health and safety - Pitstops for Kids

Homeopathic travel remedies: five items you need now

June 15, 2021 By Amy Hagstrom

Have you tried homeopathic travel remedies for family travel? We’ve written about the best first aid kits for family travel, and even about items that should be in your bug-out bag for road trips. But the items we use most often to cure common illnesses and bumps and bruises on the road are natural and holistic. Here’s what we always have with us, au naturale!

Five homeopathic travel remedies:

Arnica:

Haven’t heard of it? I hadn’t either, until recently, but my mother-in-law informed me she’s been using arnica since before I was born. This homeopathic remedy reduces swelling, bruising and soreness. In our first aid kit, we have Hyland’s 4Kids Bumps ‘n Bruises ointment stick, which is made with arnica. The stick looks a lot like a rub-on sunscreen, so it’s not intimidating, and reduces swelling on minor bumps and bruises. What I love: it’s sure easier to pack this little stick than to try to have ice on-hand for the inevitable fall! Buy on Amazon for $15.99.

Essential Oils:

Sure, they’re a buzz word right now, but essential oils really can make a difference, especially when trying to soothe kids who are missing their regular routine. I know families who travel with a diffuser and oils, but for us, this is just too much stuff to bring along on trips. Instead, I bring just one essential oil blend: MotionEaze. MotionEaze combines lavender, peppermint, frankincense, chamomile, myrrh, Ylang Ylang, and birch for ready-made motion sickness relief. We find it useful for both car rides and the plane. We apply the oil behind the ear, but some families prefer to place it on the wrists. Buy on Amazon for $8.24.

Aloe Vera:

Most parents know about the soothing effect of aloe vera for kids suffering from sunburn. We pack a bottle of aloe vera every time we travel somewhere warm, either in travel-size for air travel or a bigger container for road trips. Not only does aloe vera cool sunburns, but did you know it can be used as a face cleanser or make-up remover too, in a pinch? It’s best to get the type produced uses cold-press techniques, to get the most benefit. Buy on Amazon for $15.95.

Echinacea:

No one wants to get sick on vacation. I think parents fear this outcome even more than most…especially those who have tried to sleep in a small hotel room while caring for sick kids. We believe in echinacea’s properties that aid the immune system. We buy echinacea in capsule form, and have our older kids take it pre-trip (as instructed on packaging) and if they even think they’re getting a cold. It’s also available in droplets for younger kids. Not sure about echinacea? Try Airborne. This Vitamin C booster also aids the immune system. Buy on Amazon for $25 or less.

Ginger:

Taking a ginger root capsule before getting in the car at at the start of a road trip ensures I’m able to read to the kids and get work done without getting queasy. We also like to have ginger chews on-hand for the kids. We found ginger to be especially useful when we went on a snorkeling trip in a small boat. I dislike motion sickness medication because they make us sleepy. Ginger, like MotionEaze, allows us to stay active and enjoy the day. Buy on Amazon for $5.44.

Bonus item: Essential Oil Diffuser

Should you bring a diffuser on family vacation? My answer: sometimes. For road trips and winter trips to dry, high elevation, having a humidifier/diffuser can be very helpful for keeping everyone healthy. While you can pick from many small, portable diffusers, the one we use is the MIUCOLOR Essential Oil Diffuser. We love this one because it can be set on a timer, it works as a humidifier (we use this especially in hotel rooms in Colorado and Utah, where there is dry air), and it triples as a nightlight. We simply bring a few essential oils, like Fresh Air or an immunity booster, and keep it going all night in our hotel room.

Additional ideas:

Nature’s Rite Congestion Relief: this remedy works well for general sinus congestion. My youngest son gets ‘stuffy’ very easily, especially on planes and when traveling to areas with climate extremes, such as dry heat or humidity. I’d rather try a natural remedy before treating him with medication that may be ‘more’ than he needs. Buy for $10.99

Nature’s Rite Leg Relaxer: If your kids have hit growth spurts, you know what I’m talking about…leg cramps seem to strike at night and can keep everyone up in small hotel rooms. This lotion helps soothe with an herbal mixture including St. Johns Wort. Bottles are $19.99

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What natural remedies do you bring on your family vacations? Share in the comments!

