El Chalten, Argentina –3 hour bus ride à El Calafate,
Argentina.
3 hours in the airport.
El Calafate, Argentina – 3 hour plane ride à Buenos Aires,
Argentina
2.5 hours in the airport.
Buenos Aires, Argentina – 10.5 hour plane ride à Houston, TX.
80 minutes to get through customs, recheck luggage and make
flight.
Houston, TX – 2.5 hour plane ride à Denver, CO.
Collect luggage.
Denver, CO – 1.5 hour drive Ã
HOME!!
This was my itinerary home from Patagonia this past
spring. It’s a long itinerary to do in a
push no matter who you are. Then add in
a 10 month old baby. For two and a half
months I was haunted by this itinerary.
My heart raced a little every time it came to mind because I was doing it
solo. Just Fitz and me. As the date neared I thought I was
crazy. Not only was I flying home with a
child on the move, I had to somehow manage 2 duffle bags, a diaper bag, a
backpack with my camera in it, a baby hiking back pack and of course,
Fitz! While we were down in Argentina I
even sat in a small, poorly ventilated phone booth for hours trying to get my
ticket changed to just wait and fly back with Tommy (because we were having
such a good time, and because of my fear of this itinerary). Alas, it was going to be a CRAZY expensive change
fee so I just had to suck it up.
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| All of the cargo I had to get home rolling solo. |
February 11
th came and the good weather window
for Tommy,
Alex and the rest of the climbers hungrily waiting in El Chalten
moved in.
I hugged Alex and told him to
keep Tommy and himself alive, and gave Tommy a teary hug and kiss telling him
to be safe and to send something rad.
They got in the taxi and were off.
Now I had to finish the last minute packing and getting Fitz breakfast
before the Las Lengas shuttle service showed up.
The
Fitz Roy massif looked covered in ice and
especially majestic as we got our last glimpses from town.
It was going to be a gorgeous day.
Fitz quickly fell asleep in the Ergo carrier as the van made
its way towards El Calafate. We arrived
at the airport and checked in with time to kill. Fitz was a master-crawler at this point and
so we cozied ourselves into an open end of the airport and I cut him loose for
a few hours. We survived the plane ride
to Buenos Aires with no nap and a borrowed book from the little boy across the
aisle. Arriving in BA I had to collect
our luggage and wheel it to the next terminal over and re-check it. The woman at the check in counter had pity on
me and allowed me to check the baby backpack for free so I only had to lug
myself, Fitz on the front carrier, back pack on back and diaper bag over my
shoulder through the rest of the airport.
I felt like a pack mule. We
grabbed some dinner and now it was Fitz’s time to burn more energy before our
long leg. I set him loose again. In no time at all the tops of his feet were
black from the dirty floors. The smile
on his face, bigger than ever. The other
people at our gate, happily entertained.
It really is a cool thing how many smiles Fitz has brought to people
around the world.
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| Fitz in Buenos Aires before the long leg of our flight! |
We loaded the plane and scored big with an empty seat next
to us, and the gift of a very friendly gentleman next to that. Fitz fell asleep as we took off and of course
filled his pants with a stinky poo, too.
Awesome, I thought, really hoping that it wouldn’t squeeze it’s way out
of the diaper and on to me. Once we reached
altitude I busted it back to the bathroom and did a quick diaper change and got
Fitz to fall back asleep (it was his bedtime, so it wasn’t too difficult). The man in our aisle grabbed things for me
occasionally and watched Fitz for a second as I laid him in the seat next to me
and snuck back to the bathroom. It’s
always surprising how helpful people are most of the time….especially South
Americans a lot of Europeans.
The plane landed in Houston with Fitz having slept most of
the flight and I got a handful of fitful hours of sleep. It was on now. Operation:
get through customs and make our connection in 80 minutes!! I strapped Fitz to me and we eventually made
it to our gate as they were mostly done boarding. It was a full plane with what seemed like
half the space. Cramming into my seat the
friendly woman next to me offered to hold Fitz while I got settled in. Another little gift. I was starting to get pretty tired now, but
knew we were close to the finish line.
