Kate's Take Travels - Family Packing Tips

I don't know about y'all but packing and unpacking my kids is probably my least favorite thing about taking a vacation. The piles of laundry when we get home are a close second. We're about to embark on a road trip from the Midwest to the Southeast so I wanted to share some of my favorite tips on making packing and unpacking a more seamless and organized process. It's easy to make far more than you need while traveling (especially when traveling by car) so read on for my TAKE.

For all family trips we use one of these Rolling Adventure L.L. Bean duffels. It simplifies things to have everyone's clothes in one XL duffel vs five separate suitcases. We call these L.L. Bean duffels our "family suitcase" and they truly are. The duffels are lightweight, fit a ton and are malleable if you need to fit them into an odd space for example; our rooftop car carrier. While it is awesome to have all of our clothes in one bag it can be a pain to find all articles of clothing. I mean without fail, someone's sock goes missing and it takes me 5 minutes to locate in the suitcase. This year I wised up and bought these adorable Oh Joy! for CALPAK packing cubes. I plan to use one cube for each child, one for their shoes and then another for baby essentials like diapers and wipes. I can't wait to hand them their cube upon arrival in our destination! The packing cubes also hold me accountable; no overpacking allowed!

Aside from our XL L.L. Bean duffel which will be packed up in our Thule Carrier I do pack a separate family bag in the car.  Our upcoming trip will require an overnight on the road so I will pack our astutely named, "hotel bag" with pajamas, a change of clothes, swimsuits and toiletries. For times when I am not packing minimal items I prefer to use either an L.L. Bean Hunter's Tote or a Lands' End Canvas Tote Bag. Both options are great but I have to admit the pockets inside the Lands' End tote are really useful. Toiletries are one of the last things I pack and I'm excited as I finally ordered a couple more inexpensive white waffle bags for the kids. I had these personalized at a local shop and I'm certain this will help me better organize their hair accessories, toothbrushes, toothpaste and most importantly Motrin.

While we don't pack individual suitcases for each child the older two are allowed to bring a backpack. For travel we use these Herschel Supply Co. Kid's Heritage backpacks and the kids have coined them their "travel backpacks." The packs are on the smaller size so they are perfect when we are limited on space like in the car or on a plane etc. They do fit a fair amount of items i.e. a lovie, books, headphones, snacks etc...it's just that I may not recommend this specific size for school. Our youngest isn't quite walking yet so while she doesn't have her own backpack she does have a travel accessory of her own. It's the 3 Sprouts Play Mat Bag. I literally throw a few toys in here fold it up and carry it along. It's very light, well made and comes in adorable designs. I'm looking forward to using it this trip especially during our hotel overnights.

When traveling by car I pack two bags to sit up shotgun with me. One bag is for our laptops, ipads and reading materials while the other bag is a backpack that is full of the kids snacks, sunglasses, my wallet and an Oh Joy! Band Aid Brand FIrst Aid Kit. I love to keep diaper changing essentials in this kit as well as some first aid items like Band Aids and Neosporin. The backpack is key when you need to quick run into a rest area for a bio break.

While my packing has improved over the years, one thing I have yet to master is a packing list template. Our destinations and travel durations always change so I have never taken the time to make one on my own. If you're looking for free printable packing lists for your next adventure I would recommend the site Travel Mama's as there are varying packing lists available based on the age of your child. Hopefully, I'll find the time to make my own for our next adventure! 

I hope some of these tips will be useful for your next family adventure. Happy Travels!