My Best Tips for Packing for Trips
On our recent trip to Australia, we were gone for 14 days and took only carry-on luggage (plus a backpack each).
There were a LOT of questions about packing for a family, especially avoiding overpacking and what exactly we took.
On the flight home, while everything was fresh in my mind, I answered allllllll the questions about packing for a trip – I hope you’ll find it helpful!
(P.S. Like most things, the more you travel, the better you’ll get at it, including packing. You’ll get a better feel for what you need and like to have on a trip, what you can skip, and what items and strategies work for you. I try to pay attention on every trip to what I’m VERY glad I brought and used a ton and what things were just freeloaders that never got used on my trip.)
My Best Packing Tips for a Trip
What carry-on luggage do you recommend?
We bought two sets of this luggage a few years ago and it has been great. We bought 3 of these carry-on suitcases for this trip because we only owned 3 and they were great!
Do you pack outfits or just items that will go together?
Both – I lay out each outfit but I also try to pick things that could mix and match with other outfits. So for instance, I packed this light sweater to go with these linen pants but I knew I could wear this sweater with virtually every other pair of pants I packed and I knew most of my tees would go with the linen pants.
Packing strategies for carry-on only!
My #1 tip is that you’re still YOU on vacation. Most of us use and wear the same things over and over again and that tends to be true on vacation. You’re not likely to suddenly need 5 swimsuits – you’ll probably reach for your favorite 1 or 2 the whole trip. And if those shoes aren’t comfy at home, they’re definitely not going to suddenly become comfy when you’re walking 20,000 steps a day on European cobblestones. I virtually never buy new clothing for a trip because I just want to own clothing I’d want to wear at home AND on vacation! It’s easy to pack for the pretend vacationer you thing you’ll be.
Strategy #2: Repeat, repeat, repeat. I brought one set of makeup and I wore the same items every day (spoiler, they’re the same ones I use at home every day). I brought one pair of earrings and one necklace and wore them every single day. I wore the same sneakers every day (I did the same when we went to Paris and to Japan!). Don’t feel like you have to have this wide variety of things for your trip.
Strategy #3: Pack into your suitcase as you go. We were laughing as we packed because Bart put his sandals into his suitcase and said “well, there’s half my space gone!” It’s easy to lay everything out on your bed or closet floor and then be shocked when it doesn’t fit. Instead, I try to pack straight into my suitcase starting with the most vital things so I can see what sort of space I actually have to deal with and not start putting in “extras” until I’ve put in all the absolutely vital things.
I also know that I can find one big packing cube with my clothes in one side of my suitcase with one pair sneakers and 3 smaller ones with underwear, workout clothes, swimwear, etc in the other side along with my makeup and toiletries bag and one pair of sandals, my curling iron and hairbrush. So I can pack into those packing cubes knowing that once those cubes are full, there isn’t really room for more.
Strategy #4: Wear your biggest things on the airplane. If I’m going on a trip where I need a coat and boots? I’m wearing those on the plane because they take up SO MUCH SPACE in your carry on! On this trip I definitely wore my thicker pants, one of my sweatshirts and my sneakers rather than sandals.
Strategy #5: Be a little lower maintenance than you are at home. I use more hair tools and products at home but on this trip, I brought the bare minimum and I was okay with more low buns, ponytails, and straight hair than I usually do at home. I wore the same outfits or pieces of outfits over and over again (sometimes multiple days in a row, which I would almost never do at home). I was okay if I got rained on or if I got a splash of something on my clothing. This is your life to be lived, not a fashion show.
How do you avoid overpacking and still bring everything you need?
I try really hard not to bring “just in case” items. I do NOT want to lug things around for a week (or pay to check them!) that I won’t end up using. I remind myself that anything I REALLY need I can buy if it turns out to be a huge hassle to not have them. Be truly honest with yourself about what you’re actually likely to need and use on your trip. I can ALWAYS fill a big suitcase! But if I only have a carry-on, what are the things I’m most likely to need and want?
