The more I have traveled, the less I bring.  Managing large luggage or multiple bags is cumbersome at best and makes the traveler more vulnerable to thieves.

Additionally, having bags that need to be checked invites the possibility of lost luggage — I would rather pack light and know everything I packed arrives with me at my destination than run the risk of wasting precious vacation time tracking down lost luggage and buying costly replacements.  

It is so nice to be able to whisk through the airport and train stations with everything in hand. This is even more important with kids in tow!

I have traveled all over the United States, been on multiple short-term mission trips to third-world countries, taken several international trips visiting multiple countries, and lived in other countries, once as a student in Europe and once as a year-long music and English teacher in rural South America. 

My love of traveling and seeing historical places first-hand has spilled over to my children.  In fact, I believe it is one of the richest forms of education. So travel has been incorporated into every step of our academic journey (see Experiential Learning at its Best). We have traveled all over our state, through much of the United States, and to a number of foreign countries.

When traveling by plane, whether gone for two days or a month, we never bring more than we can carry on the plane which is usually a small carry-on suitcase/rolling backpack and a “personal item”  (see Plane Travel).  

When traveling by car, we only add emergency supplies and food/water (see Road Trips). 

If we are planning on camping and hiking as well, we add lightweight, minimalist (at least minimalist for us) camping supplies (see Multi-Experience Travel).  

Over time, we have gradually accumulated travel gear that works for us – we choose items that are good quality, versatile, and compact. Here is a list of the specific gear we use. At the end of this page are some helpful things to consider when planning your travels.

Part 1:  Plane Travel

When our family of five (including three boys ages 6, 10, and 12) flew to two of the Hawaiian Islands for 10 days with our extended family, it was our first challenge packing everything we needed from beach to museums to a wedding in a carryon and personal item each.  With careful planning, this was not too difficult, and we were sold on the value of traveling light.

Now, whenever we travel (whether by plane or vehicle), each person gets one carryon-size rolling duffle or suitcase and a backpack.  My sons chose duffles, each a different color; I use a rolling suitcase that can convert to a backpack.  My husband is not much of a traveler but just brings a duffle and backpack when he does join my sons and me.  

Having successfully made this trip to Hawaii as carry-on only, my boys and I ventured to Europe for more than 3 weeks with still only a carry-on duffle/suitcase and a personal item each (actually my oldest son fit everything into one carry-on size backpack!).  This was more challenging since we were in multiple climates in multiple countries; traveling on planes, trains, and buses; and staying in apartments, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and hotels.  But we did it! We are sold even more now on the benefits of lightweight family travel!

In general, our duffle/suitcase contains clothing and anything that does not need to be accessed on the plane (e.g., travel towels, dirty clothes bag). The backpack “personal item” contains entertainment/electronics + charger cords, toiletries, and snacks/water bottles.   Each person has a smartphone that is downloaded with music, movies, books, and games.  Though I know many people bring Kindles and iPads, I find it redundant with my iPhone for travel. 

As the parent, I carry some extra items, but all are minimalistic in nature.  These include medicines and first-aid equipment; travel itinerary, reservations/tickets, and tour books as needed; laundry supplies; and sewing kit.   

Unlike some minimalist travelers who hold the belief to not pack any “what if” items as these can be purchased when traveling if needed, I believe in packing items that I might have a reasonable likelihood of needing — I do not want to be spending my precious travel time hunting down stores to get items I need, especially if it is medicines, first-aid supplies or toiletries – the need for these does not usually come at a convenient time.

SO WHAT DO WE BRING? 

Below is a list of what we generally pack (the specific lists for different trips are linked below) for a trip involving plane travel — there is enough on the list to get by for six (6) days without laundering. If we are gone for longer, we do not bring more, we just plan on doing laundry.  For longer trips, I would add additional travel toiletries and laundry supplies.  As you look through the list (especially for the adult), it may seem like a lot, but believe me, it all fits easily into carry-on luggage – I’ve done it many many times.

