favorite bag and gear question

[ehlander]

how much stuff do you bring into the parks for your family and how do you pack it? Our kids are 7 and 8, so not using a stroller. Do you pack all the extra gear like rain ponchos and water bottles into a backpack, or go as light as possible? Just buy what you need along the way?

 

[Mousemommy1]

We just use a backpack.

We typically have:

• Sunscreen
• Diapers/wipes
• Snacks
• Ponchos
• Autograph books
• Pennies/quarters for pressed pennies
• Change of clothes for the baby
• A sippy cup

And I'm sure there's a few other random items, but it all fits in the back pack. If we get thirsty we just buy water in the parks. I'm not a fan of carrying a ton of water bottles through the park. I'll pay for the convenience of buying it at the park.

 

[DH-2-mamaduck]

We have a midsize over the shoulder backpack that DW is replacing with a new one from 31 Bags..or what ever they are called. We pack:

• Sunscreen (SPF50 location and the stick)
• Baby Wipes
• Ponchos (cheap $1 bin plastic bag type)
• Snacks (Fruit snacks, granola bars, goldfish crackers, pretzels, Builder/protein bars)
• Water bottle(s) - end up in bottom of stroller if bringing one
• Cell phone charging plug/cord
• PowerPak for charging phone if needed
• Then a few misc items end up in there from the 5yo and 4yo.

 

[Ariel on Land]

Following! I'm trying to figure out if I can avoid the backpack this trip. It will be the first time I don't have someone in diapers! We will have a stroller, but I only plan on leaving water bottles and ponchos in it, so if they disappear, it won't be the end of the world! So what all is everyone carrying with them? I'd love to use just a cross body hipster of some sort!

 

[loves to dive]

When mine was that age we didn't take anything extra in other than ponchos if needed. He wore cargo shorts and one folded up small enough to fit in them, I usually wear a sundress so a small crossbody that will hold poncho, phone, cc and cash is what I would carry. Any water we would get free from QS locations and we bought any food.

 

[DH-2-mamaduck]

This is the sling-back pack the wife ordered: http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/catalog/product/364/catid/18/swid/002a/sling-back-bag-in-black/ to replace ours that is 9 years old - was our freebie Similac back-pack bag with the last 3 kids.

 

[kam1011]

We don't use a bag. DH wears cargo shorts with autograph books in one pocket and one of those water flavoring bottles (that you add to plain water to make powerade or lemonade, etc.) in the other. If it's raining, or we KNOW it's going to rain, we will bring our ponchos (the dollar store ones that fit in our pockets). We like to travel light. No one in our family wants to carry around a bag all day. We always do the meal plan nowadays, so we use snack credits if we're hungry and add flavoring to the freebie water that they give out all over. My kids are 6, 7, and 9. When we had a stroller, I'll admit it was easier to throw everything under it, but it's much nicer to be able to walk around stroller free!

 

[southernprincess1]

DH carries a backpack. We carry a couple of bottles of water, hand sanitizer, ponchos and maybe a snack if we skipped breakfast. Oh, we also include our fans. I carry a small crossbody, I like to have easy access to my phone and sunglasses. And lip gloss, have to have my lip gloss!

 

[montugirl]

Phone, batery pack to charge the phone, I'd, cash, credit card, motion sickness meds, headache meds, bandaid, hand sanitizer. We have passes to local theme park so the bag stays ready.

 

[dreiwhit]

All four of us carry a small backpack with either a hydration bladder or water bottle. In the backpack is our lunch, snacks (granola bars, crackers, etc) and a poncho (if a chance of rain.) I also carry moleskin and bandaids and our DSLR. My wife also has our digital video camera. We try to travel light and leave room in the pack for souvenirs.