I also try to pay close attention when I travel to what I brought and DIDN’T use so I don’t make the same mistake over and over again. I also pay attention to what I DID use a ton (for instance, I was glad 10x over that I’d packed this stain remover spray and I 100% didn’t need 2 of the four pairs of shoes I brought along.
I also cheated a little on this trip by packing a few extra things in my little girls’ suitcases -they weren’t very full so I had room for my 4th pair of shoes (which I didn’t really need), a puzzle, and a second sweatshirt.
And if I can, I bring things along that I don’t have to bring home. So I packed two physical books (in addition to my Kindle) and as I finished them up, I left them on the bookshelves of the Airbnbs where we stayed. I knew I wanted a puzzle for Whitsundays when we’d have a little more relaxation time and I brought one from my library puzzle swap that I was willing to leave behind at the Airbnb (I hope someone else enjoys it!). I also brought a deodorant that was getting close to the end and I threw it away the morning we flew home after I used the very last of it.
Does everyone bring a carry-on and a personal item?
Yes, we had seven carry-on suitcases and seven backpacks (seven because my mother-in-law was with us).
Any suggestions for lighter packing for toiletries? I have a travel bag but its always a lot!
I frankly think most of the toiletry bags I see people sharing are MASSIVE and take up way too much space. I have two travel toiletry bags – this one for my makeup (and it is very small and light) and a plastic-y one for my toiletries that I got free somewhere in the last couple of years.
How do you pack toiletries so you feel good and look nice but don’t go overboard?
I wear basically the same makeup every day, so it’s very easy for me to just grab everything and toss it in my travel makeup bag (the only thing I forgot was my eyebrow gel – fortunately, I’d brought two mascaras so I took the one I liked less, washed out the brush and used that to brush out my eyebrows every morning). I had my tinted sunscreen, BB cream, foundation brush, eyeliner pen, eyeshadow palette, eyeshadow brush, liner brush, two mascaras, eyelash growth serum, cream blush, highlighter stick and lip gloss. That list looks long but it’s actually pretty tiny.
In my toiletries bag, I had deodorant, my razor, face wash (I put it in an empty moisturizer jar that screws tightly shut), one face serum and one moisturizer – at home, I use a different serum and moisturizer for morning and night, but I just brought one of each (the night ones) and used them morning and night the whole trip. I also had a few makeup remover cloths, a couple of rubber bands, floss, toothpaste and some hair texture powder.
I also packed my curling iron, electric toothbrush, and hairbrush in my suitcase, NOT in a toiletries bag.
What clothing items did you bring?
I brought 4 bras, 8 pairs of underwear, 1 pair of pajamas, 2 swimsuits, 1 rash guard, 2 pairs of swim shorts (only wore one of them), 2 pairs of sneakers, a pair of leather sandals, a pair of rubber sandals, 1 dress (never wore it), 1 skirt, 6 pairs of pants, 5 tees, 1 button down, 2 blouses, 1 long sleeve shirt, 2 sweatshirts, 1 workout outfit (shorts and tank), 5 pairs of no-show socks and 1 pair of workout socks. (You can see all my outfits I wore in this blog post!)
Does each kid take their own bag? If so, how young did that start?
They always take their own backpack (starting when they’re about 3) but this is actually the first trip where we’ve each had our own suitcase. For past trips, we’ve generally checked bags so we’d have a bigger suitcase each for Bart and me, plus
How do you pack all the “might need” meds for a long trip in just a carry on?
Bart usually brings a small bottle of Tylenol or Ibuprofen, but that’s it. If we end up needing medicines on a trip, we would just buy them at our location – I wouldn’t personally pack “might need” medications unless they’re very specific and difficult to find. I’m not worried that I wouldn’t be able to find cold medicine if I needed it.
Do your girls pack themselves? For how long/to what age did you still pack for them?
They do pack themselves. I haven’t packed for them since they were probably 4 or 5 years old. I usually ask THEM to tell me what they need and write their own list and then I double check with them before we leave. They do a great job!
Do you try to guarantee you can do laundry?
It’s actually not something I’ve thought about specifically for most trips, but because we often stay in Airbnbs, we almost always have access to laundry. And this trip, because it was so long, I definitely checked that our two Airbnbs had laundry so we could wash clothes.
