Pack Like a Pro: Family Edition
Family vacation (Thinkstock)
About 10 years ago I was working full-time as a travel writer for a magazine, and I was a chronic overpacker. Because I spent so much time on the road, I wanted my hotel rooms to feel like home, so I packed everything — and I do mean everything. I bought the biggest suitcase I could find and routinely filled it with multiple pairs of shoes, different outfits, eye creams, day creams, and night creams, as well as more than one coat. I was obsessed by all the “what if” scenarios. What if it’s too cold? Too hot? What if my shoe breaks a heel or someone spills red wine on my white shirt? Better bring two of everything!
Fast- forward to 2015, and I’m now juggling two young kids along with working as a travel writer. We travel about once a month as a family, and to save my sanity, as well as my back, I have learned how to streamline my packing and make it quick and efficient. Here are 10 tips I’ve found that make family travel easier.
1. Create a master packing list
Make a master packing list organized by each family member. Save it on your computer, and update it often. Include everything you need, especially obvious things, such as diapers and underwear, as well as the little things that are often forgotten, such as camera chargers. Add a seasonal section for beach or winter trips. The key is to consult the list each time you pack. Don’t think you need to? Well, when you travel to a small Scottish town and realize you forgot to pack your underwear — and the only store in town sells old lady undergarments — you, too, will learn to always, always consult the list.
2. Get color-coded packing cubes
Dot & Dot’s packing cubes are highly rated on Amazon. (Amazon)
If we’re going away for the weekend, we pack everything in one suitcase, but four people’s clothing in one bag can quickly become a big, tangled mess, and it’s impossible to find tiny items like toddler socks. The solution? Each family member gets color-coded packing cubes to corral their items and make sure pint-sized T-shirts don’t get lost. If it’s a short trip, I never unpack clothes in the hotel room to save time. For longer trips, I will use compression bags — you can squeeze a ton of clothes in these bags. Just stuff them with clothes, roll them up, and squeeze out the air. The size of the bag shrinks down by half or more.
Related: Why I Book a Small Hotel Room and Other Travel Tips from Drew Barrymore
3. Create an on-the-road medicine bag
As a mother, I dread the 3 a.m. onset of a fever or a newfound allergy while in a remote hotel. I created my own emergency medical kit in a little zippered bag that is always stocked: It has a thermometer, Benadryl, children’s Tylenol, Aquaphor, a Neutrogena sunblock stick, and Neosporin, as well as a Imodium, Tums, Sudafed, and Advil for adults, so we have just about everything covered. The key here is to only use this bag when you travel and keep it stocked and ready to be thrown in your suitcase, so you don’t have to think about it for every trip.
4. Have a travel-only toiletry bag
This L.L. Bean version is wipeable. (L.L. Bean)
The same rule applies to my toiletry bag, which is always stocked and ready to go with everything that my children and I need for a trip. My favorite is this L.L. Bean bag because it’s wipeable, has tons of compartments, and can hang off a hook. To save yourself from hunting down all your products the night before a trip, buy an extra set of toothbrushes, kid’s toothpaste, deodorant, and such, and leave them in the bag. Do not touch them before a trip! And never buy travel-sized products unless they can be refilled, such as this bottle of Johnson’s Baby Wash or this facial cleanser from Dermalogica. I top off the bottles after every trip. Stock up on clear plastic bottles with labels for your basics like shampoo, and buy one moisturizer the whole family can use, such as gentle CeraVe.
5. Streamline toys and gadgets
This is a good sketch pad from Melissa & Doug. (Google)
After carting around Legos, minicars, Leap Pads, and multiple coloring books, I learned my lesson. After a long day of sightseeing or playing at the beach, kids are too tired to play with piles of toys, and who needs to hunt for Legos under a hotel bed? When we travel, I limit my kids to a handful of items that will help them engage with the trip, such as a slim sketchpad, so they can draw what they see, a small zippered pencil case full of markers, or a kid’s digital camera. My kids also love maps and pretending to navigate. Beyond that, they are only allowed one comfort toy each, two books for bedtime stories, as well as the all-important iPad. All of it fits inside a backpack that my 6-year-old carries.
6. Treat your car like a suitcase
Keep your trunk stocked. (Thinkstock)
We love road trips for the ease of throwing everyone in the car and just going — plus driving is almost always cheaper than flying. Think of your trunk as an extra suitcase, and keep a bag stashed there that is always stocked with a spare set of clothes per child, just in case of an accident (remember to change it seasonally), as well as diapers and wipes if needed. I also keep a portable folding potty (just in case!), a First Aid kid kit, paper towels, and lots of plastic bags. As the parent of a puker, I have often been grateful for the extra paper towels and bags.
Related: 2 People 1 Suitcase: Packing Tips From a Pro
7. Bring your own charging station
Extra charging capability always comes in handy. (Apple Store)
We try to limit the number of electronics we take on a trip, but multiple iPhones, iPads, and cameras mean a lot of cords — and a fight for hotel room outlets, which are almost always in short supply. Bring your own power strip to make sure everything can be charged simultaneously in your hotel room, and buy chargers that run off your car’s lighter for road trips.
8. Find on-the-go versions of whatever nutritious snacks your kids will eat
Squeeze packs are perfect for travel. (Justin’s)
Unless you’re traveling for weeks, a short trip is not the time to ensure that your children eat three portions of veggies a day. (That can wait until you’re back home). To save your sanity, just be honest about what you know your kids will eat, and stock up to avoid mealtime meltdowns. My 3-year-old is going through a stage of only eating almond-butter sandwiches, and these single-serve pouches of Justin’s Almond Butter are a lifesaver. Does your kid only crave Cheddar Bunnies? Just go with it. A weekend trip is not the time to try to get young kids to eat new foods.
9. Utilize easy-to-clean crafts on the plane
Painter’s tape and Post-its are fun to play with but come off without residue. (FrogTape)
I tackle long flights the way I tackled childbirth — prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and know that it will be over in a matter of hours. Every parent knows to bring a spare set of clothes per family member, but more ammo is needed on a long flight. A friend tipped me off to bringing painter’s tape and a few stacks of Post-its on the plane — they’re cheap, colorful, and easy to peel off. Pack a long shawl, which can keep you warm and will double as a fort-building material for your kids. If you’re going on a long-haul flight, stock up before your trip on little toys from a dollar store (so they’re disposable), and dole them out as needed. Wrapping them up like a gift will add a layer of fun for kids. A great onboard craft kit is Crayola’s Color Wonder pads and markers — the pens only work on special paper, so they’re mess-free and stain-free.
10. Stock up on zip-close baggies
I can’t begin to say how much I love Ziploc bags for traveling — in quart, gallon, and snack sizes. They’re ideal for corralling small items your kids might accumulate along the way, like restaurant crayons or souvenirs, or messy things, like sunscreen and makeup brushes. Put some in your carry-on in case you need to store wet or puked-on clothes, and keep a stash handy for organizing and doling out snacks. Some of my mom friends pack complete outfits (down to socks and underwear) and store each one in a labeled Ziploc bag.
WATCH: Brittany’s Travel Hacks: This Packing Method Means No Checked Bags
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