TB parents, need a list! Help

[ssjones]

This will be my second travel ball season coming up. I'd like to be better prepared and start collecting things over the winter. I will have DDs in 10u and 12U. What should be on my checklist for every travel ball tournament? Never liked Girl Scouts because I lack being prepared!!

 

[klamath632]

Comfortable fold-up chairs.
Big umbrella for shade.
Small cooler for DD's water and your refreshing drinks.
Wagon to carry all of the above in.
Big cooler in the mothership to hold lunch and to hold refills for the small cooler between games.
optional/extra credit: solar-powered phone charger so your phone doesn't run out of power scoring all of those games.

 

[crd1998]

Folding Utility Cart, purchased mine at Cosco.

10'X10' pop up tent with wind screen that covers three sides. Screen can block wind on a cold day or sun on a hot day.Blanket and tarp to lay on ground beneath tent. Tarp is used on wet days to keep the blanket( sleeping bag if weather dictates) dry.

Comfortable folding chairs.

 

[canyonjoe]

supply kit with Sunscreen, bug spray, band-aids, aloe,etc.
popup shade
Mitt repair kit
Most important is a sense of humor, never leave for a tournament without.

 

[kenb63]

After 6 years of TB I started to go the minimalist route.

*One comfortable but sturdy folding chair with shoulder sling.
*Small carryable-by-one-hand cooler with enough space for a couple Gatorades for DD, a couple Iced Teas for Dad, a couple snack bars and some ibuprofen.
*Swiss Army Knife.
*Smart phone and chargers. Weather and location services a must.
*Non-softball distraction for down times. DD and I would bring lacrosse sticks and play catch, or go geocaching using apps on our phones.

I gave up on setting up camp about 8th grade. By Senior year I was down to the above list. Recon and getting there early is key.

I should mention that by the time we had been doing this for several years my car was basically a rolling softball supply closet. Tape, pre-wrap, hairbands, spare bats, gloves, socks, enough dirt to resurface most of the infield, etc. could be found in my trunk.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Extra batteries and memory card for the camera.

Extra clothes, underwear, teenage sanitary products, wet wipes, rag, shoe strings, plastic bag for ice pack, something to keep you busy in between games (books, games, crossword puzzles.) Hair ties, small scissors, kleenex, toilet paper. Haha. I just walk around the house and throw stuff into a box.

 

[YOCOACH]

We always bring the following: 10x10 pop-up tent with sides, 2 sturdy camping chairs, a large cooler which has drinks and lunch makings, a mid-size cooler for DD's drinks during games, a small cooler full of icewater and DD's Frog Togg, an old blanket for under the tent, two large golf umbrellas, a small duffel bag which includes a first-aid kit, icy-hot, chemical cold-packs, sunscreen, Click-it heating pads and Aleve, cell phones/car chargers and a large collapsible wagon to pull it in.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

It sounds like we all belong to one of those "doomsday" groups.

 

[marriard]

I have gone more and more simplistic over the years. As a coach I have to also bring bownets, tees, dugout organizer, wiffles, heavy balls, etc as well.

If it looks like an all day thing we talk as a team about who is bringing the popup tents (you only need 2-3 that way). Don't cheap out on the pop up canopy- spend the extra dollars on the heavier, higher quality ones. I like the Coleman Slant Leg one - goes up and down easy and is the last to be blown over so you have time to tie it down extra while everyone else is chasing their $60 Quest canopy around.

Big cooler with heavy duty wheels you can sit on (sit right on the 'do not sit on the lid' notice). Fruit salad, water, snacks + two Mueller ice bags which are essential.

Standard Ball Bucket with a Easton or Diamond Sports Coaches Bucket Sleeve/Cover
(contains: First aid kit in a large tackle soft bag, catchers glove, sunscreen, pencils, sunflower seeds, a few balls, super glue, sunglasses and other misc stuff). You can fit a lot of stuff in a bucket and the sleeve.

This cart: Farm & Ranch 400lb cart
(Cart stinks when you buy it because it is made of some sort of pot metal (or "steel" as they dubiously claim) - it goes away after a week or two of use)

My DD pulls the cooler and dumps her gear bag in the cart (only time she doesn't carry her own equipment).

We sit on the cooler and the bucket so we don't even bring chairs any more. Lots of stuff in the car (repair kits, balls, tees,

 

[guero_gordo]

All good advice, a few specifics I've learned:
Spent the extra bucks for the fat guy sized REI chair 3 years ago. I've replaced it 4-5x under lifetime warranty and only payed $10 once when the price went up.
Brand-name 8' sport umbrella. Current one is by SKILZ. I use carabiners or ties to lash it to my chair when the ground is too hard.
"lipstick" phone recharger has saved my butt way too many times.
Cheap wide grass hats blow the doors off baseball caps except when it's windy.
You can never have too much cash, water, shade, or too many napkins.