I took this photo after we returned from our last trip to the states. What can I say? Our old trusty backpack -- the usual carry-on of choice -- is not well equipped to deal with the messes that traveling with kids brings.

Written by Kayt Sukel

Scarcely a week goes by that I don't receive a glossy full-color travel gear catalog in the mail. Do you get these? The ones that sell disposable underwear, dual voltage single cup coffee makers, and electronic translators?

Written by Jamie Pearson

Thank you to the 241 people who entered our kids' travel gizmos giveaway---holy cow! We've got winners.

Written by travelsavvymom

We are standing in a Barcelona farmacia, relieved to have finally found one that is open during siesta hours. The pharmacist is squinting at the fine print on a container of children's fever reducer as my husband uses his Blackberry to try to convert our son's weight from pounds to kilograms.

Written by Rebecca Tompkins

Here's a fun travel tip: If you really want to get to know a city, accidentally leave your stroller at home. Even if your 3-year-old gamely keeps up the pace for a while, he's bound to lose it completely and demand a place to rest eventually.

Written by Rebecca Tompkins

Here's a travel hack so head-slappingly obvious, I can't believe I didn't think of it myself: When traveling in developing countries, leave any unwanted clothing in your last hotel with a note for housekeeping telling them it's a donation.

Written by Jamie Pearson

I have a good friend whose father is an otologist (an ear doctor who specializes in hearing loss). When she was growing up, he made her and her three sisters wear ear plugs every time they dried their hair with a blowdryer. "Hearing loss is cumulative," he used to tell them, as he bought earplugs by the case.

Written by Jamie Pearson

In a perfect world, none of us would ever have to lift a finger on vacation. Other people would do the cooking, the cleaning, and--above all--the laundry. I don't know about you, but I don't live in a perfect world.

Written by Jamie Pearson

For the most part, ask me about travel gear and I'll just blow a raspberry at you. In my experience, the only difference between a $30 stroller and a $150 stroller - at least after a particularly gifted baggage handler is done with it -- is how much you have to pay to replace it. But that was before I found the Kelty Convertible.

Written by Kayt Sukel

This next tip is brought to you by my mother-in-law, a woman with both travel sense and fashion sense. And I’m not just saying that because she’s got lots of nice jewelry and no daughters of her own.

Written by Jamie Pearson