Younger ones require more stuff, do worse with small inconveniences and aren’t big enough to carry their own luggage. Minimizing weight and maximizing space is especially important for traveling families. Our top packing hacks for families will teach you how to do both with style.
1. Pack for one week
No matter how long your vacation is, pack for just one week. Almost every destination you’d want to visit with your kids has a laundromat you can use, and those that don’t still have a sink and somewhere to hang wet clothes on a makeshift clothesline. For a two-week trip, this cuts your clothes luggage in half. Bonus points for renting lodgings with on-site laundry access.
While you’re at it, limit yourself to two pairs of shoes—maximum. Resist the temptation for extra pairs, as they add a lot of space to an already-full bag. Since you’ll all be wearing one pair already, that means you’re only packing one pair of shoes.
2. Buy items upon arrival
Tim Ferris recommends this packing hack even for solo travelers, but for a family, it makes even more sense. Here is a list of bulky, inexpensive items that take up too much room in your luggage:
- Toothpaste
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body wash
- Non-vital medicines like Pepto-Bismol or Advil
- A weather-appropriate hat
- Deodorant
- Contact lens solution
- Sunblock
- Towels
- Umbrellas
- Books and magazines (but see below, too)
Some experts even suggest leaving behind t-shirts and weather-appropriate jackets, in favor of buying those once you arrive.
The value here is that you spend the money that you probably would spend on baggage fees to stock up once you reach your destination. For one person, the math doesn’t always work out, but when a family of four shares one tube of toothpaste and a bottle of shampoo, it makes a real difference.
If you buy any permanent items like a towel, umbrella or hat, it can double as a souvenir when you get home if you have space in your luggage. If not, find a spot to donate them to.
3. Use packing cubes
The benefits of using packing cubes are many. They include subdividing your packing space, organizing items by person, compressing bulky items into a smaller space and providing easy storage space for incidentals while you’re away.
But the most important benefit of this packing hack is that cubes help limit how much you can take with you. Give each family member a certain amount of cubic inches for their stuff and stick to that limit. If the kids are old enough to pack for themselves, it keeps their expectations reasonable. If not, it helps prevent you from overpacking what you think you should bring for your little ones.
Packing cubes are more durable, hold more and tend to fit more naturally in most luggage than something like a plastic zippered bag. Given that they will last longer, they are also more environmentally friendly.
4. Max out your personal items
Even though your four-year-old doesn’t actually need a handbag full of personal items, it doesn’t mean she shouldn’t carry one on if it’s included in the ticket price. After all, the amount of “personal items” a family can bring onboard can add up to a whole wheeled-bag’s worth of supplies. Bringing carry-ons for everyone saves a lot of space in your checked luggage for other things.
Plus, you never know what distractions you’ll need on the plan when you’re flying with babies or younger kids. Maxing out what you bring onboard will ensure you have every possible toy, pacifier and shiny object you may need.
So, if your ticket includes a free carry-on for everybody, take advantage. You’ll be almost certain to pay for one less checked bag than if you didn’t use this perk.
5. Bring empty bags
One truth of packing for family travel is that the packing that’s optimal for air travel rarely resembles the packing needed for your daily outings. That’s why you should pack a simple, empty backpack or tote with your other luggage. During your trip, it can serve as your day bag, filled with items you’ll need while you’re out exploring.
At the end of your trip, the empty bag can become an extra carry-on for the unavoidable overflow of things you bought during your stay. Between souvenirs, reduced organization, and simple packing fatigue, you always need more room on the way home than you did on the way there. The empty bag makes that easier.
6. Select a variety of clothing items
When planning what to pack, it’s better to pick a week’s worth of outfits that work just about anywhere than to pack anything that’s only appropriate on one or two occasions.
For example, leave the board shorts and t-shirts and the sport coat and suit pants at home. Instead, pack a pair of durable slacks and a button-up shirt that would work equally well for trekking the jungle or sitting down for a formal dinner.
This packing hack is just as important for shoes. We already said to limit yourself to two pairs, but don’t make one of them your rock-climbing shoes or a pair of formal high heels. One should be your best, most comfortable walking shoes, and the other should be suitable for the most likely activities on your trip. Usually, this means a pair of comfy flip flops, slightly more formal shoes for dress events or good hiking boots.
7. Learn to love your tablets
Do not pack books, magazines, work papers, coloring books, crossword puzzles or any other kind of print media. Instead, pack a tablet (if needed, for each person), fully loaded with the media they’ll want to interact with on the trip.
Even hardened bibliophiles have to admit that on vacation, an ebook reader is far better than the stack of novels you used to have to carry. This may mean an initial investment for a tablet, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Just to be safe, pack an extra charger along with them. Somebody’s going to lose one.
Bonus packing hack: The hidden stuffed animal
This tip isn’t about maximizing your packing mojo or minimizing your load. It’s about peace of mind for your youngest family members. It’s not right for many families, but can be an absolute lifesaver for those who need it.
If you have a little one with a special stuffed friend, losing that friend during the chaos of travel can be devastating, and make much of your trip less fun for everybody while your child learns their first lesson in dealing with grief.
Before you embark, if at all possible, get an identical copy of that favorite stuffy. Hide it in an opaque bag someplace in your luggage. If the original stuffy gets lost, damaged or so dirty you need to wash it, “find” the toy and mend your child’s broken heart.
Final thoughts
Traveling with the whole family is a joyful experience, but stressful enough even without luggage issues. By following the packing hacks we’ve listed above, you can eliminate most of those hassles. We’re not saying it will make your family vacation entirely stress-free, but it will provide some relief so you can solve other problems faster and be able to concentrate on building lasting memories for you and your loved ones instead.
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