Most of us prefer to travel light, but just think of how often you’ve tried to minimize your diaper bag, only to find yourself caught short when you’re out with an unhappy baby. The fact is, the longer your trip, the more likely you are to need special gear that will make the experience more enjoyable for the traveling tot as well as for you. Here are five items that might just feel like lifesavers.

1. Chicco Ct0.6 Capri Lightweight Stroller

Earlier this month, American Airlines introduced a strict new stroller policy: Forget about boarding with any stroller over 20 pounds. Knowing the games airlines play, American will only be the first to limit you. So, if you plan to fly in the near (or further) future, you’ll probably want a ride for your little one that’s lightweight but still sturdy, easy to maneuver and comfortable to handle. Oh, and inexpensive. And with at least a few useful features. At just 11 pounds, and with some underseat carrying space, good swivel wheels and a $64 price tag, the Chicco does the job better than any other lightweight strollers we’ve looked at.

Check out at Amazon

2. Tots Away travel bottle warmer

Outside of breast milk, there’s nothing better than a bottle of warm milk to put an unhappy baby or toddler to sleep on a long trip. But wait. You kept the milk cold so it would stay fresh! Give the baby that bottle and you’ll have a frantic baby instead of a dozing one. Prince Lionheart reusable bottle warmer to the rescue. Since it requires no plug-in (not even batteries), you can use it on flights as well as in the car. Like the packs that sports doctors use on injured limbs, it heats up when you activate it by pressing, heats the milk when you wrap it around the bottle, and can be reused over and over. The pack takes about 15 minutes to heat milk from icy cold.

Available at Amazon

3. PRI Folding Potty

Kiddo’s gotta go, but – panic! – she’s scared to go on that strange toilet even with you holding her, and she doesn’t do diapers any more as of last week. The PRI folding potty with handles is made for your child. She’ll like the fact that it feels stable enough to make her comfortable, you’ll like that it has little handles for her to hold on to – meaning she doesn’t have to hold on to the who-knows-how-dirty seat. Another plus: it folds really small and can fit into your tote bag.

$8.09 at Amazon

4. Trendy Kid Totseat

Don’t feel like traveling with a high chair or bulky booster seat? This relatively new invention fits over pretty much any chair to turn it into a safe spot at the table for a baby who can sit up and is under 40 pounds. It has a five-point harness, and you can fold it up and put in your purse when you’re done. Buy one for your travels, and you’ll be sure to use it year-round for restaurant trips and visits to friends.

Available at Amazon

5. Kidz Gear Wired Headphones for Kids

Sure, you could buy cheaper headphones to help your toddler or preschooler stay entertained for hours while you admire the scenic route. You could also buy cuter headphones. But if you want these babies to do the job they’re intended for – keep kiddo quiet – the Kidz Gear Wired Headphones are the ones. They won’t break the first time your child decides to examine how they work. They won’t amplify the noise of the car or plane the way some cheap ones do. They won’t permanently damage your tot’s hearing while you zone out, because you can limit the volume before you even leave the house. And in fact, they’ll sound so good, you might even want to borrow them when your little one finally decides to catch some Zs. Good for 18 months and up, on average.

Available at Amazon