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Preparing Children for Travel

PREPARING CHILDREN FOR TRAVEL

It is very exciting travelling with children - the immediate bonding with locals, a child's eye view of the world. You can help acclimatise your child to the in's and out's of living out of a back pack and facing new and different foods and experiences by:

- Introducing them to camping/outdoor adventure centres
- Taking a 'test' backpacking trip in Europe or somewhere abroad which is a little more familiar to what we are used to in the UK
- Go with a more adventurous holiday company that caters for family holidays. A number of our partners cater for families as well as other types of adventure trips - see our 'links' page
- Do take them camping in this country for practice
- Try a short backpacking trip in Europe or somewhere you have been before first

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CLOTHING

Clothing needs to be as practical and multifunctional as possible and in small enough quantity you can carry it. Avoid clothing that is unnecessarily bulky such as frills and heavyweight woollens, which also take a long time to dry. Cotton underwear causes far less prickly heat and rashes in the heat. It's always best to try out clothing before leaving, just in case it's not comfortable. Here are a few essentials - its worth looking at our kit lists for a more comprehensive list:

Essentials are:	QUANTITY
Long Sleeved Cotton Shirts	2
Lightweight Trousers	2
Skirt/Dress (for girls)	1
Sarong (can be used as a towel or head dress )	1
Tracksuit (comfy travelling gear for long journeys and can be worn as pyjamas too)	1
Cotton Socks	3
Cotton Underwear	3
Fleece (can be used as a jacket/jumper/pillowcase filler	1
T-shirt	3
Cotton Shorts	2
Swimwear (take water wings, goggles, snorkels if necessary)
Plastic /Rubber Sandals that fasten & are suitable for walking	1
Desert boots/trainers	1
Cotton hat which protects the back of the neck	1
Packaway waterproof	1

Equipment

Do provide a 25 or 35 litre rucksack for each child, children over 10 may need a slightly bigger one.	Don't buy the rucksack without the child's involvement. They need to like wearing it, make sure it is a good fit and comfortable when it's packed.
Do provide a bum bag for bits and pieces like a torch, wet ones tissues, notebook & pen, small toy, and playing cards. A head torch is great for reading in bed or night time trips to the loo. Consider a shoulder bag for an older child which can be worn in conjunction with a back pack.	Beware of badly made items, a breaking strap or zip renders the bag useless.
Do pack their own wash kit with a small amount of shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste, compact towel. Can refill in major cities if necessary.	Don't buy bottles without 'puffers' - liquids are used much more economically if the container has to be squeezed. It also prevents spills of precious supplies.
Do pack a toy bag with travel board games, playing cards, crayons, pens, hardback notebook, book or two, favourite game, balloons for local kids, stickers, and nearly favourite toy.	Don't take battery operated toys, felt pens if your kids are bad at putting lids back on, anything breakable or that would be devastating to lose - cut favourite 'cuddlies' in half, just incase.
Do make their own eating kit up containing a small unbreakable bowl, cup and knife/fork/spoon set, you can avoid a lot of tummy troubles using and washing your own eating & drinking utensils.	Don't just use the eating kit for the first time on the trip. Use for picnics or at home to minimise ('I don't like that' syndrome prone to younger children).

Other Essentials

Do provide a sturdy AA battery torch, preferably water resistant, per child. A head torch makes reading in bed and other activities much easier.	Don't Go Cheap. Children are prone to taking torches apart and a cheap one will fall to bits. Tape up with Gaffa tape for extra protection.
Do take a water bottle per child (1/2 litre is fine for younger children to carry). Top up regularly.	Don't leave treated water in a bottle for more than 24 hours.
Do pack a 4 point or 2 point treated mosquito net per child. Even in Europe biting insects can be a nuisance (we have never failed to find a way of hanging a net with 4 or 2 points).	Don't go for a single point hanging mosquito net as there is so little space inside and much more likelihood of a limb protruding. Also tuck in well at the bottom under the matress.
Do take Wet Ones (travel packs of 20 go a long way). Great for hand washing before eating, toilet paper or a general freshen up.	Don't use them all up on the first day!
Do take tissues (small packs) or a mini toilet roll.	Don't use them all up on the first day!

Food & Health

This is the biggest worry when travelling with children and advice must be sought from medical professionals specialising in travel health.

Do take a good medical kit with plenty of plasters, melolin dressings, antiseptics, rehydration powders (find out what flavour they like the best), paracetamol and others as recommended by a medical professional. Do make sure you pack enough prescribed medication.	Don't let your children carry their own medical kit as it is too important to 'play' with. Don't skimp on any of the contents.
Do watch your children in new environments and make a few simple ground rules.	Don't let them play with stray animals. Don't let them drink/eat without parental consent.
Do keep the kids hydrated, try giving them small amounts of liquid often, particularly in the heat or trekking.	Don't let them become dehydrated- this can lead to diarrhoea, vomiting, irritability, loss of appetite and in some serious cases, a trip to the hospital.
Do take vitamins with you to keep high standards of health and make sure they eat a lot of peeled fruits and vegetables.	Don't wash food, crockery & utensils in potentially dirty water, use your own treated water.
Do let them drink fizzy drinks. As they are hard to imitate they are generally considered 'safe'. Learn about water purification and 'safe food before you leave. Go to the Travel Health Zone and look at healthy eating and drinking under travel information.	Don't add ice to drinks, this is more often than not made from contaminated water.
Do protect your children from insect bites. Many diseases are spread this way and the bites themselves will be prone to infection. Ensure your children are covered up with long sleeves & trousers and apply insect repellent at high risk times.	Don't think you are safe because other children are running around uncovered in 'biting' times.
Do get your children used to foreign foods such as Indian, Chinese, Thai etc.	Don't resort to Western style foods in developing countries –often the source of upset tummies. Exceptions are tinned/packet foods.
Do take a supply of 'treats' with you such as sachets of jam, peanut butter, vegemite/marmite, chocolate drinks, muesli bars etc. Stock cubes are very useful to add to rice, noodles, pasta, or as a hot drink.	Don't give in when they see ice-cream being sold – this is potentially made from contaminated water and in areas with regular power cuts, it will have melted and refrozen an unknown number of times.
Do beware of currents in unknown waters and keep a watchful eye on the kids. Do use a high factor sunscreen frequently, especially after swimming.	Don't let them swim in the sun between 11am – 3pm particularly near the Equator.
Do always insist they wear a full brimmed hat or cap with flap in the sun to help avoid heat exhaustion

© Nomad. These notes are only intended to be a brief guide to the medical and equipment preperation for you and your children. Nomad cannot accept responsibility for any omissions. Information may change without notice. Updated January 2011.