As you know, so much goes into packing for family trips, whether big or small, by plane, car or train. Over time, I’ve come to realize that there are some must-haves I take with us on every trip. It makes packing and our time at the destination more comfortable. This list isn’t intended to be exhaustive of all the essentials you’ll need for your family trips, but they are the top 6 things I always pack, and there’s not a trip where all of them don’t come in handy. It doesn’t matter if you have little or big kids, you need to take these!
Packing Cubes With Laundry Bag – Once I had multiple kids, organization became an essential part of my life. It just has to be in order for me to remotely stay on top of things. That includes packing. We have 4 little ones, and we don’t have the desire to lug around multiple suitcases on our travels. These high quality and sleek packing cubes help us save space, organize clothes by the day, and keep the suitcase orderly. And, don’t forget the laundry bag! I don’t know about you, but I cannot stand having dirty, worn clothes anywhere near the clean ones. I used to travel with a big trash bag to place our dirty clothes in, until I discovered these much cuter and sturdier laundry bags. So helpful.
Portable Cell Phone Power Bank – If you don’t travel with a portable cell phone power bank, you’re quite the risk taker, lol. I love adventure, but not the kind that includes my cell phone possibly dying without an instant option to recharge it. We pack this two pack, so both my husband and I will have enough power.
Cell Phone Tripod – Yes, this is an absolute essential, and we don’t go any trips without it. I’m serious about capturing candid and staged moments during our travels. And, I’m even more serious that I will be in them. I don’t want to be that mom that looks back over the years and realizes she was always behind the camera and never in front of it beside her husband and kids smiling.
I love sharing our pictures with our followers, but I also know that one day, I’m going to have the best time reliving these memories with my children and grandchildren. In order to get the best shot, I prefer to use our tripod instead of asking passersby. I’m the “check to make sure everyone was looking and that my angles were just right” type of person, lol, so that can quickly annoy someone who was just walking by and stopped to do us a favor. Instead of holding a stranger hostage until I get my perfect shot, with the tripod and its handy remote, I can take as many pictures as I need to for as long as it takes. This particular tripod also extends to tall heights, if that’s what you need. And, then it collapses for easy packing.
First Aid Travel Kit – No matter how well we plan, anything can happen during travel. Having a family means I have to at least try to anticipate what can go wrong and prepare myself as much as possible. A quality first aid kit gives me a bit more peace of mind, knowing I can help my babies in a pinch if I have to. I’ve used several throughout the years, but this is my current favorite. I love the hard case, and it has good items for child and parent boo-boos.
Fire Tablets for the Kids – I’m not a huge proponent of screen time, but I throw all that to the wind when travel comes into play. If we’re traveling more than an hour, you better believe each child’s tablet is going to make it into their backpacks. I’m sure you already know how much a tablet can prevent the infamous question, “are we there yet?”. I like the fire tablets specifically because they come with a sturdy, protective encasement, and you can choose different colors to fit your child’s personality. Oh, and did I mention, the price point is perfect!
Dramamine for Kids and Parents – I always keep Dramamine on me, whether traveling or not. I get terribly car sick sometimes, so if I know I’ll have to ride in a car for even 20 minutes, I’ll pop a non drowsy Dramamine. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered two of my kids have the same inconsistent motion sickness I suffer from. Sometimes nothing happens, but on our recent trip to Kenya, one of my daughters had to use two of the sickness bags on our short private flight between cities, while my son became very light headed with tummy aches. From that point on, I’ve started to pack Dramamine for them as well. Great thing about the kid version is that it’s chewable and doesn’t cause drowsiness. Even if your kids have never shown symptoms of motion sickness, pack some anyway. You just never know.
So, now that you know the absolute essentials to put in your suitcase, add the rest of your things, and go have fun on your next trip! Happy Travels!
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