Travel tip: Fighting germs on vacation

August 10, 2020 By Amy Hagstrom

I don’t like to think too much about it, but there are a lot of icky germs out there, friends. Sure, there are a lot of benign ones, too, and I don’t obsess over it, but none of us want to get sick when traveling. This is why I up my germ-fighting game substantially when we’re on the go.

Fighting germs on vacation:

At home, I have my tried-and-true Mrs. Meyers house cleaning supplies and everyone has soap in their bathrooms. When we travel, I always have a small bottle of hand sanitizer and some wet wipes, but to be honest, that’s about it. I put more energy into cold-fighting products like the ones in this post on natural remedies to pack on your next trip.

However, I want to do better in the prevention-department. On Squix.com, parents can find just about every sanitizing and germ-fighting product you could need, all in one place. It’s like Amazon for sanitizer. Squix has a subscription box, which will introduce you to a sampling of products every month, but even more useful (I think): it has a full marketplace. Their travel kit is only $24, and includes an antimicrobial pouch to carry it all in. In fact, the pouch is large enough that I can fit my first aid supplies in there too.

Here’s what you get in the travel kit:

– Wet Ones Travel Pack
– SQUIX Hand Sanitizer
– Lysol To Go Disinfecting Spray
– Wireless Wipes (12 count)
– Travel Size Mouthwash
– Apera Fit Pocket Arctic Blue
– Mouth Watchers Travel Toothbrush

As you can see, Squix is procuring the best brands for the kit, not re-inventing the wheel. Could you put this all together yourself for less? I did a little research, and my answer is…maybe. Certainly you could buy the wipes, spray, and sanitizer for less, but the wireless wipes are a bit hard to find, and the true value is in the Apera pocket (pouch). Of course, you also get the convenience of not having to shop for it all yourself.

We tried out the whole system on our spring break road trip, using the tooth products separately as needed. Even though my kids are teens, we still went through all the wet wipes. I added my first aid stuff to the pouch, and when everyone piled in and out of the car, they paused to use the sanitizer or wipes. It worked quite well.

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Travel Gear We Use: The Seventy2 Survival System bug-out bag

March 25, 2020 By Amy Hagstrom

You may not be a doomsday prepper or preparing for a zombie apocalypse (or maybe you are), but every family should have a car bug-out bag, ideally for each family member and certainly for road trips and emergencies.

Opt for the Seventy2 Survival System from Uncharted.

Preppers define bug-out bags as gear they can grab quickly in case of emergency, that’s ready to go when they are. The folks at Uncharted simplify this even further: their Seventy2 bag are designed with the premise that 95 percent of emergencies are rectified within 72 hours, so they make sure you have everything you might need for those crucial hours, nothing more, nothing less. The result? A streamlined system in an easy-to-carry, high-quality backpack that you can gift to family members or buy for yourself.

The ‘shell’ of the Seventy2 bag is a 48 liter backpack that’s waterproof and very clearly organized. This backpack alone is worthy of a review. It has pockets and features galore. Inside, clearly marked ‘survival pouches’ make it easy to find essentials, plus know what to do with them. The ‘tools’ pouch is thus labeled, for instance, with all the contents listed underneath, including paracord, shovel, axe, duct tape, knife, and fire starter. In the ‘warmth’ pouch is a tent, blanket, hat, gloves, and hand warmers. For a full list of everything in the Seventy2 bag, including USB chargers, radios, and more, check here.

Can you put together your own survival go bag? Of course. Will you, to this extent? I can almost guarantee you won’t. At least, I won’t, which is why I gifted my college-aged son with a Seventy2 bag and now need more for my household. This bag could be essential on a camping or road trip, but it might also save your life when you’re not traveling.

Pick one up this holiday season as a very special gift for $349. You will have purchased peace of mind along with essentials you needed any way.

Want to design a less extensive, road trip bug-out bag?

For families who like to road trip or car camp, a car bug-out bag can be any kit that contains supplies and extras, such as MOLLE gear, that may be needed in an emergency while away from home.

Whatever type of bug out bag you create, be sure to stock it regularly for minor injuries, sickness, or weather conditions. We’ve never needed ours for a serious emergency, and hope we never do.

Start with any large backpack or duffel. We keep our basic bag, which we use in addition to our Seventy2 bag now, in our primary vehicle. You don’t want to put it anywhere it will need to be frequently moved. Ours is in the back, near the space reserved for the car jack and jumper cables.