In Denver Tommy’s parents were waiting for us. Our bags all showed up and we were in the car
making our way up the canyon home! Fitz
wasn’t the happiest to be in his car seat, but he managed and I survived
falling in and out of sleep the whole way.
We stepped in the front door and I breathed a sigh of relief. We survived our journey. As minor as my
accomplishment was of flying successfully home with Fitz it was still an
accomplishment that was empowering. Now
I felt like I could do anything.
Days later I would get a phone call from our friend
Kelly
that tragedy had struck in the mountains and claimed
Chad Kellogg, but not to
worry about the guys.
They were spotted
and doing well.
In a couple days I would
get the much anticipated phone call from Tommy telling me they climbed the
first free ascent of the Fitz Roy massif traverse and were calling it
The FitzTraverse, with our little Fitz in mind.
My tips for flying with a baby
 |
| Airplane! |
Disclaimer: This is what works for Fitz and I, and what
I’ve figured out from my own experience.
Take what you will and good luck flying!!
Some of Fitz’s flights
so far: Minnesota, Portland, Tennessee, Argentina,
Florida, Switzerland, Prague, Greece, Sicily, California.
 |
| So much luggage. Alpine climbing and babies require a lot of gear. |
First and foremost, stay calm and make it fun!! One thing I’ve noticed of seasoned travelers
is that they can go roll with the punches and I think this is especially
important when you’ve got a little one in tow.
Often times your child’s mood is affected by yours so keep things light.
Booking Flights:
- Consider travel time. If there are overnight options for
international flights, go for it! Fitz
has always slept well through the night.
- Consider layover times. We have experienced the cutting it
close/super short layover and the way too long layover. What part of the trip will you be in? Long layover before your last flight, not the
best…so close yet sooo far away. Short
layover when customs is a part of the equation can make things more
stressful…what if you have a blowout to clean up, or your kid puked on you and
you need to change clothes?
- Check to see if your airline has bassinets for babies
on international flight. If so, call
right after your reservation is confirmed and reserve it (it’s free!). Even if you don’t use the bassinet you are
seated in bulkhead so you have a little extra leg room/room for baby to move
around. You can’t store your diaper bag
under your seat typically, so we just get everything out we might need and it’s
never been much of a hassle, and we have always enjoyed the extra room. The bassinets have been a good thing a few
times, and a couple times we have had really strict flight attendants threaten
to make us take Fitz out when the seat belt sign is on. One of the bassinets was a glorified box that
sat on the floor, so we actually just picked up the box and set it on our laps
for a few minutes, and other times we’ve just held the sleeping baby.
- People ask about aisle vs window seat. Early on an aisle seat was nice to get up and
walk around with Fitz to let the movement soothe him. When he got a little older the window was
nice because you get a slight bit more room next to you, and Fitz would stand
up against the window and look out and bang on it, etc. On our flight home from Europe a week after
Fitz had just learned to walk, we opted for aisle so he could get out and walk
down the aisle easily. Lately we’ve gone
with the window and it’s been nice to have the “look out the window” option.
- We’ve only flown with Fitz as a lap child so
far. Some airlines have the option to
include your lap child online, and others (Southwest for sure) requires that
you call after your reservation is made to add on the lap child. Make sure you look this up and get your baby
on your reservation!
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| Fitz snoozing in the bassinet on our way to Switzerland. |
Prepping for the flight:
- Start packing early. It’s amazing how many things you need to
think of sometimes. And when you’ve got
a million other things to do all the time, it’s nice to start packing a little
early (at least mentally thinking about what you need).
- When packing I put some of each traveler’s stuff
in each bag so if one bag gets lost or doesn’t show up every one has at least
something to survive off of. Especially
a few diapers in each bag, too, because you don’t always know the availability
of diapers at your destination.
- If baby is formula fed or eating solids think
about how much food you need to bring to get you through flight and then a bit
extra in case you can’t get to the store right away or your flight itinerary
has some hiccups and is longer than planned.
