you are exhausted it is also essential to be brutally well-organised. That is why, in place of Santa’s miraculous sack, or Mary’s compact carpet bag, I suggest mere mortals pack an expandable back-pack with pockets labelled to aid in finding things during a flight. One with a detachable smaller pack to use as a change bag is even more functional.

Here’s how my packing goes –

• Top pocket – liquids and gels in clear plastic bag for security inspection, medical kit, tickets, passports, boarding cards, wallet etc in a fanny-pack to wear when we disembark, pen
• Side pocket #1 – waist reins for toddler, lovely tiny foldable front pack for baby
• Side pocket #2 – spill resistant cup/baby’s bottle, pre-measured sachets milk formula
• Side pocket #3 – snacks and lollies for toddlers' ear equalisation
• Side pocket #4 – poly bag with quick nappy change for one change – diaper, wet wipe purse pack, foldable change mat, nappy sack
• Front pocket – baby’s bowl and spoon, tins of baby food, disposable bibs, purse pack of wet wipes
• Main section – rest of the diapers, wet wipes and diaper sacks, labelled poly bags with complete change of clothes for each child, extra vests for baby, change of clothes for self in case of spills, bottle of water (bought AFTER security checks), food rations, couple of cotton cot sheets, cuddly blankets, selection small old and new toys, books and colouring pencils for each child, book to read for self – I live in hope!

An army of Sherpas? I don’t think so. Just one miracle-working mother, and let’s face it, Moms work miracles every day!

For more family air travel hints and advice, or to share your own experiences, visit www.flyingwithkids.com. We love to hear from flying families all over the world.


Copyright Paula Shelton. All rights reserved.