Traveling options with 4 kids

Just spent about an hour reading on these forums. Wondering if this will work -

DH and I are traveling with 4 kids in November - ages at that time and weights now -

DD 11 yr 70+ lbs - rides currently in TurboBooster
DS will be 8 yr 50+ lbs now - rides currently in Turbo Booster
DD will be almost 4 (6 weeks short) at the time and is 33 lbs now - rides RF Marathon
DD will be 1 and who knows how much she will weigh at the time - rides in Graco SafeSeat now and likely will then too.

We have family meeting us there - but their vehicle is not big enough to fit all of us so will rent a vehicle most likely. For options I was thinking

DD 11 yr - plane belt and car seatbelt
DS 8 yr - plane belt and Ride Safe Travel Vest (sz large old style) that we have
DD 4 yr - plane belt (?) and Ride Safe Travel Vest (sz small old style) that we have
DD 1 yr - either lap and gate check her SafeSeat - or have a seat with the people who are picking us up or buy her a seat and take the SafeSeat on the plane and in the car rental also.

I have the most questions about the 4 yr old and 1 yr old. Will the 4 yr old be fine in just the plane belt? For the 1 yr old, I haven't used the SafeSeat without the base - is it easy to secure in a plane and/or vehicle without the base?

Thanks for your help in advance!

For the 4 year old, probably will be fine in seatbelt on the plane at that age, though it may not tighten enough. That's one of the risks you take if you choose not to bring a seat for her.

For the baby, absolutely buy a seat. I would not gate-check or check a seat not packed in a protective, sturdy box or container after seeing what is sometimes done to gate-checked seats (I saw one fall off the plane and crash onto the ground, and be put back on the cart and wheeled away like nothing had happened...) The seat will install securely without the base in both plane and car pretty easily, it's a bit different but just practice at home (instead of pushing down, you want to get behind the seat, get the angle you want, and push IN to the back of the seat rather than down while tightening.) The baby will be much safer if you buy her a seat, and your sanity will thank you for having arranged a place to strap her in when you need it. If you absolutely cannot find any way to buy her a seat, well, I'd have the people at the other end pick up a Scenera.

I would also bring a backless booster for the 11 year old (and possibly the 8 year old-- really not much need for a vest unless he doesn't sit well or you have major space issues, which you shouldn't) and just carry it on, stow it in the bins or under the seat. Or if they are bringing a backpack, just put it in there-- they're old enough to carry their own stuff.

Oh, and be aware that the old size Small RSTV starts at 35 lbs. but really doesn't fit many kids at that weight-- more toward 38-40. So be aware that your 4 year old might not fit in it. I'd consider bringing the 4 year old's seat (and/or buying a different seat for the trip-- the Evenflo Maestro is cheap, light, and would be a cost-effective choice, or if you want to RF in the car, even the Safety 1st Avenue might do if she is still under 35 at that point.)

Thanks for your opinion. Just curious the recommendation of the backless boosters vs. the vests? Last time we traveled with the oldest 2 we had the vests and it worked really well and worked better than I would imagine hauling two extra carseats would've worked. I need to look up the weights on those - maybe the older two could use those and we could either bring the seats for the younger two or have our family have the seats with them?

Your 8 year old is probably too large for the size Small. (It goes up to 60 lbs. but kids who are actually close to that weight tend to be too tall for it and need the Large (which starts at 50.) There's no safety PROBLEM having the 8 year old in a vest vs. a booster-- just that it is more work to buckle in than a booster, so if you have a booster like the TurboBooster where you can take off the back and just bring the bottom part and the adjuster clip (speaking of TurboBoosters, you have the screws in, right?) I see no reason not to use the booster instead for a child that age, assuming she can sit properly, since it's easier.

The oldest child I would bring a booster for "just in case"-- I doubt the vest would fit at 70+ lbs. (it only goes to 80, I think?) but a backless booster is an easy thing to carry on to ensure proper belt fit, because a child who passes the 5-step test in one car may not in others, and you don't know what car you'll have or how he'll fit. Really a backless booster is no more work than a vest to carry on-- they take up around the same amount of space, though in different dimensions, and the backless won't weigh significantly more-- and is much easier to use.

My super skinny 4yo has fit fine in the plane seatbelts since he was 3 yo (the first time we tried it). I wouldn't worry about that. And since you have the vest, you can make sure it fits before you go. The two vests and then bring the SS1 sounds like a good plan. Will your 11yo fit fine in the car belt without a booster? Otherwise I'd bring the bottom of the turbo just in case.

There was a recent thread with a pic of someone's 30+ lb. kid in a CARES where the lap belt absolutely did NOT tighten enough. I wouldn't say it's not a concern at all. :twocents:

If you were going to have the people on the other end get seats, could they get a backless turbo or two? They are cheap and then you know you could booster the older 2 if the one doesn't fit the belt well.
As for the SS1, it is super easy to install without the base, I've never had any trouble with mine. It is a bit of a pain to get baby in & out of the seat if it's installed with a belt over the top but can be done.

Thanks for the input. We do have the screws in our turboboosters (I had to go check though). This gives me some good options to consider.