We'll be travelling a lot this summer with our 2yo and 0.5yo. My baby is pretty big, not much smaller than the 2yo, so the infant sleep solutions don't work very well for him. We'll be staying in hotels and with family. Can anyone recommend portable and affordable alternatives to the traditional pack & play?
Thanks to everyone for the great ideas! I'm hoping to talk my husband into a peapod plus, but otherwise swim noodles sound like an economical solution!
If you can manage it, try curling a swim noodle into your bag when you travel--it is lightweight, and when placed beneath the sheet will keep the baby from rolling out of bed...This is what we have had great success with :0 Good luck!
We did a ton of research and eventually chose the Peapod Plus (which you can find via Amazon). It worked especially well on the beach where we could stake it to the ground like a tent. Spend a little more on the Peapod Plus which is for 0-4 years (rather than the regular PeaPod which is 0-12 MONTHS). If you go with the smaller PeaPod at least choose the red one/P101 model which is a little bigger than the blue/green. See www.kidco.com for an explanation of the differences. You may want to read the reviews on Amazon for possible red flags that might apply to your family. I didn't have any trouble folding the tent (but I did use practice once with the instructions). Good luck.
Another option when traveling is renting baby equipment - A lot of destination areas have rental companies. We carry full size and compact cribs, bassinets co-sleepers and more. The New Parent Guide has a directory by state. Hope that helps
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
Check this out. Hope this helps. Or this one too.
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
I hate pack and plays and only used it with my first child. With my third child, I found what's called a Peapod (by KidCo). It is like a mini tent. Both of your kids could sleep in one. It is about 4' long when set up. The 2 year old though could be old enough to sleep in her own bed, so a bed rail could be used. There are ones made for travel. Most hotels have cribs available for infants as well.
I just bought a Kidco Peapod on ebay - I saw some of your other responses had favorable things to say about them. What I love so far is the size - it's the size of my purse. (Only lighter...)
Can the 2 yr. old sleep with a mattress/air matress on the floor or in your bed so you don't have to transport pack n' play? Cribs available for the infant.
laundy baskets work well if you think hell fit, then you wont have to worry about extra luggage, a bureau drawer (taken out of the buraeu of course) can be an easy fix to, as long as hes not sitting up on his own these things can work!
We used to use our pack n play regularly, but now with 7 kids and not a lot of space for luggage, I just call the hotel ahead of time and make sure they have a crib or pack n play. You can bring your own sheets if cleanliness is a concern. If staying with family, a drawer works great. Most hotel drawers don't come out though. And if worst comes to worse, the baby just sleeps with me.
When my son was under 1 we generally used the cribs at hotels or he slept in bed with us using a variety safety precautions. Somewhere during my son's second year we purchased the cot (not air mattress) from one stepahead/leaps and bounds. Someone else referenced the link ina previous response. We love it. It is easy to travel with. He uses it to sleep, play, rest etc. There is no need to wait for inflating it. It can be used outside without worry about it getting cold or punctured. When it first arrived I didn't think it looked sturdy but it has held together well. My son is now 4 and uses it for naps at grandma's house weekly and the occasional sleep over. It has really worked out well for us. I think 5 months might be too young for it but I am not sure. The peapod might be a better option for him. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.
Hi! We recently went away for the weekend with our 4 month old and we used the Eddie Bauer travel bed. It worked great..we put the travel bed right on the bed in the hotel room and she actually slept through the night for the first time! When we got home, we continued to use it, by putting it in her crib. It worked great when we removed the bumpers and her legs and arms were coming out of the crib!
Hi! I have two children ages 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 and I had to do some traveling with them last summer. If you are staying in hotels, they are very good about getting you a regular crib. I just requested one when making reservations or when I got there and just brought sheets and anything else I needed for it from my house. My youngest who was using the crib slept very well and it was nice to not have to lug a pack and play along with us in the car!! Hope this helps. KDS