FOR EACH KID: 

Rolling Duffle  “carry-on”:      (each has a different color)

      • 2 pair of jeans (if cool weather) OR
        1 pair of jeans, 2-3 pair of neutral-colored shorts (if warm weather)
      • 1 pair of sweatpants (if cool weather) OR
        1 pair sport shorts (if warm weather) — these are worn for sleeping and lounging
      • 6 long-sleeve shirts (if cool weather) OR
        6 short-sleeve shirts (if warm weather) OR
        Combination of long and short sleeve if variable weather
        *One of these shirts is dressier (polo style or button down) 
      • 1 fleece jacket (if cool weather)
      • 1 swimsuit & swim shirt (if needed)
      • 1 packable rain jacket (if needed)
      • 6 pair of quick-dry underwear
      • 6 pair of socks (less needed if using wool because they can be worn more than one day)
      • 1 pair of good quality casual shoes  
      • 1 pair of shoes that can pack flat  (e.g., deck shoes)
      • 1 pair flip-flops/sandals (if needed for beach/pool, hotel, communal showers)
      • Hat/cap
      • Travel towel & bandana (multiple uses)
      • Drawstring trash bag or large Ziploc bag for dirty clothes (we use these because they take up almost no space and are waterproof)
      • Toiletry bag (Quart-size Ziploc bag): 
        • travel size shampoo
        • travel size soap in mini container
        • travel-size toothpaste
        • travel size toothbrush
        • travel brush/comb
        • deodorant
        • Q-tips
        • sunscreen (if needed)   
          (This toiletry bag goes in backpack if needed before the destination.)  

** For travel, wear one pair of jeans, one shirt, the fleece,
one pair underwear & socks, and the heaviest shoes plus a watch **

Backpack  “personal item”:              (same color as duffle)

      • Smartphone and charger — loaded with music, books, movies, games
      • Snack foods – (e.g., trail mix, granola bars, cheese sticks, beef jerky, dried fruit)
      • Collapsible plate, bowl, spork (if needed)    
      • Water bottle (one we don’t mind losing)
      • Sunglasses
      • Small flashlight  (sometimes they just use their smartphone flashlight)
      • Pen & mini spiral notebook  (They usually take notes on phones, but this is backup in case phone batteries are dead)
      • (Toiletry bag, if not in duffle)
      • (Wallet with ID & money, passport if overseas travel — goes in neck pouch while traveling)

FOR MYSELF (Mom/Parent):

Rolling Convertible Suitcase/Backpack:   

In Main Compartment:

CLOTHES:   (packed in small and medium compression packing cubes)

        • 6 tops    (mix of sleeveless, short-sleeve, and long-sleeve)
        • 3 cardigans    (depending on weather)
        • 3 neutral bottoms    (mix of long pants, capris, shorts/skorts)
        • 1 black skirt  (I bring either a long straight skirt or a flowy skirt) 
        • Travel vest (if needed)
            ~ has lots of pockets for use in places where can’t bring purse or bag
        • 1 pair black yoga pants (for sleeping and lounging)
        • 1 swim suit (if needed)
        • Scarves – to coordinate outfits and/or for warmth 
        • 6 pair underwear, 3 bras
        • 3 pair socks, more or less depending on weather (preferably wool)
        • 1 pair comfortable but versatile shoes to walk in all day 
        • 1 pair sandals  
        • [Hiking shoes or sneakers if camping or hiking]
        • Packable insulated jacket & leather gloves (if weather is cold) 

TOILETRY BAG:     (OR use separate bags for first-aid, toiletries, makeup)  

        • One side pocket = “First Aid/Medicines”: 
          • Bandaids/bandages with antibiotic ointment
          • Tums (antacid)
          • Pepto-Bismol (upset stomach)
          • Imodium (anti-diarrheal medicine)
          • Tylenol & Aleve (pain reliever, fever reducer)
          • Benadryl & Sudafed (allergies, congestion)
          • cough drops
          • Melatonin
          • motion sick medicine (e.g., Dramamine, Bonine)
          • any prescription medicine with original labels
        • Other side pocket:
          • Soap in soap container in Ziploc bag
          • bandana (this has multiple uses)
        • Outside back pocket = “Makeup”:    (natural-looking)
          • BB cream
          • powder foundation
          • bronzer with brush
          • mascara
          • lipstick 
        • Inside pocket:
          • jewelry – gold hoops, silver hoops, silver chain necklace, wedding band
                  (I don’t travel with any nice jewelry or anything that would attract thieves)
          • vitamins
          • hairbands
          • ear plugs
        • Main pocket (all travel size):
          • Dr. Bronners liquid soap
          • shampoo & conditioner
          • toothbrush & toothpaste
          • folding hairbrush
          • deodorant
          • lotion
          • facial cleanser wipes
          • powder  (very helpful to feel fresh when traveling)
          • vaseline
          • shaver
          • Q-tips
          • feminine hygiene products
          • mini sewing kit
        • Clipped on handle:
          • small & large hair clips
          • mini travel towel 

