Suitcases & Backpacks & iPods! Oh my!

Trip to Lake Powell with two extra kids
June 2012

As a mom, one of my greatest fears while traveling is to not have packed something!  As much as I would love for my significant other to pack for more than just himself, we all know that isn't going to happen.  So as "the mom," I have to pack all six kids and myself every time we leave for an overnighter.  And if we are going to be gone for even just one night, I might as well leave for the entire week because that only requires a few more changes of outfits and extra underwear because we all know that when moms pack (even if just for a night), we pack everything!  So if you are new to family vacations and packing for more than yourself (and have a choice in the matter), I definitely recommend a beach vacation as it is by far the easiest trip for packing kids.

In the top photo, we were traveling to NYC on a Sunday and wanted
to attend church once we arrived, so the kids wore comfy church clothes on the plane.
Luckily, there were no spills!

I have determined that the amount of time it takes me to pack for seven people (six kids and myself) is seven days, so I start my packing a week before the scheduled departure day.  That doesn't mean I only pack one person each day; that just means I have designated seven whole days to think and plan and REMEMBER all the things my family will need for the upcoming adventure.

Shopping for souvenirs in St Thomas
November 2011

Any child 10 and over is capable of packing themselves.  Since three of my kids fall into this category, I give them a very generic list and have them get started.  It usually looks a lot like this.

Once they have these basics laid out on their bed, I come through and do an overview check (make sure they pack weather appropriate and clean items), and then they have the okay to load up their duffels and bring them to the holding station (the main living room).  In the case of a beach vacation, I have everyone pack in small duffels since beach clothes are smaller and lighter than winter clothes and will usually fit.  Once I get all the duffels together, I will put three small duffels into one huge duffel.  This helps with still keeping the kids' stuff separate without having to pay for extra baggage,  lowering the risk of so many bags getting lost, keeping the small duffels from getting so dirty on flights, and providing an extra bag to put dirty clothes into once you get to your destination or to lug home souvenirs on the way back.  I also like duffels because they can be shoved and molded to fit under car seats and in trunks or thrown on top of the car without anything getting in the way.  With six kids, I can usually get all of their stuff into two massive duffels that are around 30"l x 15"w x 13"h.  All my kids also have the duffel below which is about $30-$40 and serves as their large duffel for winter trips.

Since Lexi's assigned color is pink,
this is what her bag looks like.

Once this simple part of packing is done, I start gathering my stuff together and packing all the extra items I know my kids will need.  Here is what my list looks like. 

Travel Packing List
Current passports  These are obviously only necessary when we are traveling internationally, but when we are, they are at the top of my list.
Shampoo and conditioner  I like to pack most of my toiletry items in big plastic durable bags to protect the rest of my stuff from spills.  A great way to save money and recycle is to save the bags that sheets and pillowcases are sold in to use for traveling.
Body wash
Razor
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Brush
Comb
Blow dryer
Curling iron
Electrical outlet adapters (beware this has blown out some of my hairdryers and curling irons in the past so use with caution)
Flat iron
Rubber bands
Bobby pins
Hair accessories
Jewelry
Hair spray
Hair shine
Spray foam root lifter
Facial cleanser
Facial moisturizer
Toner
Cotton pads
Makeup and makeup brushes
Body lotion
Self tanner 
Nail polish and remover
Nail clippers
Feminine products
General medicines (for adults and kids)  I pack everything from Motrin, water pills (you never know when water retention becomes a problem after a long flight), allergy meds (I didn't know anyone in my family had allergies until we went to Disney World), some kind of sleep aid, Imodium AD, Pepto Bismol, Ex-Lax (can you tell some of us have tummy issues when we travel?:) to stronger leftover pain meds for when the back goes out from carrying too many suitcases around and leftover antibiotics for when I can tell my kids are getting strep throat. (I labeled a bead dispenser that I got from Hobby Lobby to consolidate them all.)

As you can tell, this is a well-traveled personal pharmacy.

Swimmers ear medicine  Inevitably someone always gets an earache.
Daily medicines and vitamins (in a separate smaller bead dispenser)  I like the bead dispensers because they lock unlike regular pill boxes.  Nothing is more dangerous than opening up a suitcase with unidentifiable pills strewn about.
Anti-itch cream (for bug bites)
Gold Bond cream (for chafing from hikes)
Benzoyl peroxide cleanser (for irritated skin) 
Chapstick
Sunblock
Ocean Potion or aloe vera (for sunburns)
Bug spray
Lanacane
Preparation H wipes
Band-Aids
Magazines or book (for take-offs and landings when electronic devices must be turned off)
Kindle
iPad
iPhone
Camera (with extra battery)
Chargers (for all electronic devices)  A phone charger for the car always comes in handy too.
Food snacks for the plane  You never know when you'll be sitting on a tarmac for hours with hungry kids!!
Scarf for the plane (makes a great blanket if there aren't any available)
Pillow for the plane
Gum for the plane (to ease cabin pressure, especially on little ears)
Games for the family (to play at the hotel or airports)  I bring Bananagrams, Rook, SkipBo, and Phase 10.
Clothes (appropriate for where you are traveling)
Static cling spray  Sometimes my hair gets all staticky while traveling, so I'll even spray a little on my hair once I get to my destination.
Light coat (preferably water resistant)
Swim shorts (great for waterparks where cute skirts and sarongs just don't cut it)
Rash guard
Flip flops
Walking shoes
Hat
Beach bag
Snorkel equipment
PADI cards (if you plan on scuba diving)
Fanny pack  Yep, I love them for travel!  Try ice skating at Rockefeller Center with a purse on your shoulder.
Backpack (for day trips)  Mine is a backpack that folds up small and super light for hiking.
Walkie Talkies (especially nice for older cruise ships)
Quart size or smaller Ziplock baggies  These always come in handy for storing opened candies that aren't finished, taking liquids through security, or keeping money dry at water parks.

