By Lisa T. Bergren

General Tips

• Invest in the plastic airless envelopes that you pack, roll, and squeeze out the air. You’ll get twice as much in.
• Leave 1/3 of your suitcase space for the return home. Between treasures and expanding clothes, you’re bound to need the room and/or pack a smaller duffel bag inside the larger bag.
• Pack laundry detergent in small baggies. Many countries use front loading washers, which do best with low-suds detergent. You can also use this for sink washing.
• Take an extra memory card and extra battery/batteries for your camera. Put an extra battery/set of batteries in the camera case—it always dies when you’re hours away from being able to buy more or charge!
• It works well to have a backpack for each person (can serve as plane bag and day bag) as well as a suitcase for each person.
• A family traveling together can share shampoo, conditioner, lotion. Pack two sets in two separate bags in case a bag goes missing.
• Bring a box of Kleenex and an extra roll of TP
• Put ALL liquids (sealed or not) in a gallon-sized ziplock bag; explosions and spills will be kept from crisis mode
• Squeeze any bottles a bit before closing and packing them away; this will release extra air and keep them from expanding/exploding with airline pressure changes/altitude changes
• Going with Infants? Add 20% more diapers and wipes than you think you’ll need. Do not assume you can obtain suitable diapers abroad.
• For women, pack your favorite brand of tampons/pads with some extras—unless you feel very adventuresome and want to go shopping for these necessities in a foreign country! If you’re not due to start your period while traveling, still take enough to get you through a day and a night. Traveling can upset your cycle.
• For women, pack a light purse that can be worn across the shoulder like a messenger bag, which is more secure than a backpack for credit cards, etc.
• For men, pack a money belt or neck wallet to carry can’t-lose-this items

Packing for a Kitchen

• Pack a few key spices in baggies that you like to cook with. (Don’t pack the spices near the detergent—your sauce will taste like Tide.)
• Pack 50 small baggies, 15 quart size, and 10 gallon size baggies. Great for food leftovers (rental kitchens rarely have Tupperware!) and picnic lunches
• Take lemonade or other add-to-water flavor (such as CrystalLight) to disguise odd foreign water tastes that may keep kids (and adults!) from drinking enough on the road.
• Take 2-3 cans of soup. If you can’t get to the grocery store the first night you arrive and are too tired to find a restaurant, at least you have something to eat.
• Include (in your checked luggage only) two knives—a paring knife and a chopping knife. Rental kitchens often have the worst knives possible.
• Add in a flat, plastic, flexible cutting board sheet; it’s good for picnics as well as the kitchen!

Bedding

• Travel with a rolled up, inflatable water mattress. Instant (and inexpensive) extra bed for any situation, and great if you have a child without a bed. You can often find these in drugstores, should you find you’re in need on the road.
• Consider packing a slightly larger suitcase for your child and include a child-sized sleeping bag. They don’t add much weight to the bag, just bulk.
• Pack an extra pillowcase for each family member. If you don’t end up using it, it can be a “bag” in a pinch.

Medications

• Bring an emergency kit, complete with band-aids, antibacterial lotion and more.
• Bring enough medication for child for 1.5 time length of your trip; pack in original bottles and carry on with you (do not check medications in luggage if you must have access to it within days).
• If anyone is given to needing antibiotics, see if your doctor will run a “precautionary prescription” for you to take along. (See Countdown Checklist for prescriptions that would be nice to have on hand)
• Pack your favorite brand of pain reliever, cold medication, antacid, eye drops and allergy relievers that cover everyone in the family; pack children’s versions if necessary too, and write the proper dosage on the bottles (call your pediatrician beforehand and ask).
• Pack bug spray and sunscreen, even a small bottle of each, regardless of where you’re going.

Clothing

• Have at least three full outfits (including underwear and socks) for each family member that can be washed in a sink. Outfits should dry out overnight (test before you go), even in humid climate.
• Bring a change of clothes on the airplane with you, especially for the kids. Between accidents, air sickness and spills, its uncanny how often you need a change of clothes! (Make it one of the washable outfits above, and if a suitcase goes missing, you’ll be covered.)
• Lay out everything you want to take and then force yourself to cut back by a third to a half. You’ll be very glad you did when you’re lugging your suitcase (and a child’s) over countless stairs.
• Bring one sturdy, broken in, good walking support, largely waterproof pair of shoes and one lighter, back-up only pair of shoes (ex. Crocs, water shoes or thongs)
• Consider wearing slip-off shoes for ease in getting through security lines (picture waiting for three kids to tie their shoes) and for comfort on the plane
• Pack a small garbage bag in each suitcase for dirty clothes (or wet clothes if necessary)

Airline/Train/Car Bag (for each person)

• Snacks
• Empty water bottle (to fill in sink after going through security)—very important for everyone to stay hydrated!
• Prescription medications (in parent’s bag)
• Over-the-counter medications (in parent’s bag)
• Neck pillow for overnight flight
• Reading material
• Entertainment: DVD, Nintendo DS, Ipod, WikkiStix, coloring book/crayons, etc.
• All needed cords and/or batteries for Entertainment
• “Surprise bag” for kids that include things they haven’t yet seen:

1. New games or movie for electronics
2. One small travel game, preferably without a lot of little pieces that can be lost
3. New magazine/book
4. Gum, candy
5. Travel journal and fun pens

• Entire outfit to change into in case of spills, accident, or lost suitcase
• Coat
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Brush
• Wipes/diapers (wipes are good even if you’re not traveling with infants) with three more than you think you’ll need
• Hotel information
• Flight information
• Passport holder (worn around the neck)

Note: Title image by Abbey Hambright

Have a Packing Tip you’d care to share? Please comment below!