Backpack Survival Kit

The magic of a mom's bag

I’ve known Sara since I was born. She babysat me when she was seven, and may or may not have dropped me on my head (as the story goes). She is an extraordinary mom and grandmother to four kids and twelve? thirteen? grandchildren, and on one family trip to Mexico before I even had kids, she taught me what to keep in a mom bag.

Her teenaged daughter came to her with bug bites, and she pulled out a tin of Burt’s Bees Res-Q Ointment and handed it over, explaining to me that it was basically a cure-all for itching things, cuts, scrapes, and anything else that would need an antibiotic ointment. Much later I found a version of that rescue ointment made in Whitehorse, Yukon from Aroma Borealis (the ingredients are listed) that I bought in bulk and keep in my refrigerator to replace in every backpack and travel bag I carry. My kids call it green medicine, and they know to ask for it for any cut, bug bite, or rash they might have.

Other items that have become part of my own mom bag include:

1. 5 dice and a deck of cards (for impromptu Yahtzee and Rummy games)

2. Advil

3. Band-Aids

4. Snacks (granola bars, dried fruit, or nuts keep the best)

5. Lip balm

6. A linen face cloth (it’s tiny and dries quickly)

7. A Turkish towel (it rolls up tightly, works as a sarong or shawl, something to change behind, something to sit on, or a blanket, plus it dries fast)

8. Mints

9. Benadryl cream (I have one kid who swells up with bee stings)

10. A battery pack phone charger

11. Pencils and a notebook of blank paper

12. A water bottle

13. A kindle

14. Headphones

15. Sunscreen

16. More snacks

What are other essential items for your kid survival bag? What kind of bag do you carry? Mine has varied between a backpack and a messenger bag, and I love my current backpack from Cabaia best. If you’re feeling generous with your wisdom, comment below for everyone to see.