What is the best hand luggage when you have small people who need nappies, bottles, snacks, toys, iPad, stuff, more stuff, yet more stuff ... etc etc?

[Chestnut99]

Can anyone recommend the best type of bag to use as hand luggage when you have small people who need lots of stuff available during a flight?

I have just got back from a long haul flight where I crashed around with everything rammed into and spilling out of my ordinary 30l rucksack. I had to heave it into the overhead locker and then get up and down to get stuff out of it every 10 mins ... There must be a better option ...

Trunki was brilliant when very little.... now a Yu U bag x

How old are your small people? I found it easier to leave hand luggage under the seat in front when mine were little as they didn't need the leg room.

I normally use one of these though i have always packed light.

If you have enough adults to hold child hands and pull a suitcase, then I'd use a roll along suitcase with things packed into plastic bags (or ideally something with a zip/tie, maybe those cheap drawstring swimming bags) inside it, so you can pull out the things you know you'll need and stash them under the seat in front just leaving the emergency supplies in the overhead.

Trunkies are useless for carrying anything and just add to your hassle factor imo

We do have a Trunki but it is quite awkward to open and shut without everything falling out everywhere (and DS likes to pack individual pieces of train track - not helpful!) so it tends to be opened once to extract most precious teddy and then put in the locker and left there.

A backpack is what I have used in the past, but I might as well just have a sack - somehow what I need is always at the bottom and everything has to be taken out then rammed back in.

Saw a (pricey) back pack with loads of pockets and compartments and have been wondering about that, but I think a pull along case with lots of drawstring bags might be the answer, or maybe lots of drawstring bags in my backpack ...

Any other views?

I do similar to CMOT, using those thin woven shopping bags you can get from M and S etc. which pack away into little pouches. It means you can keep out the bits you need until the last minute, then compress into one bag for boarding, and easily get just the bits you want on board to stash by your feet while the rest stays in the overhead locker. The bags are useful at the other end for shopping, beach stuff etc.

Something like this one

I used a rucksack when tiny, as then had a baby in sling on front, then changed to just a side shoulder bag. How much are you actually taking? I would say pack, then unpack ad leave half and you will be fine.

As an idea a small rucksack was plenty with x2 under 2, both in nappies etc.

Enough nappies per hr of flight plus 2. Travel Wipes, nappy sacks
Bottle of water ( standard Evan brought in boots, but more as needed)
iPad
Headphones
Phone/ keys/ passports/ wallet
X2 tiny thin books, x2 tiny matchbox cars

Ours don't watch tv at all at home, so I let them go to town with iPad on flights, they read in flight trash ( well flick through) or look out window. Now they are 2 and 4, I take regular handbag, and above minus nappies etc

For longhaul we've used a small Antler wheeled holdall plus my expandable PacaPod change bag (the pods were massively useful for food and nappy changes).

And about a thousand large ziploc bags, some with things you want separately in the flight eg particular toys, complete changes of clean clothes, etc) and lots empty (particularly useful for when your child is sick all over himself or you as the plane takes off). Hardly anything in our bags that isn't sorted into a ziploc bag for easy access.

Jassy- I've honestly never even thought of taking a ziplock bag. In 4 years, x2 children and about 30 flights no changes oif clothes have been needed

Art, I'm massively envious!

I was v grateful of the bags after the massive amount of vomit all over DS, me and his blanket in hour one of a 26-hour journey. Never know what'll be useful until it turns out to be useful I guess!

Also useful for crayons etc.

Ziploc bags are generally v useful - I think I started toting them around as we used cloth nappies, so it was an easy way to have a dirty nappy in my bag, and a few wipes in another. Then it was useful for 2 ricecakes, or for taking home a half eaten sarnie or biscuit. Then I realised that when I travel on my own they were great for a wet swimming costume or flannel