The last time our family did any major travel was in 2019 for a retirement trip to Hawaii with my parents where we made stops to visit extended family in 2 other states (Cali and Colorado). That was the first time we packed lightly (we had access to laundry in all locations) and it was FABULOUS!
Once our 2020 trip to Europe with extended family finally was rescheduled for this year, and with all the horror stories we had a been hearing about air travel, lost baggage, etc I knew we had to continue to pack light to avoid as many mishaps as possible. We stayed with family friends for 4 nights (with laundry), an airBNB for 1 night, a converted church for 7 nights (with laundry) and a hotel for 2 nights. We don’t plan to EVER go back to checking bags. You need less than you think. Pack neutral items for easy mixing and matching. We also registered for TSA Precheck which allows you to move through security much more quickly (think: no shoes off, don’t have to remove toiletries). Highly recommend and only the adults have to register.
Also, packing cubes work great for some, but I don’t feel the need for them and have always rolled clothing to minimize wrinkles and better see what I have.
My baseline packing list:
1-2ish pairs of pants
1-2 pairs of shorts/skirt
1 pajamas
1 swimsuit (kids brought goggles)
5-6ish tops
1 dress
1 sandals (dressy)
sneakers + socks
1-2 layers (cardigans, wraps - kids brought one sweatshirt each)
pashmina (for layering)
rain jacket + hat/sunglasses
toiletries + meds
Our family of 5 had 5 carry-ons and 5 personal bags (backpacks).
The kids backpacks held their travel activities/books/stuffies/headphones/snacks/water bottles.
Hardest part is the boys shoes are BIG and take up lots of space. They wore the bulkiest pair, but had one other option plus flip flops in their carry-ons. We also had to prepare for various weather - warmer things for Scotland (I took the kids winter coats because I worried hikes may be very chilly - they were not used). It ended up being one of the hottest weeks in London and we really could have used a couple more summer outfits (tank tops) because things were sweaty and smelly (no AC there!). Also, young kids are messy so more likely to spill things on clothing regularly. I’ve been known to do a quick wash in the sink and hang dry overnight if necessary.
All in all, we used 95% of the items we packed and did laundry once each week. But, even if we did not have laundry available to us, I still think we could have made it work! I think if we release the fear that we won’t have enough and just know that in an emergency we could pick-up something we might need, then we have less to worry about and keep track of and it’s SO WORTH IT!
