Feeding away from home without a kitchen

At home a feed is a routine. In a car park it is logistics. This is the setup we would pack from our own shelves, and the reasoning behind each piece.

Take the light bottles

This is the trip our PP bottles were made for. A glass 8 oz is a fine object on a kitchen counter and a brick in a rucksack; the PP version does the same feed at a fraction of the weight, and a scuff from a pavement drop is cosmetic, not terminal.

Carry powder, not mixed formula

Mixed formula does not keep well in a warm bag. Our stackable dispenser holds three pre-measured servings of powder in separate compartments, so out of the house the job shrinks to: water in bottle, one compartment in, shake. It also pours cereal snacks once the formula stage passes.

From six months: the straw cup

The 9 oz straw cup earns its seat because of the weighted straw. The weight follows the water when the cup tips, which is to say it works at the angles a car seat and a buggy actually produce. Handles are moulded on for self-service.

The rest of the bag

• One spare nipple in the current level, in a clean pouch.
• A silicone sleeve on the bottle if small hands will be holding it in transit.
• Caps screwed on firmly; every bottle we make seals with its cap for carrying.

Wash everything as usual when you are back; the care note covers the routine.