How do you plan laundry? Book places with laundry? Pack soap and clotheslines?
It has never even occurred to me to pack a clothesline (I don’t own one!) – I usually assume we can do laundry in an Airbnb.
Dirty laundry – do you refold it?
I do refold my dirty laundry so that it fits better but I asked Bart and he said he doesn’t (I bought him these travel laundry bags last year for Christmas which he loves and he just stuffs the whole bag back in his suitcase to go home). I also try to do laundry at the end of the trip if possible so that I can just put everything away when I get home and I have as little dirty laundry to travel with as possible!
How to pack if washing clothes is not an option?
I’d go with patterns and darker colors that won’t show stains as easily and I’d be fine with wearing most of my clothes multiple times.
Best travel coats. Warm but cute and not too thick – easy to pack.
My three favorite options are a classic trench coat which dresses up and down nicely and isn’t too bulky (I took mine to Japan and Croatia), a thin puffer coat (I have this white one which goes with everything) or a jean jacket for in-between weather.
Plug adaptors/charger for international travel?
We own a few and generally bring them with us, but if not we just buy them there. On this trip, Bart’s mom bought an adaptor at the airport and we bought one at a grocery store in Melbourne (our hotel in Sydney had them in the drawers which was super convenient plus there were USB outlets on the bedside table, so we didn’t need them on the first leg of our trip). One outlet was definitely a little bit more tricky to keep everything charged, but I’m too cheap to want to buy a bunch of them and it wasn’t a big enough deal that I ever felt compelled to buy more. I would charge my phone between when we got home for the evening and when we went to bed, Bart would charge his phone all night, and during the day while we were out, we’d charge laptops, Kindles, headphones, and portable chargers (we had a plug that accepted two USB cords so we could charge two things at a time).
Do you roll your clothes or fold them?
I fold them and I use packing cubes (this is the set my parents bought me several years ago a as a gift – I have two sets!).
How many clothes to pack for the kids?
They each brought 7 outfits.
What backpack do you recommend?
I ordered this Nordace backpack last year and I LOVE it – I haven’t even considered taking a different backpack on any trip in the last 15 months because it is so good! Highly recommend.
How many pairs of shoes for each person?
Everyone in our family brought two pairs of shoes (sneakers and sandals) except for me – I brought four pairs of shoes (two sandals and two pairs of sneakers) and I definitely could have done just two. I wore my Nike Killshot sneakers virtually every day (I only wore my Eccos once) and I absolutely didn’t need my Reefs – I could have for sure just done my leather Chacos which were nice enough to wear to church but casual enough to wear to the beach.
How did you go with the 7kg weight limit in Australia?
I actually didn’t even know this was a thing until your question came in! I went back and looked at our bookings for our 3 in-country flights (Sydney to Melbourne, Melbourne to Hamilton Island, and Hamilton Island to Sydney) and indeed they did say the limit without paying extra was 7kg (about 15 pounds) between both your carry on luggage and your personal item/backpack. None of the flights ever checked this or said anything about it (which was fortunate because our luggage was absolutely above 15 pounds per person. This is the most ridiculous limit I’ve ever heard in my life).
How can I be sure about weather? How do I pack shoes for 2 in all situations?
Bad/good news – you can’t be sure about anything! The weather will do what it wants. I feel like most of the time two pairs of shoes will be plenty for the vast majority of situations. You’re unlikely to suddenly find yourself snow shoeing or trekking up a mountain without warning (although frankly, I’ve done plenty of hikes in my Ecco sneakers and it was totally fine!). Plan for the most likely scenarios with the least number of clothing and shoes you can manage. Also, if things get wet, they’ll dry. Or you can buy a poncho or umbrella if it starts pouring rain (we bought umbrellas in Japan when it started pouring rain without warning one day).
Going to Europe this summer for 8-9 days. I can’t fathom not checking at least 1 bag! Help!
