If You Have a Baby or Toddler, You'll Want to Know This Genius Packing Hack

Traveling as a family can be a logistical nightmare for many reasons, starting with packing up all your stuff long before your journey even begins. Babies require a lot of bulky necessities like bottles and diapers, and toddlers inevitably want to bring a few favorite toys along. Add that to the piles of small-people clothes in your suitcase and you're left with approximately two square inches of space to cram your own belongings into.

This means that your trunk will be stuffed to the max or, if you're flying, you'll probably have to pay extra to check at least one suitcase and you might even get hit with an overweight luggage fee. Personally, I'd much prefer to buy the kids a few junky souvenirs (or myself a few more cocktails!) than shell out $25 on checked bags, which is where this hack comes in handy.

Many airlines check baby items like pack'n'plays and car seats for free. No one has even looked twice at my pack'n'play or the car seat in its travel-safe bag before putting it on the conveyor belt. So why not take advantage of that?

Depending on the type of baby gear you have, there should be some empty space in the pack'n'play. I shove diapers, extra wipes, books I wouldn't otherwise bring, and last-minute additions between the bars in mine (a Baby Bjorn Travel Crib). As for the car seat, I stick to items that can attach to the straps like the velcro of a Sleep Sheep or the snap on a pool floatie so they stay secure inside the protective travel bag.

Obviously, check your airline's baggage policies first, but hey, maybe you can fit that extra pair of shoes after all!