What to put in your more basic road trip bug-out bag:

2-4 emergency blankets: These blankets are made of vacuum-metalized polyethylene and reflect 90% of your body heat, allowing you to stay warm despite their thin shape and low weight. They are the size of your palm when still folded, and can also be used as shelter or a ground cloth. We use SOL emergency blankets, which are less than $5 on Amazon.

1 small first aid kit: Ideally, you already have a family-sized first-aid kit in your car (if not, check out our recommendations). However, since your car bug-out bag is meant to be portable, opt for a smaller sized one. We use Adventure Medical Kits’ .5, which is housed in a lightweight, waterproof pouch and includes all the essentials (and not much else). At $15, you can’t make a cheaper one at this weight. Place some extra easy-access bandages in there, too. These nifty band-aids require only one hand to unpeel and place on a cut.

Gloves and winter hats for everyone: Reuse or buy a cheap pair of fleece or knit gloves for everyone in your family, and place them in the bag. Ditto for winter ‘beanie’ hats. These don’t need to be anything fancy; after all, you’ll want to wear your good ones regularly, and you’ll likely never use these. But in case of bad weather or the need to put chains on your tires, you’ll be glad to have some protection for your hands and heads. In winter months, we also add a lightweight jacket for everyone, which just stays in the bag until summer. Remember, you’ll have extra seasonally-appropriate clothing for everyone in your car already if you’re on a road trip or camping trip.

Pocket survival pack: These neat packs fit into your pocket, and include only the barest of essentials for outdoor survival. We have a pack in our backpacking gear, in the ‘just in case’ category, and one more in the car. In the case that someone needed to leave the shelter of the car to seek help, I’d want him or her to have this kit on them. Included is a whistle, mirror, sparker and tinder for an easy flame, and tiny portions of helpful items such as duct tape, safety pins, wire, and foil. It doesn’t seem like much now, but as a former Search and Rescue volunteer, I’ve seen people do amazing things with these items. We like the SOL pocket survival pack, because it comes with a waterproof card of instructions. Pick one up for under $30.

2-way radios: Sure, you have mobile phones, but as we all know, they can be unreliable. If you’re out of coverage area, low on battery power, or–unlikely but possible–if cellular service is down, you’ll want another way to communicate. We recently tried out the Motorola Talkabout 2-Way Radios (in other words, walkie-talkies), and they’ve now been added to our bug-out bag. Why we like them: they’re easy to juice up, they have a long range, and you can receive NOAA weather alerts through them. The Talkabout runs on either alkaline or rechargeable batteries (or can be charged using a mini-USB port, if you have access to that). They work in a 23 mile range, and has a scan feature which allows you to search a programmed list of channels. In the past, we’ve found that walkie-talkies can be useless if too many people are using them, but the Talkabout filters interference from non-Motorola units. They’re not toys, by any means, but still under $50 on Amazon.

Supplies for your car: Hopefully you already know where your car’s extra tire and jack are housed, but in addition, most families should carry chains for winter weather (depending on where you live), and jumper cables. We also store a small, collapsible shovel in our bag, which can (and has been) used to dig out of snow or mud.

Matches and firestarter: If you need to, you want to be able to make a fire for signaling help, warmth, or cooking. If you’re on a camping trip, you’ll have these supplies anyway, but we keep a waterproof case of matches and fire cubes in our bug-out bag all the time, so we don’t have to remember to grab them on each trip. What are fire cubes, you ask? These sugar-cube sized fire starters burn at 1300 F in any conditions…even a downpour. Use them to start a campfire or even boil water. Speaking of which…

Water: This is the only item we do not store in our bug-out bag, because we all carry personal water bottles with us in the car for any trip, so we already have them at the ready. For longer trips, however, we buy a case of water and place it in the back by the bag. If we don’t need it, we use this water on our travels, and buy more.

Want to be even more prepared? Have a water filter handy, or do what we do: pack your bug out bag with a LifeStraw or LifeStraw Go. This award-winning personal filtration system uses a filtering straw, so you have safe water to drink anywhere, anytime. We use ours on international travel days, too, so we get use of it regularly, not just during emergencies. After our son Nate lost his on a trip to Costa Rica, we replaced it immediately!