NOTE: Liquids need to be in a 3-1-1 bag 
when going through airport security

OTHER:

        • Travel paperwork (in plastic velcro folder)
        • Large Ziploc bag for dirty clothes
        • Collapsible plate, bowl, spork (if needed)
        • Silk Sleep Sack (if desired)  

In Outer Front Pockets:

      • Extra travel snacks & drink mixes (if desired)
      • Laundry supplies (if needed): sink stopper, travel clothesline, powder laundry detergent
      • Insect repellant wipes & sunscreen (if needed)
      • Small packable backpack and/or packable totes
      • Hat (if needed)
      • 3-1-1 bag, as needed, with all liquids

Travel Tote or Backpack:

      • iPhone +
      • 11” MacAir with high capacity mini flash drive OR folding bluetooth keyboard to use with iPhone
      • Electronics bag: 
        • phone charger
        • camera charger
        • charger cord for MacAir or bluetooth keyboard
        • stick charger or power bank
        • plug adapters/converters (if traveling internationally)
        • earbuds & earbud splitter
        • seabands (for motion sickness)
      • High quality compact camera 
        (Personal note: even with highly-rated apps, I have yet to get iPhone photo prints to be the quality I get with a “real” camera that has a larger sensor, optic zoom, and manual settings)
      • Tourbooks 
      • Copies of important papers and documents (in waterproof envelope)
      • Inflatable neck pillow, sleep mask & ear plugs 
      • Compact family games (e.g., cards, bananagrams, Spot-it)
      • Snacks & drink mixes (e.g., pistachios, dried blueberries, granola/Clif bars, cafe mocha mix, Gatorade packets)
      • Water bottle
      • Travel mug (if desired) 
      • Mini trash bags 
      • Travel disinfecting wipes (e.g., Chlorox wipes) 
      • Travel baby wipes  (e.g., Wet Ones) +
      • Tissues +
      • Miscellaneous Bag: +
        • lipbalm with sunscreen
        • lipstick
        • folding hairbrush
        • nail clipper
        • Tylenol/Aleve
        • 2-3 antibiotic bandaids
        • single-use toothbrushes
        • breath mints  
      • Coin/card holder +:  IDs, insurance cards, cash, credit cards, debit cards, list of important phone numbers  
      • Passport +  (if needed)
      • Mini Moleskin Notebook +, Post-it Notes +, Post-It flags +
      • Multi-color pen +, pencil +, mini highlighters, mini sharpies                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
      • Penlight
      • Reading glasses & sunglasses +
      • Clipped on:  disinfectant, hand-cream, sunscreen +
      • Small travel purse (must go in tote/backpack on plane):  items above with + can go in purse 
             NOTE: depending on the situation, sometimes I will not take a separate purse but just use tote/backpack as day bag

A NOTE ABOUT TRAVEL CLOTHING: 

  • When traveling, we try not to stand out as foreigners or travelers – part of the way we do this is through our apparel.   The internet abounds with articles about what not to wear when traveling abroad so I won’t repeat that information here. For the most part, we tend to wear solid colors, dark shoes, neutral pants, and blend in with the locals; we avoid loud colors and prints, logos, and sloppy clothing.

  • My clothing choices are coordinated, comfortable, and cute (or at least try to be).  I take outfits that are coordinated and mix-and-match, and are classic rather than faddish.  The style and material need to be nice enough to wear out to a nice restaurant or event, but comfortable enough to sleep in.  Regardless of where I go, I want to feel good in what I am wearing.  Contrary to many other lightweight traveling recommendations, I choose to travel with cotton, silk, and rayon fabrics.  My skin is very sensitive to fabric types; though I think merino wool is very practical for traveling, even the most high-quality merino wool tops I have purchased irritate my skin.  My silk, rayon, and cotton fabrics are heavenly soft.