When traveling with infants or toddlers, which (hallelujah!) I don't have to do anymore.  I also made sure to include:
A copy of their birth certificates (for lap children under two)
Diapers or Pull-ups 
Swim diapers

Wipes

Roll of plastic bags (to dispose of dirty diapers)

Diaper rash cream

Baby shampoo

Baby medicines

Nursing cover-up (if you nurse)

Bottles

Formula

Empty water bottle  You can carry this through security and then fill up at a drinking fountain to use for making bottles at the airport or on the plane without having to buy the expensive bottled water there.   
Bottle brush and travel-size dish soap (to clean bottles at the hotel)

Sippy cups

Bibs

Burp cloths

Baby food and things I know they will eat (Nutri-Grain bars, granola bars, pretzels, etc.)  
Change of baby clothes (for the diaper bag)  I always make sure to wear dark colors when flying with little ones since they will inevitably get you filthy.  
Favorite blanket or stuffed animal (to soothe a troubled soul)  
A few small toys (that are small enough to pack, but easy enough to find if they fall on the floor)

Coloring book and triangular crayons (so they don't roll around on the tray table)
Small headphones (that will stay on little heads)  Make sure to load up the iPad or iPhone with plenty of kid-friendly movies, TV shows, books, and games.  This will help you from having to pack as much to keep them entertained. 

Baby Bjorn (when traveling with infants)  Though I'm not usually one to strap my child to me everywhere I go, these are great for navigating through small shops and places that are not generally known for being wheelchair accessible (aka foreign countries and Colonial Williamsburg:). 

Light-weight stroller (under 20 lbs)  I'm a fan of Maclaren strollers since they are so light and can fit on the conveyor belt at security.  New rules don't let you gate check a stroller over 20 pounds, which means if they enforce it, you will have to check your stroller with your baggage and be left lugging your kid and all of their stuff through the airport sans stroller.  Miserable.

Car seat or booster seat   Look on the back of your car seat to make sure it is certified for use in aircrafts if you plan on using it on the plane.  I have had them check before.

Large black garbage bag  If I am checking my car seat or booster seat with our luggage, I usually just throw it into a large black garbage bag.  Of course, this is usually hammered by the time we get to our destination, so I make sure to pack an extra to throw the seat in for our flight back.  Sometimes great airlines will have huge clear plastic bags available that they won't offer up front but will give to you if you ask inside.

So there's my starter list.  I like to pack as much as I think is necessary.  If I know I'll be close to a drug store, then I don't worry about some of these items, but if our trip is to a foreign country, I make sure to pack it all just in case.  Now I didn't mention clothing in too much detail because obviously, that depends on where you are going, who your going with, and what you'll be doing.  I have scores more lists, but this should get you started.  Don't let this scare you from traveling with kids.  Trips don't usually sneak up on you; they are well-planned and thought out months and sometimes even years in advance.  If you think you'll need more time to pack, then start two or three weeks in advance.  One thing I have learned is to never wear anything I want to take on the trip with me a week prior to traveling.  This ensures that all my clothes are clean, ironed (if necessary), and ready to be thrown into my bag.

All six in Charlotte Amalie USVI
November 2011

If you have any items you think I should add to my list, please let me know!  I love finding out helpful hints from other moms and dads.  I must reiterate how important I think personal iPods with foldable headphones (these can be found cheap for resale on eBay) are for each child.   I even ordered see-through colored plastic zip bags to put their iPods in for easy distribution once at the airport, on board the plane, or in the car.  My kids are all assigned a color so that when I see purple, my brain instantly goes to Leah and so on and so forth. 

Our colored iPod cases.
I love being able to see through any bag I pull out of a carry on.

Kids under age 10 only get to use their iPods when we are on trips.  This makes sure the excitement of them doesn't wear off before or during travel.  I also start loading new movies or TV shows on them three weeks in advance because this process always takes longer than I think.  I like to put old sitcoms I used to watch when I was a kid on their iPods.  It always makes for funny conversations during the trip about Growing Pains, Punky Brewster, Webster, and our family fave, Full House. :)

Happy travels!