Basic foods: We don’t go overboard on this, which would probably dismay true preppers. But our bug-out bag is only meant for short term emergencies and even car-ride inconveniences, so we pack snacks with a long shelf life, like beef jerky and Nature Made granola bars. We change these snacks out every 2-3 months. I simply like knowing they’re in our bag should we get stuck in traffic for a very long time or need to leave our car for any reason.

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Find more Travel Gear We Use!

Do you have a car emergency bug-out bag? What’s in it?

Photo credit: Richard Riley

Best essential oils for travel

August 9, 2018 By Amy Hagstrom

Like everyone else (it seems), I’ve recently started using essential oils in my home and for my family. While I don’t deem them lifesaving (gasp!), I do believe essential oils add to our family’s well-being and overall health. Why not take this show on the road? We have a round up of the best essential oils for travel (and when to use them):

Three best essential oils for travel:

Motion sickness:

Several members of our family suffer from motion sickness in cars and on ships. I hate medicating for this, because no matter what we use, we seem to get drowsy. Before motion sickness can hit, I like to use essential oils topically (to the back of the ears, temples, or wrists) to fight nausea. It’s important to apply the essential oils before getting in the car!

Essential oils for motion sickness: ginger, peppermint, or spearmint. Alternatively, get a pre-made blend. We like Motion-Eaze, which is a combination of lavender, peppermint, frankincense, chamomile, myrrh, Ylang Ylang, and birch.

Immune defense:

This is a biggie. We do everything in our power to prevent sickness while on vacation. For immune defense, we diffuse essential oils at home pre-trip. If you have a small diffuser, you can even bring it along on road trips to use in hotel rooms and vacation homes. You can also just bring the oils, and add a few drops to a bowl of boiling water to breathe in.

Essential oils for immune defense: clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary. Or use a blend like Thieves. We are using Best Friend, from Better Essentials. Better Essentials makes blends nearly identical to those made by the big essential oil makers, at a lower cost. Their oils are 100% pure, therapeutic grade, and third-party tested.

Sleep:

Sleep is absolutely essential (no pun intended!) while on vacation. To assist with sleep in hotel rooms and other unfamiliar places, we apply essential oil to our wrists, plus perhaps a dab behind the ears. You can also spray pillows lightly. I just don’t suggest doing this in enclosed spaces like airplanes, as the scent could bother others.

Essential oils for sleep: lavender, or a blend like Breathe. We are using Fresh Air from Better Essentials (their version of Breathe), or we use pure lavender. Hard to beat it!

How to conveniently bring essential oils:

Luckily, essential oils come, by their very nature, in small packages. They are easy to bring along on road trips in any first aid kit or medication kit, and easy to bring for air travel in a 3-1-1 bag. Almost all are under 3 ounces. Several travel-sized diffusers are on the market, but we don’t bother with this: for our use on the road, we apply our essential oils topically. However you decide to use your oils, make sure you buy therapeutic grade, and place all oils in a plastic bag or otherwise airtight container. This will contain the scent (when you don’t want it) and also prevent any leakage.

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Do you use essential oils? What are your favorite blends?

Travel Gear We Use: Best first aid kits for family travel

June 23, 2017 By Amy Hagstrom

Several years ago, I became certified as a wilderness EMT and decided to create my own first aid kit for family travel. I created the ultimate kit: I left nothing out, and when I was done, there was no medical emergency I was not prepared for. The only trouble: my kit was the size of a pillowcase and had cost me almost $60 to put together.

I’m often asked how to make a homemade first aid kit, but what I tell people now is: don’t. There are a number of excellent portable first aid kits for family travel on the market that are more affordable. Here are the best first aid kits we use.

Adventure Medical Kit Ultralight/Watertight Kit:

Depending on the size you select (we opt for the 1-4 people for 1-4 days size), the Ultralight/Watertight kit weighs in at under 12 ounces, and is slim and compact to boot. This is our #1 pick for outdoor travel, such as backpacking, camping, and boating. Inside the main pouch, you get two waterproof pouches with inventory lists on the side (they’re also see-through). Included is everything you need for at least a long weekend in the woods (with the exception of very few items…see below). At the top of the ‘thank goodness they thought of this’ list is: antihistamine, moleskin, duct tape, lots of bandages, after-bite itch relief. You get very few bells and whistles with this kit–no fancy organizational pockets or handles–but the best medical kit is the one you actually have with you when you need it. Pick the Adventure Medical Kits UltraLight & Watertight up on Amazon for only $26: you can’t make it for less.

Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series Day Tripper:

Yep, another kit from Adventure Medical Kits. Why? Because of the extra touches: their kits are extremely well-organized, and come with either see-through lining or clearly marked categories, so you can find things fast. Also, all Adventure Medical Kits can be restocked at refillyourkit.com. No more half-empty first aid kits lying around! The Day Tripper is the perfect size for a family’s general use while traveling. Yes, you can get a bigger kit, but be careful: will you really drag it around with you? The Day Tripper weighs under a pound, and fits easily in any day pack for any sort of travel day. It serves 1-5 people. Unlike the Ultralight, it contains smaller pockets and sleeves within the kit to help you stay organized. You get everything you get in the Ultralight, plus an ace bandage and paperback medical book to use as a guide. Pick up the Adventure Medical Kits Day Tripper on Amazon for only $27.

Adventure Medical Kits Medical Kit .5:

Want to go very small and light? Don’t shy away from a medical kit designed for one person. The .5 isn’t big enough for our whole family while camping and backpacking, but it is perfect for day trips and air travel trips when space is tight. In it, you get enough bandages, tape, and gauze for several days of use, plus the same standard medications, like ibuprofen, aspirin, and antihistamine that’s in other kits. There are even a few towelettes and packs of antibiotic ointment. Best of all, this kit is only $17.

What to add to your kit:

If you’ll be in the wilderness, add the following:

extra trauma bandages
snakebite kit ($3-5 at your local outdoors store)
extra antihistamine (my son recently got stung by 23 bees at once, while 5 miles from the car)
extra moleskin
a blister kit, such as BlisterMedic

If you’ll be traveling abroad:

extra of all medications (in case they’re hard to find)
hand sanitizer
vitamins to prevent sickness, such as Vitamin C, or Cold-Eeze, which will shorten most colds

Find more Travel Gear We Use!

Summer mosquito relief products for family travel

May 26, 2017 By Amy Hagstrom

We love outdoor travel here at Pit Stops for Kids, but we hate mosquitos. We really, really hate them. We know DEET is terrible for us, but it’s a shame, because it’s the only thing that really repels them. However, when outdoors exploring, we have found a few mosquito relief products for kids that offer solutions. (We were not compensated for this post. Have I mentioned that we hate mosquitos?)

Be Koool Itch Relief Patches:

If mosquitos are annoying, mosquito bites are even more so. We’ve learned they can be a health hazard as well. Kids with itchy bites scratch them (heck, so do adults), leading to open cuts…not ideal hygiene while traveling in the outdoors. Bites that are scratched can become infected, and at the very least, cannot be kept clean.

On our most recent foray into the woods, we came armed with Be Koool’s Itch Relief Patches. These little circular stickers apply directly to the skin, and are medicated with lidocaine and menthol. These are the same ingredients in most anti-itch sprays and lotions, but the stickers are much less messy. Plus, after applying one, it naturally stops your child from itching the spot.

Did it work? Yes! We’re not sure whether the medication helped stop the itch, or simply the barrier from itching, but either way, little fingers were off of bug bites for the afternoon. We’ll keep some patches in our outdoor first aid kit from now on.

When patches will NOT work: The patches don’t stay on while swimming, and shouldn’t be used for serious bites (like intense spider bites). We had some trouble with the patches sticking to one another when we tried to get one from the package; our solution was to keep the various sheets of stickers apart from one another in our day pack.

Buy BeKoool Itch Relief Patches on Amazon or at any drugstore.

Mosquitno Citronella Armband:

You know those citronella candles for your picnic table? Well, Mosquitno has come up with the mobile version. Their rubber wristbands are stylish (though how these popular bands became so trendy I’ll never know) and come in fun colors. They even have fun saying on them, like ‘Please don’t bite me.’ Well said. They smell pretty good too.

Do they work? Yes, pretty well. They will not keep mosquitos at bay entirely (I miss my DEET), but they do just as well as most over-the-counter sprays and are much healthier for your skin. Any product that saturates my kids’ skin I don’t like…unless it’s DEET. (Just kidding, of course.) We took Mosquitnos on a test drive on an overnight backpacking trip, and while our kids still got some bites, they were much more willing to wear the wristband than get slathered in repellant. The bands apparently work for up to 150 hours (though we noticed their scent doesn’t last that long), and come in a five-pack (or one for $2.99). Find them at most stores or buy Mosquito Insect Repellent Wrist Bands on Amazon.