Part 2:  Road Trips    (with picnicking option)

Road trips are great!  We’ve driven thousands of miles visiting family and friends and seeing some of the great natural wonders and historic sights in the United States. 

Having our own vehicle allows us to have a flexible schedule and go places public transportation does not access.  This is especially true in the more spread-out parts of the U.S. like the Southwest and Midwest. We can change our plans for the day at the last minute or easily add an additional stop recommended by someone at a café.  Depending on the type of trip and your own comfort level, not having a string of hotel reservations for each night increases even more the flexibility of the schedule. 

When our family took a 5-week trip through the eastern U.S., I joined the rewards program for one of our favorite hotel chains that had great breakfasts.  Each day when I knew where we were going to be that night, I would use the hotel’s app to search and book our room.  Only once in almost 40 days did we encounter difficulties (college graduation weekend in a smaller town), and then we ended up in a historic hotel downtown which was an amazing experience in and of itself.  Sometimes the unplanned adventures are the best ones!

PLANNING:

Though it’s good to have a skeleton plan for a trip (dates & locations) a few months in advance, most planning and packing can be accomplished in a few weeks before the trip, especially if you are traveling light and have a system for traveling.  Keep it fun, keep it simple, make it an adventure!

TRAVELING:  

We usually take our own vehicle. However, for longer more extensive road trips, we sometimes rent a vehicle.  We don’t always want to put all those miles on our own vehicle and renting one allows the capability of swapping vehicles quickly if problems develop instead of spending valuable time at a mechanic.  

If road-tripping in the U.S., I would highly recommend getting AAA membership.  They have an extensive tour book and map inventory (free for members), road-side assistance and towing, and discounted rates at many hotels and tourist sites.   

(2019 update:  AAA Tourbooks have declined significantly in quality and are not nearly as comprehensive as they used to be, so I can no longer recommend them.  For this year’s road trip, I am using online resources and each states’ guidebooks.)

EATING:

Since we travel on a budget, we only eat out once every one or two days, usually at places that represent the part of the country we are visiting.  We pick hotels that have full breakfasts included and eat one other meal in the hotel room at the end of the day.  Lunch is the meal we often eat out, though sometimes we’ll picnic for lunch and eat out for dinner.  

If we are traveling for two weeks or less, I will cook one-pot meals in advance and freeze them in Ziploc bags or disposable microwavable containers – these become the “ice” for our cooler and provide easy dinners as they thaw.  Our cooler easily keeps things very cold for a week.  If road-tripping for more than two weeks, you will need to find ways to prepare meals either by staying in AirBnBs or VRBOs, camping, or having microwave meals.  

PACKING:

As I said in the introduction to lightweight family travel, we pack the same for road trips as we do for plane travel with the addition of a few emergency and food items.  Here is the list for additional items we bring for road trips:

Emergency Supplies:

      • “Just-In-Case” Bag – includes Leatherman Multi-tool, 550 cord, flashlight/headlamp, emergency whistles & compass, waterproof matches, duct tape, and many more emergency supplies
      • Blanket/fleece sleeping bags (especially important if traveling in cold weather)
      • Toolkit   (with hammer, pliers, screwdrivers, socket set)
      • Emergency Car Kit:
        • Jumper Cables
        • Ice Scraper (if traveling in cold/icy weather)
        • Emergency Tire Repair Kit with tire inflator/air compressor  (many options available)
        • Portable Air Compressor/Power Station (if desired)  
        • Emergency Flares & Triangles (if desired)

Food Stuff:  (in cooler, food box, and Igloo handled cooler bag)

      • Food:  This really depends on the amount of time gone and the meals you will be eating “in.”   Here are some of our favorite easy travel meals ~ bring food according to the meals you choose.
      • Dishes/utensils:
        • Travel divided containers with lids
        • Sporks
        • Disposable microwavable food storage containers in a variety of sizes (frozen food usually in these)
        • Pyrex 4-cup glass measuring dish or quart jar with lid
        • Can opener & peeler
        • Small sharp knife
        • Serving spoon
        • Dishwashing liquid/wipes
      • Several gallons of drinking water