In Argentina we brought with a bunch of food pouches because of the
convenience for hikes/hanging out at the crag/boulders, and to make sure I had
enough for our flights home as well.
- Diapers are the same way. Make sure you have some extras packed for the
trip there because who wants to run out of diapers!! Usually you can get diapers at your
destination, but if you aren’t sure pack enough along.
- IMPORTANT:
Practice your luggage systems. If
you are traveling with your partner and you have 2 duffels each, a car seat, a
stroller, carry on bags, diaper bags, blah blah blah, make sure you can
maneuver it all with a baby. When we
arrived in El Chalten we had to walk a handful of blocks to get to the house we
were staying at. That would have been
impossible if we hadn’t worked out our systems beforehand of how we were going
to clip everything together etc. And if
you are traveling solo with a kid this is really important! People are usually pretty helpful, but it’s
not always a guarantee. We use a roller
duffel and strap a duffel on top with the use of trusty carabiners. Then throw whatever else on top of that if
need-be.
- Make sure your kid is well rested and fed before
the flight. If for whatever reason
he/she ends up not napping on the plane it won’t be as big of a deal, but no
body likes a hangry baby!
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| Walking from the bus stop to Centro Alpino. Check out Tommy's luggage system...so smooth. Alex, on the other hand, needs a little help. :) |
Carry on:
- Have your diaper bag organized and know where
everything is. I usually set this under
the seat in front of me so there’s easy access to its contents. If you’re in the bulkhead pull out the things
you think you’ll for sure need.
- I like to pack a change of clothes for Fitz,
some toys, and food each in a little separate small bag (meant for dirty cloth
diapers, but you could use whatever) to help keep things organized. Then diapers, wipes, changing pad and/or burp
cloth, etc can be loose in diaper bag without being an overwhelming mess to
pull out. I have my liquids in a
Ziploc bag for security requirements already so that’s in it’s own bag.
- Packing snacks like little puffs/finger stuff
that takes the kid time to eat also works as a great distraction!
- Extras: I
like to make sure I have some infant Tylenol or Ibuprofen just in case, and I
usually pack some hand sanitizer spray or wipes. We are all about building up the immune
system and not having everything clean, but especially during sick season I
will sometimes wipe the seatback, arm rests, etc. down just to avoid our trip
getting ruined with a sickness! Also, I once ran into a woman waiting in the bathroom covered in her kid's puke and one time Fitz pooped on Tommy. No one wants to be that woman or Tommy in that situation. I always pack an extra shirt for Tommy and I and a sometimes pair of leggings.
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| Cutest traveler. |
Day of:
- Get to the airport early. When we flew to Argentina we arrived
unusually early, but it was a good thing because it took forever to check in
because of issues with proof that we paid for Fitz’s ticket (lap babies on
international flights typically cost 10% of fare, but they get a free bag, so
at least there’s that!), and getting all of our luggage checked, and then I had
to get patted down in a private room, and suddenly every one was boarding the
flight! You never know when you’re going
to have to stop and feed suddenly or there’s a big blow out or something
inevitably happens.
- If you have time before boarding find an open
space and let your kids burn off some energy!
- Make sure you’ve eaten enough/have enough
snacks. I always got pretty hungry while
I was breastfeeding and I tend to be more susceptible to motion sickness when I
don’t have food in my stomach.
- Stay calm and try to enjoy the whole
process. We have seen so many stressed
out parents and I feel like it really affects your kids and your whole
experience. Take a breath!
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| More roaming around for Fitz while Tommy and Alex scheme up big plans on our way down to Patagonia. |
On the plane:
- Some people rush to get on the plane and just
sit there. That’s extra time your little
one has to just sit there. If you don’t
have an assigned seat, I think it’s a good thing to get a good spot, whatever
your preference. When you already have
your assigned seat and not much to put in overhead storage, I say don’t
rush. Maximize kid-stretching
out/burning off energy before the flight.
- Once on the plane get diaper bag set and
ready. Pull out anything to stick in the
seat back pocket (nursing cover, favorite toy, water/bottle, etc).