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Toad & Co DeBug Ground Cover:

Do you camp in areas with mosquitos or other pesky insects? How about picnic? We love this new ground cover, which is treated with Toad & Co’s insect shield technology, guaranteed for 70 washes. This blanket goes in the back of our car for every camping trip!

Natrapel tent and clothing spray:

While I was not compensated for this post, I was given a package of Be Koool and Mosquitno for the purpose of review.

Travel products to protect against Zika Virus

September 9, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

We love family adventure, but we’re careful to be mindful of threats to family safety while we travel. Before you go to Central or South America, or the Caribbean, make sure you pack these travel products to protect against Zika or other mosquito-borne illnesses. And of course, always consult a health care professional before any trip to a destination known to have a Zika threat, to discuss any danger to your family.

Ben’s Insect Repellent Wipes:

The first step in protecting your family against Zika is to keep mosquitos away. We don’t like using DEET on our skin, but in the case of mosquito-borne illness, it may come down to choosing the lesser of two evils. Ben’s repellent is a brand I’ve come to trust, and it does offer protection from ticks and insects that may carry the Zika Virus, West Nile Virus (WNV), Lyme disease, Malaria, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), and other infectious diseases. Pick up a bottle of Ben’s in a TSA-complient size on Amazon.

Natrapel Wipes:

We’re a family that spends a lot of time outdoors, and Natrapel is the only DEET-free insect repellent we’ve found to significantly work. It uses a CDC-recommended 20% Picaridin formula, and lasts 12 hours. We use the wipes, simply because our kids tolerate them best, but it also comes in a spray bottle form. Pick up a package of wipes for under $9 on Amazon.

Adventure Medical Kits World Travel kit:

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for every family to have a well-stocked medical and first aid kit when they travel. Yes, medical supplies and medications are available almost anywhere, but that doesn’t mean they’re readily available, and it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to communicate your needs or find the right place to buy them. Sometimes, they’ll be packaged differently or have a different brand name, making matters more confusing. Even in first-world countries like Ireland and England, I’ve had trouble finding the over-the-counter medicines I’ve occasionally needed.

We use Adventure Medical Kits when we camp and backpack, and their World Travel kit has everything you’ll need for a family of four. It’s fairly bulky, but I love that there’s extra room for your personal medications, too. It’s incredibly well designed, with different pockets for everything, and each flap is labelled, so you can easily get to the right space for intestinal medications, bandages, allergy meds, etc. It comes with a diagram for communicating your needs in several languages, and a pretty thick booklet on basic first aid. For trips when I’m short on space, I may remove the book to save space and weight. Pick up a World Travel kit on Amazon at a discount.

Scarf or head net:

I almost never travel without an organic cotton or wool scarf. I find so many uses for one, from a wrap on the chilly airplane to an optional headdress or bandana while in foreign countries. In Central and South America, my scarf has doubled as bug protection. I love Aventura Clothing scarves, but use what works for you. In some cases, you may even want to upgrade to a mosquito net for your head. We have used Sea to Summit mosquito head nets. Pick one up for under $10 on Amazon.

Insect repellent clothing:

For travel to the Caribbean and Central and South America during which you know you’ll be outside a lot, such as when we were volunteering in the Dominican Republic or our upcoming trip to Panama, when we know we’ll be visiting national parks and preserves, we decided we would rather invest in travel clothing treated with insect repellent rather than spray ourselves with it daily. I love the Toad & Co DeBug line for women, and have also traveled with ExOfficio’s BugsAway line extensively. ExOfficio is the first US company to offer insect protection in clothing, and their BugsAway items keep their repellent for 70 washes. I’m still wearing my ExOfficio crew shirt from 2013. For this fall’s travel, my husband is now wearing ExOfficio’s Baja Sur shirt, which is lightweight but tough as nails.

For kids, Columbia Sportswear’s PFG Bahama long-sleeved shirt helps repel both sun and mosquitos (though it is not treated with repellent).

