The Travel Essential You’re Not Packing But Should Be (So Clever!)

Traveling with little ones isn’t for the faint of heart. Sure, you’ll have fun and make great family memories, but you’re also guaranteed to experience some face-palm moments. Like when you’re trying to set up your baby monitor in a cramped hotel room.

I’ve propped my monitor up on a shoe, precariously angled it off of an armchair, and even hooked it to a lamp pole to make sure I could actually see my kids while they napped. 

That’s why I was so intrigued by this ingenious solution from mom Hannah Rose Hess (@hannahrosehess) on TikTok. 

In the video, Hess suggests packing a tripod to prop up your camera — there’s no need for a shoe, armchair, or any other random accessory to help get the angle just right.

“By far one of the smartest things I’ve ever thought to do is put our baby monitor on a tripod,” she says in the video. “Anytime we leave town, I stick it up on here and the angle’s literally perfect. And then I always know I’ll have something to put the camera on.”

Hess adds in the caption that this hack allows her to “put the crib wherever and still have the perfect angle every time!”

I was curious to read what people said in the comments — and I felt seen. “Oh, so you mean this is better than balancing it on a stack of pillows teetering on the edge of the bed just to only be able to see 30% of the pack and play sticking halfway out of the closet?” one person wrote. 

“I had to put mine on a cereal box for the week, and the angle was awful. This is genius!” another chimed in.

“Wait my mind is blown,” someone else said. “I have had this problem for three years and have never seen such a perfect hack!!!”

Every baby monitor is slightly different, making it important to choose a tripod that will work for your setup. But many have an adjustable top that will allow you to securely clamp in your camera base. If you like the idea of this hack, consider these options:

This inexpensive option has an adjustable clamp, along with a three-way head that tilts and swivels for that just-right angle. It comes with its own carrying bag, too.

Need something taller? The Victiv tripod adjusts to up to 74 inches and has adjustable clamps for your camera and your phone.