I once dragged two massive bags filled with 6-months-worth of clothing and supplies all alone down the dark streets of a town in a foreign country. I was seriously wishing I had not packed so much when I arrived a couple of blocks later at the Bed and Breakfast where I was staying. Then, I had a baby and packed the car nearly to the brim for a 5-day-stay with family in the States. It really put my packing issues into perspective. 😉 Packing for vacation is not easy, and packing for a family is even worse. While I am guilty of being a serious over-packer in the past, for the last couple of years, I have been working on slimming down and lightening the load. Here are the things that have worked for me.
Use the Space Wisely:
1. Pack your largest items first, and then use smaller items as filler for any gap areas. We often stuff items like socks into shoes and crevices when we are trying to make the most of every air pocket.
2. If you don’t have packing cubes, I highly recommend investing in some before your next big trip. For those who have never heard of them, packing cubes are compressible zippered pouches that can help conserve space and organize belongings while packing for vacation. There are lots of options to choose from, but to start with, consider the size of your suitcase. If you are traveling with a small carry-on suitcase, choose a set of packing cubes with smaller sizes. If you are traveling with a suitcase larger than a standard carry-on, you can opt for a set that has a variety of sizes.
3. Roll all of your clothes. This is a military and backpacker tip that saves space by reducing the amount of air in your clothes, and it may also reduce wrinkles in comparison to folding clothes.
4. Leave space for souvenirs and gifts. Sometimes, on an outgoing flight, we bring a collapsible duffle bag or a packable backpack in our checked luggage and bring only a personal item on board, and then we use the bag as a carry-on for the return flight when we’ve compiled a stash of souvenirs.
Stick to the Essentials:
5. Cut out the “just in case” stuff. Of course, there are things like raincoats that we bring “just in case” of rain, but we only bring them if we are planning on lots of outdoor activities in an area known for rain. We don’t bring raincoats if we are going to the desert. Thinking about the likelihood of needing each item may help you decide if the item is not worth bringing.
6. Also consider whether you will be in an area with access to the items you are packing. Unless you are deep in the wilderness, things like clothing and basic hygiene products are probably available. If you are strapped for space, just remember that you can always buy these kinds of items if an emergency arises. We once bought clothing, toothbrushes, and contact solution on an extended layover in Dublin when our checked bags did not arrive at the baggage claim. Before potty training, we only packed a few days’ worth of diapers for trips and made sure to buy some within the first day or two. On the other hand, some items may be harder to find in certain places and thus worth the space in your suitcase. Do some basic research on your destination to determine what kind of resources will be available.
7. Limit electronics. If you are trying to minimize non-essentials, consider which electronics you cannot travel without and which ones are not necessities. Also consider eliminating extras by bringing multipurpose electronics or slimmer and lighter options. For some, a phone camera will suffice as opposed to bringing both a bulky camera and a phone. Or a tablet may be a space-saving option compared to a large laptop. Ultimately, choosing which electronics to bring will depend upon the individual and family’s needs and interests, but if space is a concern, limiting electronics may help.
Packing Kids’ Entertainment:
8. It may seem like bringing a suitcase full of toys and books is the best way to ensure that babies and young kids are not a complete nightmare to surrounding passengers. J will tell you that I am talking to myself here because I am extremely guilty of overpacking entertainment for the kids. But much trial and error has proven to me that it is not about the amount of entertainment, it is about the quality of it. Figure out which activities engage your children longer and focus on those (look for a post on kids’ travel entertainment in the coming months!). Challenge yourself to limit how much you are bringing to entertain them.
9. Think smaller with the entertainment you choose. Instead of bulky board books, bring a few mini books, soft books, or kids’ magazines. Choose small toy options over big ones at all costs!
Packing Clothes:
10. Whenever possible, wear the bulkiest layers and shoes on the plane to save space in the suitcase.
11. Coordinate clothing that can be worn together and interchanged to maximize outfits out of a small amount of clothing.
12. See our post on the 5-4-3-2-1 method for minimizing clothing. There are lots of different versions of it out there, so feel free to modify this to fit your interests, needs, weather, the type of trip you are planning, etc.
13. Choose multipurpose clothing like hiking pants that convert to shorts or a scarf that can double as a blanket on the plane.
14. Buy gear that is specifically focused on saving space like foldable hats or packable rain jackets.
15. If you want to avoid bulky clothing altogether, bring multiple thin layers that will still help you stay warm but save packing space.
Simplify Vacation Packing
Whether you are aiming to limit your packing to just a carry-on or you are trying to find any way to survive vacation packing for a family, we hope that these tips will help you conserve some space in your suitcase. We would love to hear your thoughts if you have more space-saving ideas or tips that could help others. Leave us your comments below!
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