When I travel with my kids I always bring my ‘just in case’ bag. About 3 million of you saw the video of my husband getting sick in Costa Rica and we just got back from a trip where my daughter got really sick. So I thought it would be a good time to show you what I pack in my just-in-case bag.
What is a just in case bag? It’s a small bag I bring with me on all my trips with items I might need “just in case”. Since we travel a lot we have encountered a lot of situations where I didn’t really feel that prepared. So through the years, I have compiled a list of necessities that helps when difficult situations arise.
Sickness can happen to you or your kids while you’re traveling just as easily, if not easier than when you’re at home. That doesn’t mean your trip has to be ruined, you just need to be prepared and go with the flow. Taking time to be prepared for travel is just good practice, but when you’re traveling with kids it’s a 100% requirement if you want to have a good trip.
A just in case bag doesn’t just help with international travel and big domestic trips, it’s also great for day trips! It’s also a great gift idea for those new travelers in your life who are getting ready to take a big trip with kids for the first time.
Tips for Choosing a Just in Case Bag
Choose something lightweight with a practical design. It shouldn’t be too large, but large enough to carry your essential emergency items. Of course, the size of your just in case bag will depend on how you need to pack. If you’re like up and pack very light, you’re just in case bag will need to be as small as possible while still being functional.
If you don’t need to pack light, you could have an entire just-in-case backpack if you wanted to. When you can carry a large just in case bag or back pack, you can include all sorts of extra items. Things like extra layers in case sickness hits with fever and chills and other personal care items that you wouldn’t have room for otherwise.
If you’re new here you might not know that we travel with only one backpack each. So I have to use a small bag and be really strategic about what I choose to bring. It’s possible you could expand into an extra bag that could go in your spouses’ bag if you need extra space for more items like personal care products or a necessary feminine care product just in case. Sometimes you just have those favorite, very specific items like bamboo cotton pantyliners that you don’t want to miss having when you need them. Extra space could be useful for those items if you can manage it.
I use a small zipper pouch and I can’t bring everything, but I do think about items that I will most likely need. Your just in case bag is like an expanded first aid kit for anything possible thing that might come up. Grab the perfect size bag for your family and check out my full list of included items in my just in case bag below.
@mrsblinks What do you always pack “just in case”??? #22adventuresin2022 #tiktoktravel #familytravel ♬ About Damn Time – Lizzo
My Just in Case Bag Items:
- Tide To Go Wipes
- Meta Mucil On-the-go packets
- Tums
- Ibuprofen
- Kids Sleep Melatonin Gummies
- Vaseline Advanced Healing Lip Therapy
- Flu & Severe Cold and Cough Night Time Medicine
- Oscillococcinum (for cold and flu symptoms)
- Advil
- Airborne Elderberry
- Benadryl Cream
- Ear Drops
- Welly Infection Fighter Antibiotic Ointment
- Chewable Dramamine
- Bach Rescue Remedy for Kids (natural stress relief)
- Sun Bum Cooling Aloe Cream
- Welly Bandaids
- Downy Wrinkle Release Spray
- Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
Click here to get these items on Amazon!
Other Helpful Items You Could Add to your Just in Case Bag:
- Mama’s Deodorant
- Period Underwear or Other Period Necessities
- Hand Sanitizer
- Vomit Bag
- First Aid Kit
- Hypoallergenic Flushable Wipe
A just in case bag is always a good idea, just in case! As a parent you can never be too prepared, especially while traveling!
More travel tips and hacks:
The Best Travel Containers for Toiletries