Mosquito-free shelter:

Part of the fun of a tropical destination is sleeping outside in warm weather. If you think you’ll be sleeping outdoors, whether in a hammock on the rental home porch or in a backcountry environment, consider a mosquito shelter like Grand Trunk’s Mozzy Net. This 144″ by 30″ shelter includes spreader bars and guy lines, so you can expand it fully, like a tent, giving you plenty of room. And it packs down small into its own stuff sack for easy transport. Pick one up on Amazon for under $60.

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Have you traveled to Central or South America or the Caribbean lately? What precautions have you taken?

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Travel Gear We Use: Child Safety Products

February 21, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

There’s nothing quite as stressful as keeping an eye on a child in a big crowd. Whether you’re in a theme park, on a crowded city street, or in a busy national park, these child safety products will give you some peace of mind.

Every child safety product listed below has been reviewed and/or personally used by me or my East Coast editor. While we do accept product advertising on Pit Stops for Kids, editorial reviews are separate and distinct. We never accept “advertorial” or pay-for-positive consumer product reviews, so you can be assured of our honest and genuine endorsement.

SafetyTat Child ID Tattoos

We used these easy stick-on child safety tats while on a vacation to Great Wolf Lodge; not only did they stay on in and out of water, but they were fun for the kids to wear. I liked that I could feel more confident about high-crowd situations, especially as they worked together to solve wand quests throughout the lodge!

Me Finder Safety Wristband

This cool device is actually quite simple: all parents need to do is input up to five mobile phone numbers. When the child is wearing the fun wristband in public, the parent selects the number to be displayed, which kids can show a safe adult should they get separated. I like that the Me Finder comes with instructions on how to explain its use to your child, and that it’s a low-technology item, which ensures it works with consistency!

BubbleBum portable travel booster seat

Whether you’re on a crowded bus, in a taxi, or on a shuttle van ride, this is a genius of a booster seat: bring it along in your carry-on or checked luggage (packed in it’s own small cinch bag) while on vacation for a car seat that meets all safety regulations. The BubbleBum is also great for car pools, trips to Grandma’s, taxi rides, and any time you need to fit three car seats across in the back row of a car or van.

Find more gear in the Travel Gear We Use series (click below):

Car seat safety reminder and convertible car seat review

June 23, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

It’s road trip season! Early summer is a great time to make sure your kids’ car seats are installed correctly, and don’t need to be replaced. Pit Stops for Kids got the latest scoop in car seat safety and car seat requirements from Safety1st Consumer Safety Expert Julie Vallese. Even those of us who are not new parents could use some reminders as we head into road trip season!

The three most important things when choosing a car seat are:

One that fits your child
One that fits your car
One that you will use correctly every time

You can accomplish this by:

Having the car you will be using the seat in with you and try it out at the store
Having your child with you at the time of purchase
Following information in both the car seat manual and vehicle manual for installation
Attending a car seat check for assistance in proper installation and use from a certified car seat technician

Read car seat requirements from Safety1st!

New rules for car seats using LATCH require understanding of your car seat’s weight and child’s weight:

Car seats manufactured after February 27, 2014 are required to carry a new label with guidance on maximum weight limits for LATCH
The combined weight should not exceed 65lbs
Look in the manual and label on the car seat to identify the weight of the seat
Look for a weight on the maximum weight for the child
Know your child’s weight
If the combined weight of the seat and your child exceeds 65lbs-install the car seat using the vehicle’s belt

Click to read more safety tips for car seats!

Review of the Safety1st Advance SE 65 Air convertible car seat

Car seats just keep getting more advanced! The Advance 65 Air+ Convertible Car Seat features technology designed to keep children from 5-65 pounds safer in the car. How so? The cushion system includes patented foam in hexagonal shapes for protection around the torso, allowing for better side impact protection. And the Advance 65 Air + uses a steel-reinforced frame for extra stability. You get a four position recline, which helps the seat fit optimally in your car, and color-coded belt paths take human error out of installation.

But let’s get to where to rubber meets the road: we had the Advance 65 Air + tested by a real Pit Stops for Kids mom and toddler. In addition to the safety features, our reviewer noticed the following perks while using the seat day-in and day-out:

Fully formed headrest, making the seat much more comfortable when the toddler falls asleep.
Easy buckling system, and easy to wash: our reviewer completely removed the cover and washed it (and put it back on) with no problems.
Carrying handle: need we say more? This car seat is heavy, and the handle makes it much easier to lug around.

