Gearhead Mama Update
Jan. 5th, 2007 09:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
walkitoutThe strap (Travelling Toddler), rolling carryon and kid's bag have all arrived. Kid's bag is really cute. The kid is more interested in the rolling carryon, however. Aw, shucks. Maybe when he's older.
The strap is really just a t-strap with three D rings. Nice, minimalist packaging. Insanely overpriced; Roland had a pretty good idea what we were getting and figures he could have put it together himself quite easily. I'm a little stumped why he didn't offer to do so; I suspect he wasn't enthused about the prospect of sewing the T with his machines, but he is not being particularly forthcoming. It is _very_ small, _very_ light and will absolutely work, at least to connect the seat to the luggage. We have to test drive it to make sure it's snug enough for us to trust the kid in it, but we think it'll be fine. No stroller on the airplane! Woohoo!
In theory, this now sets me up to potentially fly places without another adult with me (I keep telling myself this is a bad idea, but I do love to travel, and Roland does have to work). I can check the big rolling bag and use the carryon for the laptop and everything else, and either backpack the kid onto the plane or stick him on the car seat on the rolling bag, or leash him and let him walk. When I have the checked bag, I can backpack it, and stroller the kid on the rolling bag. Unless I have some place to go where there's someone to help me out with the kid, tho, I'm reluctant to commit to 24X7 with the tot. At least it's now possible.
I spent a bunch of time on eBags (source of carryons) looking at travel goodies. I picked up a minimalist laptop sleeve (it's going in the rolling carryon), cable stable (the bigger of the two) for all the cords, chargers and so forth that also formerly lived in the laptop bag. And, because I have no self control and I was engaging in retail therapy, a toiletry kit (the included bottles are Nalgene! How reasonable! With the good screw lids that don't leak!) and a jewelry bag.
I'm vastly enjoying _Appetite for Change_ by Warren Belasco.
I'm also enjoying Torchwood. I'm up to "Greeks Bearing Gifts". Lesbians! Telepathy! Aliens! How can you NOT love this show? Think: Hot Bi Guy from Outer Space, sitting on a dimensional rift collecting interesting alien hardware with a team of badly behaved humans but not a lot of angst. Sort of like Buffy meets Stargate, with UK accents, populated by adults who have far fewer hangups about offing humans and hooking up. I'm thinking this Doctor Who spinoff is going to make it. I sure hope so. It is completely insane.
The strap is really just a t-strap with three D rings. Nice, minimalist packaging. Insanely overpriced; Roland had a pretty good idea what we were getting and figures he could have put it together himself quite easily. I'm a little stumped why he didn't offer to do so; I suspect he wasn't enthused about the prospect of sewing the T with his machines, but he is not being particularly forthcoming. It is _very_ small, _very_ light and will absolutely work, at least to connect the seat to the luggage. We have to test drive it to make sure it's snug enough for us to trust the kid in it, but we think it'll be fine. No stroller on the airplane! Woohoo!
In theory, this now sets me up to potentially fly places without another adult with me (I keep telling myself this is a bad idea, but I do love to travel, and Roland does have to work). I can check the big rolling bag and use the carryon for the laptop and everything else, and either backpack the kid onto the plane or stick him on the car seat on the rolling bag, or leash him and let him walk. When I have the checked bag, I can backpack it, and stroller the kid on the rolling bag. Unless I have some place to go where there's someone to help me out with the kid, tho, I'm reluctant to commit to 24X7 with the tot. At least it's now possible.
I spent a bunch of time on eBags (source of carryons) looking at travel goodies. I picked up a minimalist laptop sleeve (it's going in the rolling carryon), cable stable (the bigger of the two) for all the cords, chargers and so forth that also formerly lived in the laptop bag. And, because I have no self control and I was engaging in retail therapy, a toiletry kit (the included bottles are Nalgene! How reasonable! With the good screw lids that don't leak!) and a jewelry bag.
I'm vastly enjoying _Appetite for Change_ by Warren Belasco.
I'm also enjoying Torchwood. I'm up to "Greeks Bearing Gifts". Lesbians! Telepathy! Aliens! How can you NOT love this show? Think: Hot Bi Guy from Outer Space, sitting on a dimensional rift collecting interesting alien hardware with a team of badly behaved humans but not a lot of angst. Sort of like Buffy meets Stargate, with UK accents, populated by adults who have far fewer hangups about offing humans and hooking up. I'm thinking this Doctor Who spinoff is going to make it. I sure hope so. It is completely insane.
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I need a picture
Date: 2007-01-07 06:54 am (UTC)I've done my share of schlepping about through airports and on planes with two kids in tow, sometimes alone. This Christmas was the *first* time we checked both car seats since Ave is nearly 4 now. I would formerly use the stroller as a luggage cart on which one car seat would be mounted with one kid strapped in. Other kid would be walking or back/frontpacked while I slung the tether strap of the Britax over one shoulder. Can I just say, if managing to actually get through airport security with kids in tow, alone, with car seats does not qualify one for superhero status, it will, at least, give one a hernia.
Re: I need a picture
Date: 2007-01-07 07:38 pm (UTC)Picture here:
http://www.travelingtoddler.com/
We did the car-seat on top of stroller, but then we stack luggage on it, rather than strap a kid in, partly because the kid is reluctant, partly because it didn't look stable enough. I usually backpack the kid, but we also have a leash.
I'm _amazed_ and _in awe_ of you managing two kids alone in an airport.
other gear pictures
Date: 2007-01-07 07:41 pm (UTC)http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_kids.html
And here is the travelling toddler + diaper bag solution:
http://toteatot.com/
Here is the backpack for car seat:
http://www.pacback.com/pb_features.php
I've ranked them more or less as order of interest to me, if the travelling toddler idea fails.