Argentina Travel

Travel Preparations

Preparations for the Trip/Gear

Since I started thinking about this trip, in August or September of last year, I've been trying to figure out what gear to take with us. This is not an easy decision, as I want to make the trip as comfortable and safe for all of us. This means, I want to be able to carry all the stuff we need ourselves, but not do without important stuff.

I figured I needed to take 3 main pieces of equipment: a car seat (for taxi rides), a stroller (to walk around town) and a backpack (for hikes). I thought long and hard about whether I did indeed need both a stroller AND a backpack, after all, they have a similar function, take the baby around. However, they each have their own big advantages. The great thing about a stroller is that it allows the baby to sleep comfortably. This means that we can continue sight-seeing without having to worry about getting Mika back to the hotel so she can take a nap. It's true that babies can fall asleep in a backpack (Mika has already), but I can't imagine that it's very comfortable (it looks horrible) or that she is getting the good quality sleep she needs in one. Strollers, however, are can be hard to use when going hiking and can be hard to maneuver in small spaces.

Carrying three pieces of equipment can be rather daunting, so I researched the possibility of getting some two-in-one items. There are no car seat/stroller/backpacks combinations that I could find, but there is a car-seat/stroller and backpacks with wheels. In both cases, however, I decided against them. The Sit n'Stroll combination car-seat/stroller had a couple of serious problems. For one, it seats very low to the ground, and I didn't like the idea of Michaela being so close to the sidewalk. More importantly, it has really small wheels and friends from Buenos Aires recommended that I use a stroller with large wheels, given the sorry state of Buenos Aires sidewalks.

The combination stroller/backpacks had the same problems vis a vis small wheels. In addition, I couldn't find one that would recline so as to make sleeping on it comfortable.

I decided, reluctantly, that I would lug all three. The stroller we had was a full-size one, and I figured it'd be better to buy a smaller, lighter, umbrella stroller. My requirements were that it had large wheels and that it reclined almost fully. I settled on the Peg Pérego Pliko Trek stroller. I liked that it could fit an infant car seat (at that time, Michaela was still using an infant seat) and that it stood by itself. It's proven to be a great stroller all along. It has a wonderful rain shield, so I use it whenever it rains. I've already taken it in two short trips, and I was amazed as to how much stuff I could carry on it. It's expensive, but I've been very happy with it.

We just got the backpack, and we settled on the Evenflo Trail Blazer. We'll have to see how it works in action, but I liked it because it was very light, well padded and came with a sun/rain shield. Fortunately for us, it fits quite well on the handles of the stroller, so that we don't have to figure out how else to transport it.

The car seat was the most difficult choice. It would not have been a problem if we had gone to Argentina last Novembre (when Mika was 7 months old) as originally planned. We could take her infant seat/baby carrier, which nicely fit into the stroller. She has, however, long outgrown it and the regular toddler car seats are HUGE. Not only that, but they are uncomfortable to carry and they don't fit in the stroller. We figured that taking one is a nightmare. What I decided to do is take the Cosco Tot n' Go, a portable car seat that weighs only 4 lbs. Now, this seat hasn't gotten very good reviews, but I figure (I hope) that it will be better than nothing. I will, of course, write about how it works in reality.

Other than this gear we are taking one large suitcase on wheels and a little backpack. We may abandon one or the other in La Plata before we go to other parts of Argentina.

I'm planning to take two bags in the plane. One is the small diaper bag that I got from Similac when I gave birth. I figure it was free, so if I lose it it's no big deal. I'm planning to put the usual diaper bag stuff: a diaper pad, diapers, wipes, a towel, two changes of clothing for the baby and one for us (I'm hoping that both of us won't have to change our clothing!), as well as coolants, 2 or 3 bottles of milk and snacks (cheerios and some more sinful things like cookies, in case we really need to bribe her). I'm also taking orajel, children's tylenol and a decongestant (the poor thing has a cold :(. The other bag is a small backpack that zips into the larger backpack we're taking. That one I'm filling with toys and magazines for Mike and I.

The only other special preparations I've done for this trip (that I wouldn't have done for another one) is making a hotel reservation at our first stop (La Plata). While it probably wasn't necessary, I found a great rate in Expedia that I couldn't pass up. Other than that I've done the usual - read Lonely Planet, check out the thorntree and ask questions there, look at websites on travel in Argentina and check out potential hotels in other parts of the country. I decided to wait until I'm actually in Argentina to make the plane and other reservations as prices seem to be lower there.

Wish us luck!

Posted by marga at April 29, 2003 10:46 PM