Gearing up for International Family Travel

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Gear.  Oh, how we love gear!  Although it’s possible to get by without it, it definetly makes adventure easier.  Especially with KIDS!

So when we learned that our soon to be family of 6 (2 more weeks folks!!!), would be moving overseas, we knew that we needed to stock up on some gear before we started our adventure.  Because really, it’s a whole lot easier to find fantastic gear in the US than in Saudi Arabia – shocking, I know!

So, here are a few pieces of gear that we brought along with us that we’re planning on carting all over the place and putting to the test to see if they really are as amazing as we’re hoping.

Pea Pod Plus – We reviewed this before here, and honestly fall more in love with it every time we use it.  In fact, while we’re waiting for all of our stuff to arrive (it’s on a SLOW boat over here), little Jimmy has been sleeping here every night.  Not only does it fold up small and pack into the suitcase easily, but it’s making the perfect transition for us from the crib to a big bed before the baby arrives.  Undoubtedly, this will join us on every trip with a baby from about 6 months to 2 1/2 years.

 Onya Baby Outback Carrier – With our youngest 2 being less than 2 years apart, a good baby carrier is going to be our lifesaver for the first several months.  Since our traditional Kelty baby backpack isn’t practical for traveling (it’s just too big), we knew we needed something else.  The Onya can not only fit a newborn, our toddler, or even our 4 1/2 year old (though please don’t tell her that…I’m not hauling her around too!), it also converts into a sort of high chair to hold your kids still at meal times – I LOVE gear that’s multi-functional!!

Joovy Caboose Too Stroller – Lightweight and amazingly sturdy, this stroller has already been saving our lives.  From the airport to the grocery store, this stroller has been a life saver.  This is sure to be a lifesaver when the baby comes since Jimmy is either 1. too slow or 2. incredibly distracted everywhere we go.  With the option of being either a traditional double stroller or a sit and stand style, this is the perfect stroller for a growing family on the go! Looking for the lighter version? For more money this one is more lightweight.

Crocs – To say that when we went a little crazy at the Crocs outlet during a sale would be a major understatement.  Not knowing what we could find over here, each kid got several pairs to last them as they grow.  Although they’re not the prettiest things, they are easily my favorite shoes for kids.  They are easy to get on and off (even 21 month old Jimmy can do it alone), lightweight, comfortable, and they FLOAT!

Lightweight Rain Gear – A must have on any adventure, everyone got outfitted with some packable rain gear.  Andrew and I are sticking with the Sierra Designs sets we’ve had for years, and the kids have an assortment from wherever we found a sale!! We recently tried out the Muddy Buddy Coveralls and can read a review here. Though we’re not going to use them in Saudi Arabia, they’ll join us on all of our other adventures.

About Jessica Averett

Hi, I’m Jessica, a mom of 5 kids and married to my favorite adventure partner. I love to bike, ski, camp and hike. We've visited over 40 countries with our kids, but are equally happy on the road as we are exploring our home state of Utah.

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