Traveling with Carriers: hope&plum’s Packing Tips and Tricks

One of the best parts about babywearing is it allows families the freedom to travel near and far while still keeping their little ones close. But how do you decide which carriers to take? How do you pack them? Don’t worry! We’ve got some tips and tricks to make packing easier - at least when it comes to baby carriers.

Before you start thinking about which carriers to pack, you have to consider how you’re traveling and what sorts of activities you’re planning on your trip. Car travel usually allows the most luggage, so you won’t have to worry about mid-trip carrier regret syndrome. 

On the other hand, air travel is strict when it comes to how many pieces of luggage, their size, and their weight, so depending on your other plans, you may have to be more picky with the carriers you bring. 

At a bare minimum, ask yourself, “What carrier can’t I live without?” Which carrier is your go-to, your workhorse, your must grab? Bring that one for sure! Keep in mind that if you’re traveling by plane, you may want to choose a carrier without any metal for the airport so you don’t have to take baby out to go through security.

Some other things to consider:

• The weather at your destination. If it’ll be hot, a ring sling could be good choice. If it’ll be cold, a baby wrap or meh dai.

• Your planned activities. If you’re planning to wear a lot and also walk or hike, a Lark or meh dai will be most supportive. If you’re just planning for occasional ups and downs, a ring sling will be your best friend.

• The ages and stages of the children you’ll be wearing. If you have one infant, a baby wrap would work great. But if you have a baby and a toddler, bringing a Baby Lark or a ring sling that will fit them both could be a better choice.

• Bring a spare! Things happen while traveling, so we always suggest bringing a backup!

Once you decide on what carriers you’re packing, you have to get to how you’re going to pack them. All of our carriers can fold up into a compact bundle. Here are some how-to videos and tips on each one:

Did you know that the Baby Wrap has its own storage pocket sewn right in? Just make sure you keep it on the end while you’re folding and you’ll easily slip the whole thing into the pocket!

There are so many ways to fold a ring sling! You can keep the rings in the center or at one side. You can even braid your ring sling for a more stylish storage solution – it won’t take up less space, but it sure looks cute!

The secret to fitting your meh dai to in small places is to fold down those shoulder straps.

Make sure you flip the Lark or waist belt when folding so the buckle stays on the outside. It’ll be easier to tighten it down so it stays compact! It even fits nicely into our flat bottom bags!

Depending on the number of carriers you’re taking, consider dedicating a whole bag or a smaller bag within a bag for your carriers. If you have the space, our flat bottom bags are great ways to keep one or more carriers organized and they fit nicely inside large diaper bags, backpacks, and luggage.

The utility of our bags doesn’t stop at packing carriers! Use a combination of flat bottom bags, fanny packs, and Lark pockets to keep you organized not only for the travel part, but also for your whole trip! Not to mention, you can get the same colorway in each or you can mix and match colors and patterns to suit your own style. Look for another blog post soon featuring input from our community members on how they use all of our bags to stay organized both at home and on the go.

However you travel and wherever you go, we hope you can easily take hope&plum with you to keep those babies close while staying hands free. Let us know where hope&plum takes you by tagging us on social media! Happy travels!