BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Travel tips for the tournament season

I'm curious about what all you other parents bring along for the weekends away (also trying to refresh my memory!). The things that work for you, tricks you've learned, that sort of thing.

For me, besides the obvious chair, umbrella and coolers (one for me with wheels and a small one for the player with her water and a cold washcloth), my #1 priority is getting a mini-fridge in my room. That's not always possible but it is so helpful when I am the lucky one. I can re-freeze the ice packs I left home with. We all know the ice wars that go on, so the corollary is getting a room NOT by the ice machines so you don't get woken up to ice traffic before dawn.

It's also good to avoid the elevators. The fact is, kids are going to be roaming the halls and if you've got the early game and are trying to sleep, it's going to be hard. I have a white noise app on my phone that really helps drown out hallway noise.

I don't like to use plastic water bottles, partly because I've heard that when they sit in a hot car, they leach chemicals into the water. I buy gallons of spring water, lug them into the room, and fill reusable bottles for the day.

My daughter is not a big breakfast eater and I am not a chipper morning person so we bring breakfast with us. Usually muffins, yogurt and fruit, and I make the coffee in the room. I've found grapes to be the best fruit to travel with. Melon is only good the first day unless you're really careful and don't let it get squished in transit.

I bring packets of trail mix from Costco, some yogurt if I know we'll get that fridge, and Pringles because the cannisters prevent crushing. Whatever else is around the house and looks like it can travel without causing a huge mess and/or getting ruined comes too.

As for traffic, we are all screwed living on LI. I now am far more familiar than I'd like to be with alternate routes. <grimace> I will recommend a new traffic/nav app. It's called Waze and users input data as they go along, so you get real-time traffic and alerts to road hazards: cops, debris, accidents, cars on the shoulder, construction, etc. It's a power-suck though, so keep your phone charging as you go and make sure to shut it off when you're done using it.

If you're traveling with a teenager, as I am, good luck and God bless. LOL

Bring Baby Powder!!!!!

That's a new one for me. What do you use the powder for?

I like to seperate any food or snacks from the main compartment of the cooler in zip lock bags or old plastic grocery bags so it doesn't get wet as the ice in the cooler melts.

Plenty of ice in the big cooler. I always know where the ice machine is. The extra ice is always useful for those who don't bring enough or cool players off.

Smaller personal size cooler for water bottles and food that doesn't go into the shared team pool.

Frozen wash clothes/towels to cool off players during the day.

Plenty of Advil/Aleve for headaches during the day.

Extra socks/cleats for my son and myself. The grass fields are always wet during the morning games and tends to be cut high.

Hats, suntan lotion, bug spay.

Was that word play with your screen name???
Anyway, lots of laughs reading your advice as it all rings true. Also try freezing some of your water bottles and juices boxes, first they act as ice, when they defrost they become beverages, this save a lot of space in cooler.

1> Pack adult cooler

2> Bring mad mnney

3> Leave your wife home

We travel with a teen years pre teen and toddler- still in diapers in tow. You do not even want to know what our car looks like before we leave- we are lucky we can sit in it. he toddler travels with the most! Thanks for the reminders on the frozen wash cloths!

Oh boy, I remember the days of traveling with a toddler (or two) in tow and I don't envy you doing the tourney journey with one. I used to be a heavy packer until I had to make room for baby/toddler gear, that cured me quick!

Surge protector/powerstrip for all the electronics, air mattress, collapsable wagon from BJ's has been helpful, extra cleats and socks, extra mouthguard, ........

I forgot the Purex 3-in-1 sheets, one sheet is detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheet. No spill, very lightweight, no space taken up, very portable.

These are great ideas everyone, thanks for playing along! I got my memory jogged about a number of things that are key, like ziploc bagging food items in the cooler so they don't get soggy from melting ice.

As a girls team coach for almost a decade, let me share these items that were always in my coach's bag :

[1] Complete first aid kit (Johnson&Johnson $20 type)
[2] Chemical ice packs
[3] Hair ties
[4] Extra jerseys, shorts, socks
[5] Extra towels (dry to start)
[6] Advil/tylenol
[7] Extra copies of directions between fields
[8] Extra copies of schedules
[9] Extra case of water
[10] Jumper cables (for parents cars in the parking lot)
[11] Headbands
[12] Sun screen
[13] Lip balm (multiple tubes)

On the food front, we always found that a couple dozen bananas along with a dozen oranges were good to replenish nutrients in the two hour breaks between matches.

Oh Powder, you were always a "Pirate" at heart, weren't you? :-)

Once a Pirate, always a Pirate! My laxer was a pirate fan in a baby sling and now the pirate is away and can't come cheer for the laxer. She keeps track of these things.

I admit it ... this brought a smile to my face.

Chairs

Almost forgot the most important thing. Big plastic bag to airlock stinky cleats in. Essential for the car ride, especially on the way home after a hot, wet tournament.