NOTE:  Usually we only bring the Igloo Handled Cooler Bag
into the hotel/lodging

Other:

      • Paper towels
      • Gallon Ziplocs, Quart Ziplocs
      • Large pack baby wipes & disinfecting wipes
      • Lightweight collapsible chairs (if desired)
      • Picnic blanket (if desired)

Part 3:  Multi-Experience Travel

Sometimes you want variety – variety in types of lodging, variety in modes of transportation, variety in experiences.   To do this, you have to also bring a variety of gear to accommodate the different activities you will be doing.  However, even doing this, you can travel fairly light, making you more mobile and flexible.  

Our family of four traveled for 5 weeks through 20 states (plus D.C.) on our Early American History Tour, visiting many historical and cultural sites. We stayed in hotels in the middle of big cities and camped in the northern Adirondacks, the great Eastern Forests, and on the ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. Temperatures ranged from freezing to the 90s on this trip. We were also on a budget, so we had to bring food and gear for cooking.  In spite of needing to be prepared for a variety of temperatures and experiences, everything we needed fit in the back of a minivan.  Traveling light (at least for this type of trip for this number of people), yet being prepared, allowed us to be mobile and act on the spur of the moment.

UPDATE:   For future trips like this, we will be looking at AirBnBs, though these usually cannot be booked at the last minute. 

For a multi-experience trip (that does not involve plane travel), packing involves everything for road trips PLUS:

Camping/Hiking Gear:  

    • Easy set-up tent(s) – how many depends on number of people traveling
    • Self-inflating insulated sleeping pad for each person  
    • Sleeping bag for each person  (warmth rating depends on where camping)
    • Camp/travel pillow (if desired)
    • Compact/lightweight camping chair for each person
    • Headlamps/flashlights for each person
    • Insect repellent and sunscreen as needed
    • Depending on extent of hiking, may bring camelback backpack for each

A Few Additional Food Prep Items:

    • Camp stove & fuel
    • Compact camp cooking set with lightweight cooking utensils 
    • Small folding table (if desired)

Whichever way you travel, making a conscious choice
to not bring more than you need and to allow for flexibility in your plan
makes for a fun, memorable, and adventurous trip!

Happy traveling!!!

A Few Helpful Notes:

    • TRAVEL INSURANCE:  Some people purchase travel insurance, especially for plane travel and international travel.  We weigh the risks and benefits of each trip before deciding.  
    • DOCUMENTS:   Important identification, reservation, and travel documents I email to myself in case they get lost, stolen, or misplaced – I create an email travel “folder” specifically to keep all the reservations, confirmations, documents, and saved maps.     ** Do not email financial account numbers!! **
    • PHONE APPS:   Smartphones and apps can make traveling much easier.  Here are a few we frequently use:
        • Google maps / Safari maps
        • Dropbox 
        • AirBnB / VRBO
        • Choice Hotels (this is the hotel chain we tend to use because of the breakfasts)
        • AllTrails (for hiking)
        • Lonely Planet guidebook
        • others specific to areas we are visiting 
    • SOUVENIRS:   Postcards and magnets, as well as usable items, become our souvenirs.  We have quite a collection of magnets on our refrigerator of all our travel adventures.  Some of my favorite usable souvenirs represent the places we have been such as scarves and a leather purse from Florence, Italy, foldable totes from London and Paris, coffee from Costa Rica, and local jewelry from all over.

    • JOURNALING:   I take advantage of times when others are sleeping (for me it’s early morning with my morning coffee) to keep a journal of our travels – I do this on my travel MacAir or on my iPhone with a folding bluetooth keyboard.  These with pictures and post cards combine to make a quick scrapbook when we get home.

    • More helpful notes specific to different trips are in the links below. 

Here are links for various trips we have taken, including the packing lists and itineraries – we hope you enjoy traveling as much as we have!

Southwestern Nature’s Wonders Tour (2 weeks)

Early American History Tour (5 weeks)

Midwest-Pioneer Tour (2 weeks)

European Historical Tour (3 weeks)

Texas History Tour