Space Efficient Packing for the Family // Traveling for a Family of Four

When my husband, Niu, and I traveled as a couple, packing was simple and easy.  As our family grew, so did the amount of luggage.  With two young kids, it’s easy to overpack when you have to bring a stroller, body carrier, and diaper bags in addition to extra bottles, diapers, and toys.  After a few years of taking family trips, I’ve incorporated a few techniques and strategies to make packing a more efficient and less daunting task.

One of the biggest changes I’ve made is to PLAN AHEAD!

• Research weather for the season and location.
• Make a packing list of everything we need.
  • Here is the Excel sheet of my basic list you can copy and edit for your own trips.
  • Here is a pdf of my packing list for our upcoming family vacation to Italy. (It’s been years since we’ve been to Italy and we would love your recommendations for the Amalfi Coast and Rome!)
• Gather everything and lay items out by person, checking things off my list as I go.
• Keep everything compact and organized using the packing tools below to make sure it fits in the least amount of luggage possible.

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MY PACKING ESSENTIALS

Packing Cubes

This is the key to keeping everything organized while maximizing luggage space.  These cubes have a breathable mesh top panel for visibility and ventilation. I love the zip-around design that makes it easy to peek inside if needed.  They come in large, medium, small, and slim sizes and a variety of colors.

When I’m really tight on space, I use these compression cubes. They look similar to my regular packing cubes, but have an additional zipper around the sides for compression.  With these, try not to pack too much into the cube  or it will bunch in the middle.  It comes in large, medium, small, extra small, and slim sizes (if you get a set, it also comes with a laundry bag!) and a variety of colors. For our upcoming trip, each person has two cubes – one for their clothes and one for their socks and underwear.

My clothing fit into two MEDIUM PACKING CUBES.

Niu’s clothing fit into one LARGE PACKING CUBE.

Lea’s clothing into one LARGE COMPRESSION PACKING CUBE.

Haden’s clothing fit into one MEDIUM PACKING CUBE.

I put all of our swimwear in a medium compression packing cube. The kids’ and my pajamas fit in a small compression packing cube.  All of our cubes fit into one full size luggage. Refer to my PACKING LIST for more detail.

I found that I can fit the most clothes into the cubes by rolling my clothes into similar widths to ensure a uniform cube. For bulkier clothing, like sweaters and jeans, I fold them and stack them into the cube.

Travel Shoe Bags

These work great for separating your shoes from your clothes while optimizing space.  This machine-washable nylon bag is shaped like a shoebox, but has a foldable structure with one large compartment and a smaller mesh pocket for slimmer shoes/sandals. One shoe bag can fit my canvas wedges, flat sandals and 2 pairs of our kids’ shoes or Niu’s dress shoes and 1 sandal.  These come in a pack of four in multiple colors.

Clear Travel Bags

I love using these reusable multipurpose bags!  I use them at home to store my things, then when it’s time to travel, I just throw them in the luggage.  This set comes with 2 large bags (11 x 3.1 x 7.5 inches) and 4 small bags (7.1 x 2.1 x 5 inches).  They’re made of clear PVC material which makes it easy to find what I’m looking for, and it has a rigid frame to keep its shape.  The large bags have a top handle and a zipper that goes all the way around, like the clothing packing cubes, making it easy to pack and unpack.  The small bags are TSA approved carry-on size.

I use one large bag to store bathroom toiletries and full-size products in my checked luggage, one large bag for all of the kids’ toys, and small bags for the chargers and cords, my makeup, carry-on liquids, and first aid in my carry-on.

During one trip, Haden had a little fever and we were scrambling to find him fever-reducing medicine in a foreign country – now I always carry a mini first aid kit with some essentials in a small clear bag.

Bag Organizer

My go-to airport bag is the Goyard St. Louis Tote PM, but it quickly loses its shape when filled and it’s almost impossible to find anything in it because there are no pockets.  This sturdy felt bag insert holds the shape of my bag while keeping the bottom flat, and its 12 pockets (4 exterior and 8 interior) help me easily grab what I need.  The middle section can be removed to accommodate larger items as needed.  It comes in small, medium, large, x-large, and slender large sizes and a variety of colors.  I use the slender large size in beige.

Stroller Bag

Checking your stroller at the airport gate can leave you with a filthy stroller for the rest of your trip.  This stroller bag (48 x 25 x 19”) comes with a zippered storage tote (13 x 13 x 3”).  I love that it has water-resistant material to protect our stroller from grime and water, has a dual drawstring quick closure system, and has a Velcro closure cover flap to keep all the contents secure and protected.  There are multiple ways to carry the bag – dual lift handles on the sides, adjustable padded shoulder strap, or a single carry handle on the rear.  It’s easy to carry and can be folded up easily for storage.  This massive bag easily fits our double stroller with room to spare.  We like to free up luggage space and fill up the extra room with more diapers, a camera stand, and even a car seat.

What are your tried and true packing tips?