Many of us will travel during the summer to either see family and friends or to experience new places. Some of us will fly to a city destination while others will pack their cars and go camping. What type of vacation you’re having affects what you need to pack and every individual has their own needs.
My family of four travels regularly. I find packing for myself and my kids easy. We can typically fit our belongings in one carry-on (above is our packed carry-on for our 21-day trip to Japan last summer).
My husband, however, is the type of person who always seems to need some special equipment from a surfboard to cycling shoes, from climbing equipment to hiking poles. He does his own packing, I only periodically ask if a thing could be rented at the destination. He has climbed Mt. Fuji while the rest of us took in sights in Tokyo. He has biked around an island while the rest of us spent the day in the pool.
So know what type of person you are and keep that in mind while planning and packing!
Plan
It all starts with planning. Staying in a home, whether that is the home of a family member or a rental unit, rather than a hotel room eases your packing requirements as you’re able to do laundry.
They might even offer bikes and pool toys to make your stay more enjoyable and minimize the need to bring additional items.
Prepare
About two weeks before the trip I make a mental checklist of the items needed. You could also write it down on your phone or paper. I do this to check if we have everything we need. If not, there’s still time to purchase them.
Make sure your kids fit in their summer shorts and dresses, everyone has a summer hat and swimwear, shoes that are appropriate for the trip.
About a week before the trip I start gathering clothes that I want to pack in a different area where they normally are so that they are clean when I want to pack them.
Pack
Because I have already gathered everything in one spot (I use two empty drawers in my closet so that it’s out of sight) the actual packing happens the day before or even the day of.
If you're able to launder your clothes in between, I recommend packing about 4 outfits per person. If the weather is unpredictable where you’re going, you may need a little extra.
Pack enough underwear, and socks if needed, to last a week.
Pack your favorite toiletries that you know you will use but leave the rest.
(* See below for an example of what I pack for our upcoming summer trip in Europe.)
Leave
Don’t pack ‘just-in-case’ items.
Consider where you’re going and adjust your packing list accordingly. Unless you’re going to a very remote area with no access to services, you can leave items like just-in-case medicine, just-in-case travel sewing kit…
When it comes to personal care items, I only pack toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, sunscreen, our favorite body/facial oil, and my make-up. I don’t bring soap or shampoo. Only once or twice have I stayed in a place that didn’t provide those and even then I was able to purchase them locally (a soap from Tahiti is a nice souvenir, too!).
And talking about souvenirs:
Bring back memories instead of memorabilia but if you know you want to bring something back, plan ahead and leave enough room in your luggage going in.
Happy travels!
* My packing list for summer in Northern Europe:
Kid 1:
3 shorts
4-5 t-shirts***
2 pants***
1-2 long sleeve t-shirt(s)
1 wool cardigan**
1 jacket (rainproof)**
1 sneakers**
1-2 sandals/flip-flops/other shoes
1 sun hat
1 sunglasses
2 swim outfits
7 underwear
7 socks***
1-2 PJs
These will take my kid from picking berries to a nice dinner out, though mostly they need to be comfortable for riding a bike to the nearest ice cream vendor.
Kid 2:
3 dresses
3 shorts
3-4 t-shirts***
3 pants***
1-2 long sleeve t-shirt(s)
1 wool cardigan**
1 jacket (rainproof)**
1 sneakers**
1-2 sandals/flip-flops/other shoes
1 sun hat
1 sunglasses
2 swim outfits
7 underwear
4-5 socks***
1-2 PJs
These will take my kid from fishing with grandpa to a family reunion, though mostly they need to be comfortable for climbing at the neighborhood playground and watering flowers with grandma.
Myself:
3-4 dresses
1 jeans
1 lounge pants**
2 thin wool sweaters***
3-4 t-shirts***
1 jacket**
1 sneakers**
1-2 sandals/flip-flops/other shoes
1 sun hat**
1 sunglasses
2 swim outfits
7 underwear
4 socks***
1 workout outfit
These will take me from hanging out at the beach with the kids to an anniversary dinner, though mostly they need to all work together and be comfortable meeting friends and family in different settings.
** Will wear these during the air travel and will not be packed.
*** One of these will be worn during the air travel and will not be packed.