Originally Posted by
endrond
Somewhat on this topic: if you travel a lot, I'd strongly advise looking in to the Baby Bjorn "Travel Crib Light".
It is substantially lighter and less bulky than a pack & play. And it's a damn nice crib -- in fact, it has been our 2 1/2 yo daughter's only crib, both at home and on the road, for the past 18 months. (I should note that she's not much of a climber....even after she learned to climb out she has apparently decided that she doesn't want to).
Of course, it is more expensive. I resisted buying one, but my wife insisted, and it was a very very good decision.
+1 on everything above. This has become my 2-year-olds permanent crib at home in addition to her travel crib, and for whatever reason, she has no interest in trying to climb out (even though I think she could if she wanted to...). It's not cheap (about $250), but it has been worth 10x its cost in convenience. It's about 2 linear inches bigger than the maximum allowed for carry-ons, but I've only ever had to check it once (for reasons unrelated to its size)
On top of all that, it's a high-quality product -- it feels and looks really nice, and seems to be really well-made. The whole thing is only 11 lbs and can be set up and broken down in about a minute with very little practice.