This packing guide is meant to be flexible and includes both essentials and optional items to bring along for a baby 6 months to 1 year in his/ her checked bag.  This list is based on a two week + international trip that assumes laundry will be done at least every 2-3 days.  Numbers of items may need to be adjusted, if for example, you are taking a two week trip and don’t plan on doing any laundry during that time.

–          Baby toiletry bag with essential medicines, baby shampoo/ body wash, hair brush/ comb, and baby toothbrush/ toothpaste if baby has teeth

–          Diapers:

• If you are using cloth diapers (and plan on washing every 2-3 days with/without automated dryer):
  • 18 cloth diapers and 10 extra inserts
  • 24 cloth wipes
  • 2 large dirty diaper bags
  • 18 Cloth liners or flushable diaper liners (enough for your trip)
  • 1 small package/ reusable ziplock bag of powder form of Rockin Green laundry detergent
• If you are using disposable diapers: At least enough diapers and wipes for one day for when you arrive before you buy more locally
• Consider using hybrid diapers like Flip (one size) or G-diapers (fitted sizes, including a newborn size), which come with washable/ reusable cloth inserts, and also come with biodegradable, non-toxic, flushable disposable inserts in case you don’t have access to laundry on your trip (and pack enough disposable inserts for your trip)

–          Clothing: All clothing should be comfortable, breathable, easy to get on/ off, and preferably darker in color/ printed so that stains/ dirtiness are not as noticeable.  Opt for light weight clothing that can be layered.

• 7 pairs of socks
• 7 onsies (either short- or long-sleeve or combination depending on weather)
• 7 outfits (pants/ shirt combos/ dresses depending on weather
• 2 sweaters/ pull-overs for layering in case of cool weather
• 2 pairs first walker shoes
• 2 hats (either sun or winter depending on weather)
• 1 jacket (lightweight or heavy, depending on weather)
• 3 pairs pajamas and/or two sleep sacks (weight/ material depends on weather)
• 2 pairs of cloth swimmers (if swimming is a possibility)

–          Food supplies:

• 2 bowls with lids
• 2 Dr. Sear’s Nibble Trays
• 2  snack cups
• 2 sets of toddler spoons/ forks
• 3 sippy cups
• 2 wipe-clean bibs
• 1 canister of Toddler Health rice-based nutritional drink (if you are supplementing breast milk/ looking fora non-dairy drink option)
• Squeezable baby food (enough for trip, at least for supplementation to regular food)
• If breastfeeding and pumping, breast pump and supplies + milk storage bags/ bottles

Everything should fit comfortably into a large duffle bag.   I like to organize clothes, food items, and toys into separate packing cubes, and use compression sacks for bulkier blankets and cloth diapers.  Larger items such as a portable crib, booster seat, stroller, etc. will need to be packed in a separate bag.  Keep in mind that baby is typically only allowed one bag up to 50 pounds/ 23 kilos on most airlines, so going beyond one bag due to larger items will either paying for an additional bag, or making sure that other family members’ luggage is minimized so that there is one extra allowed bag of someone else’s that can be used for baby’s additional items.

Related Pages:

Packing Guide: 0- 6 Month Baby

Packing Guide: 6 month -1 Year Baby

15 Essentials to Include in Baby’s Carry-On

13 Baby Essentials That May Be Hard To Find When You Arrive