What to keep in the changing bag

The most common mistake when packing a changing bag is trying to prepare one bag for every situation. A fifteen-minute walk does not need what a six-hour visit to the countryside does.

Short walk: the minimum

Two nappies, a small pack of wipes, a travel changing pad, one spare bodysuit and a bag for rubbish. That fits in a small bag or even in a pram organiser.

This is enough for anything within the hour, and it works precisely because you do not have to repack it every time.

Half a day: the usual pack

Now add four or five nappies, a full pack of wipes, cream in a small jar, two changes of clothes, a blanket or muslin, a dummy in a case, and if the baby is eating, a small box of snacks and a drinking cup.

Keep bottles in an insulated side pocket. If you use formula, carry the powder in a separate dispenser and the water apart from it, so made-up feeds are not standing for hours.

A full day out or a trip

On top of the half-day pack, add a spare outer layer, a larger changing pad, a sealable bag for wet clothes and a full change of clothes for the parent too. Most people forget that last one exactly once.

For longer trips a backpack format helps, because it leaves both hands free. A rear access zip means you do not have to unpack everything for the one item that has slid to the bottom.

What to leave in permanently

A few things can simply live in the bag: a spare bag, a small hand sanitiser, a folded pad and one extra nappy. They take no space and turn up exactly when you left in a hurry.

Empty the bag once a month. Outgrown spare clothes, dried-out wipes and crushed biscuits accumulate quietly, and within a few months the bag is half a kilo heavier.