- Fitz likes exploring what’s in the seat
pocket. If you’re forever grossed out by
those magazines put them on the floor or your neighbors seat pocket if they
don’t mind and put some of your stuff in the seat pocket for you kid to check
out.
- Fitz also loves to stand on my lap and look back
at all the faces behind us. Typically he
finds someone who is willing to play peek-a-boo and make faces with.
- For take off and landing early on I would always
nurse Fitz unless he was asleep already.
Then I just let him be, but was ready to put him to the boob if he woke
up uncomfortable. Around a year he
seemed to deal with the pressure fine. I
would have snacks and his water cup ready.
- Walk around with the little one in the front
carrier to help soothe them or if they’re walking let them walk in the aisle if
need be. When Fitz started to walk we
usually kept this as a last resort or towards the end of the flight because
he’s more resistant to sitting down afterwards.
- We have iphone/ipad apps, but typically try to
use them as a last resort. A lot of
flights we have gotten by without them, but when we’re tired, they’re amazing
to have. Any little bit of rest is
better than none!
- On the flights we have been on there has
been a fold down changing table above the toilet. Usually there’s a little sign on the bathroom
door that has it. It’s a tight squeeze
in there so bring your wipes, a diaper and whatever else you need instead of
the whole diaper bag if you can.
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| Fitz on the move while we waiting for our flight in El Calafate. |
Baby Gear:
- Car seat:
When we need to travel with a car seat we have always checked it
through. Fitz has always been a lap
child so we’ve never counted on having an empty seat, and we don’t mind holding
him. It’s also nice to have one less
thing to deal with through security and lugging around before your flight. We haven’t had an issue with it getting
really dirty or damaged. When we flew
into Switzerland our car seat didn’t make it and the airline had one we used
until ours showed up. Fitz is small and
we can still push it with him in the infant car seat. I’m not sure what we’ll do when we have to
travel with our bigger car seat. Any
ideas??
- Stroller:
Whenever we bring a stroller we like to gate check it. If your kid isn’t being pushed in it you can
throw your carry-on in it. I think it’s
nice sometimes to have a little extra carrying capacity and not be weighted
down.
- Baby backpack:
Typically when we’ve traveled with the baby backpack we have gate
checked it because it was a crucial item to our travels. I think it’s less likely an airline would
have a loaner hiking backpack. Whether
we check it through or gate-check it we utilize the storage capacity and it’s
like getting a little extra free space.
- Soft Baby Carrier: We always have a front carrier no matter
what. Fitz usually stays pretty chill in
it, it’s good for wearing them to fall asleep early on, you can walk through
security wearing them, 2 hands free, you can go to the bathroom without taking
the kiddo off, stuffs in a bag pretty easily and it’s quite comfortable for
both baby and parent! We have an Ergo
and a Boba that we received as gifts. I
like the Ergo a little better because of the zipper pocket, but Tommy likes the
Boba.
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| Our bassinet flying to Argentina...more like a glorified box, but it worked! |
Overall Traveling:
- Start ‘em young. I don’t know if it’s Fitz’s personality
or if it’s just part of the norm, but I think getting kids used to flying on
airplanes is a good thing. Fitz seems like he gets in his groove and he
just kind of knows the drill by now. It’s no big deal. We (knock on
wood) haven’t had any major freak-outs though I'm sure they will come.
- Don’t avoid flying because it seems overwhelming.
Typically we’ve been surprised. I think kids are intuitive and they know
when it’s go time. Airports are fun because there are a lot of people to
look at, changing scenery, etc. You will
survive it. And even if it’s rough it’s
usually better than staying at home!!
- If you do have that screaming baby on the plane people will get
over it. I have heard of other people
bringing ear plugs to pass out to their neighbors if this is the case.
- Again, stay calm and make it fun!
- Take lots of pictures!
Ask
away if you have any questions and let me know if you have any other
suggestions as we will continue to fly with Fitz and are always up for
advice!
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| Our systems keep evolving! |
Happy
Travels!