I’m absolutely not a “you must only take a carry on” person. For me, it’s always based on how much it will cost to check luggage and how much of a hassle dragging around luggage is going to be. For instance, when we went to Paris in 2023, we were staying with my cousin the entire time and we had a free checked bag for each of us, so we took 4 checked bags (1 for me, 1 for Bart, 1 for the two big girls, and 1 for the two little girls). On this trip, because we were taking so many in-country flights, we didn’t want to pay for checked luggage over and over again (or risk it getting lost with that many flights), so it made sense to do a carry-on bag for everyone. If checking a bag makes the most sense for your travels, by all means do it!
What do you do pre-trip to make coming home easier?
I am MILITANT about leaving the house clean when I leave – nothing feels like a worse end to a trip than coming home to a dirty house. It feels so good to me to come in and see my clean desk, a made bed, and an empty sink.
I also usually put in a grocery order to arrive a few hours after we get home so we aren’t scrounging for food.
I get anxiety I’ll forget something. Like bad anxiety! Any tips?
My best tip is to remember that you can buy just about anything you need if you forget it. Obviously, I would rather not forget things, but anything that is make or break is almost always going to be available. I concentrate on the 3 things that would be very hard for me to replace – my wallet/passport, my phone, and my laptop. Other than that, most things can be replaced. I also don’t personally make a packing list, but if you’re very stressed about it, having a list that you start a week or two early so you can add things to it before packing day can help a lot. I also almost always pack the night before so I have buffer time to add anything I need.
How to pack in a carry on for more than 3 days?
I actually think there is VERY little difference in packing in a carry-on for 3 days and packing for two weeks. The things that take up the most room (toiletries, shoes, etc) are going to be the same for both trips. It’s just a few more clothing items to pack in for those extra days!
Ironing or steamer – it looks like you have stuff that wrinkles. I don’t want to iron on vacation!
I brought my steamer to Paris and the higher voltage fried it on the second day (I replaced it IMMEDIATELY when I got home because I steam things way more than I iron). But basically every place we’ve ever stayed – hotel or Airbnb – has an iron available so if anything is CRAZY wrinkly I can iron it. I also am not bothered by ironing something if needed, like this blue button-down which I ironed in Melbourne. But also, I don’t mind a little bit of a lived-in look, so I would have been fine to wear that shirt without ironing it. Most wrinkles will ease out with a little bit of wear and the humidity in Australia made it so that wrinkles disappeared REALLY quickly. Basically, you just have to decide what level of wrinkles you’re willing to deal with and how dedicated you are to not ironing and then pack clothes that work within those parameters. (I did wash these green pants on the second to last day of our trip and I’ve never needed to iron or steam them at home but somehow they got EXTREMELY twisted up in the dryer and I would’t have worn them without ironing them. In fact, I did iron them in our hotel the night before we flew home because I wanted to wear them on the airplane).
What all do you put in your backpack?
In my backpack, I usually have my travel pillow, 1-2 physical books which I’ll leave behind at the Airbnbs we stay in, my Kindle, my phone, my big and small travel chargers, my earbuds, 2 pairs of sunglasses, my wallet, a sweatshirt, throat spray, hand sanitizer, stain remover, a small toothbrush and toothpaste, my ARMRA travel packs and a snack or two.
Excellent advice! I’d add that for laundry most laundromats have drop-off service. You leave your laundry in the morning, enjoy your day, and then come pick it up washed and folded at the end of the day. And for packing anxiety I’ve made myself a comprehensive checklist with everything I’ve ever possibly needed on a trip. A lot of stuff I won’t need but it makes me feel less anxious knowing I’ve double-checked everything. Also, you’re right – it’s very rare you can’t buy anything you need at your travel location.
Toiletries tip – I always put my morning and evening moisturizers in contact cases to save space. They seal well and have plenty of space for the amount I’d use while traveling.
My most important items are my glasses, contacts and daily medications.
Shocked you don’t use a packing list!! Impressive! We have a master list saved in Google Docs we copy over for each trip – easy to delete the things we don’t need and rest easy knowing we’ve accounted for the things we do!
A note about “might needs” – it can be tough to find feminine hygiene supplies in some places. For instance, my daughter started her period while we were in Morocco and we couldn’t find tampons anywhere in that city. Now she always packs a few, just in case.