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Holidays are here: travel with slings

sling on beach travel
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Holidays are here: travel with slings

sling on beach travel
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Slings for holidays

School is out soon, and so is the sun, well, some of the time at least. Here at It’s a Sling Thing, part of CalmFamily, we’re just dreaming of distant lands to travel to, since we’re pretty busy right here at the minute.  However, many of our customers are jetting off on holiday to exotic locations all around the world, and a bit closer to home.


There’s lots to consider when it comes to holiday travel; a sling can help make travel easier for all. Some of you may be regular sling users and know exactly what you are looking for, but for others, holidays may be the only time you think about carrying your children in a sling. Here are some ways slings can help make a good holiday even better, and some things to consider.

Using a sling when travelling

back carry on boat

Slings can be invaluable at airports; whether you’ve checked your pushchair, or are holidaying without one, you have hours to kill once you’ve checked your luggage. That can mean hours of carrying babies or tired, possibly uncooperative toddlers in arms. You may be able to wear your child through security and you’ll have hands free for any bags you have with you. Your sling can help you settle an overexcited toddler or a baby who needs a nap at the airport. That can make things a bit less fraught!

Lost in transit: travelling with slings

tula on train

Another reason to keep your carrier with you, is to avoid the “Lost in Transit” nightmare scenario when arrive. Carriers aren’t easy to pick up on the high-street at the best of times. You don’t want to start your holiday with no sling for your child, or end it with an invoice for lost carriers. If you have your sling with you whilst you travel, you can use it in the departure lounge, and whilst you collect your luggage. You can even use it on flights, if it fits airline Health and Safety policies. That’s before you start your actual holiday!

sling on beach

Practicalities of pushchairs

I’ve used pushchairs a lot, but they have their limitations. Anyone who has tried to push one over sandy or pebbled beaches knows this well! Slings can help you carry baby and bags across beaches, up mountains, along cliff paths and into many of the otherwise less accessible areas you might want to venture.

Warmer weather- here and abroad

For more options check our articles – Keeping Cool When Carrying in Summer, Buckles When It’s Boiling and Wrapping in Warmer Weather

We have cool versions

Many carriers have a “cool” version designed for hot weather, with mesh panels, or made from light, breatheable fabrics. Tula Coasts, Integra Solars, Ergobaby mesh and Beco Cools are just a few carriers specially designed for warmer weather. They fit just like the standard versions of these slings, but are cooler, which can be just what you need when travelling.

You can also get gauze wraps and ring slings; designed to be light and cool, such as Calin Bleu, and linen and hemp woven wrap blends. We have all of these slings and carriers are available to hire from us, here at It’s A Sling Thing.

Single layer carries and carriers

Sometimes, it isn’t all about having a special cool version of a sling. Try a single layer carry in a woven wrap. This minimises the “every layer of sling counts as a layer of clothing” principle. Ring slings are another single layer option. Additionally, buckle carriers, onbuhimos, with the additional advantage of having no waistband, and meh dais can be good options for hot weather.

sling on the beach sunhats

Hot weather tips

There are things you can do to keep you and your baby in a sling cool in hot weather, whether travelling or at home:

  • you can add damp muslins between you and baby,
  • dampen your top to allow for cooling by evaporation.
  • in very warm weather a baby may only need to wear a nappy inside the carrier,
  • drape a muslin over bare skin to shade it from the sun
  • avoid covering a baby’s face: this restricts airflow
  • use large sunhats on you and baby for extra shade for their face

Carrying older kids

beco toddler whitby abbey steps slings stairs wompat nimbus kokadi rainbow stars preschool preschooler family time love sunshine

Maybe your children are older and walk most of the time. However, big kids often get tired trudging back from the beach after long days building sandcastles, or fishing in rockpools. Buggies are a nightmare on sand and trying to push one up the cliff path, well, it can take the rosy glow off the day. We have carriers to suit every scenario, in sizes from newborn through toddler to pre-schooler. We have slings to fit children of every age and size.

Ring slings and buckle carriers can be quick options for children who might want to be carried for short periods. Children often want to go up and down a lot. For this reason it’s handy to have a compact carrier to pop in a bag, or a carrier you can wear around your waist, until needed.

To read more check our article spotlight on toddler carrying

Festivals and camping

Lots of our hires at this time of year are for people off to festivals. People seem to love the colourful buckle carriers and ring slings, which don’t have long straps or tails that might get muddy, and the bright wraps and mei dais, because its a great excuse to wrap with all the colours of the rainbow, and, whilst we ask you don’t usually wash our carriers, or at least contact us if you need to, most carriers wash pretty well, so you don’t need to worry too much about a bit of mud!

Cooler climates and sudden chills

Of course not every holiday is a hot weather holiday, and we have lots of carrier covers, such as Bundlebeans. You can hire these as an accessory still. They can help cover every eventuality if you’re hit by an unexpected chill, or when holidaying in cooler climates.

Whether you’re off to a theme park and want to do quick ups and downs for comfort and keeping hold of them in queues. Whether you are heading off the beaten track, or for a busy city break; whatever age your baby or child, and whatever your activity, we’ve got a sling to meet your travel needs.

You can hire here, or get in touch and we can help you choose!

Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Family activities, Why carry
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