Here’s the nitty-gritty:

Rear-facing 5-40 pounds
Forward-facing 22-65 pounds
Featuring Air Protect +
10-position headrest grows with your child
No re-thread harness
4-position recline for optimal fit to your car
LATCH equipped
Integrated cup holder

As we disclose whenever applicable, our reviewer received a Safety1st carseat for the purpose of review. Without review product tests, we’d be unable to provide real mom reviews on Pit Stops for Kids.

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Safe holiday travel tips and Master Lock Safe Space review

December 17, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

An average of 34% of Americans spend 1-3 nights away from home during the holidays. Will you and your family be away? Master Lock, maker of luggage locks and the innovative Safe Space, offers five tips for safe holiday travel:

safe holiday travel

1. Keep that lived in look. In 2010, more than 1.8 million homes were burglarized with 400,000 of those burglaries taking place between November and December3. Making the home appear active while away can discourage potential break-ins. Set a timer for both inside and outside lights to switch on and off and turn a radio or TV on to create the illusion that someone is home. Hold your mail deliveries at usps.com, and contact your other providers to stop newspaper and package drop-offs while you’re away. Of course a good standby to rely on is a adequate security system, some of which you can view here. Consider it a watchdog when you’re away.

2. Toast don’t post. Resist the temptation to update your social network accounts with travel plans to avoid having the news of the unoccupied status of your home fall into the wrong hands. Instead, spend that time in the company of friends and family toasting to health and happiness, and wait to post photos of holiday fun until you return home.

3. Check (Twice) Before Travel. Before departing for a holiday destination, check the schedules and status of your flight, train or traffic route to stay aware of delays, bad weather and other potential changes. Checking in on the status of your method of travel will guarantee you are prepared for any delays and keep you calm during the holiday rush. And don’t forget to double-check your travel documents before leaving the house.

4. Activity and Emergency Kits Are Key. Whether traveling by train or car, always carry a first aid kit stocked with bottled water, snacks, medication, bandages, a flashlight and cell phone charger. Should you encounter a problem or a long distance between rest-stops on your route, these items can help keep you nourished and your travel companions busy. Keep children occupied by bringing fun games or movies to lessen driving distractions. If traveling by car, have it inspected by a mechanic or someone you trust before a long journey to make sure all systems are primed and tires are filled.

5. Lock It Down & Carry It On. A reported 200 items are stolen each day from JFK Airport4, one of the busiest airports in the world. Keep your valuables including cell phones, wallets, watches/jewelry and other important property safe by carrying them with you at all times and locking them up while on-the-go. Storage solutions like the 5900D SafeSpaceTM are perfect for keeping these items secure. In addition, use generic luggage, be mindful of wearing flashy jewelry and dress down to prevent being targeted for theft. Secure checked and carry-on luggage with a TSA-accepted lock, such as the 4688D Combination Lock while traveling to prevent unauthorized access to your possessions.

Master Lock Safe Space review:

In keeping with this travel security theme, Pit Stops for Kids reviewed Master Lock’s Safe Space, a miniature safe for small valuables such as jewelry, point-and-shoot cameras, passports, and cell phones while traveling by air. Here’s what we thought:

safe space

1. Great for use in airports where theft is most common. Having a Safe Space won’t take the place of keeping a close eye on your luggage, but it will make you feel better about those moments you can’t avoid that pick pockets love, as as when your luggage is adjacent, but you’re distracted by kids, media, or gate information. I like that you can use the security cord (like a bike lock) to secure the SafeSpace to an airport chair leg or table leg. You still can’t leave it (or anything else) unattended of course, but you can read your book or toss something in the trash without worrying about your valuables.

2. Not practical for storing a cell phone. I don’t know about you, but I need my phone constantly while traveling through airports, whether to check apps, flight information, weather, or email. (Or to hand off to a bored kid for an Angry Birds session.) Locking my phone away would make it safer, but it’s just not going to happen.

3. Easy to store and pack. I tossed the Safe Space right into my carry on bag, and it fit there perfectly. I like the size and weight, and how easy it is to access the contents. It will only fit a few things, though, so you’ll have to prioritize. We put our house and car keys and my husband’s wallet in ours, and that pretty much maxed it out.