There are two types of travelers. There are those that travel light; and, there are those who pack for self-preservation.

Do you take a small bag with the basic essentials and figure you’ll pick stuff up as you go?

Or do you cram everything you can into every corner of an extra-large expandable bag, making sure that whatever comes your way on your trip, you are prepared?

Parents traveling with small children embody both extremes. They bring enough “kid gear,” emergency medicines, food and drink boxes, stuffed animals, and beloved story-books to keep the children satisfied for weeks. But they’re lucky if they get a toothbrush and a change of socks for themselves.

It is the Boy Scouts’ motto of “Be Prepared” vs. the new airline mantra of “you pay for every pound.” Once you are beyond th…