This week I will be packing for our family trip, so I decided to share a few packing tips and travel faves. Most of these could apply to travel any time of the year, but since we are headed to a beach destination, this post will focus on summer travel. Let’s start with the suitcase. We have had cheap luggage and expensive luggage and everything in between. After having multiple pieces of really nice luggage damaged by the airlines, I have decided I will not be spending a fortune on any more luggage pieces. There are plenty of nice lines out there that don’t cost an arm and a leg. I am personally not a huge fan of hard sided suitcases because they don’t expand like canvas ones do and this mama wants all the room she can get!
Amazon and ebags both have a lot of options available and even have some great sets available if you’re needing more than one suitcase. This set would be great for guys.
A friend of mine that travels often keeps telling me to try the IT luggage line. They claim to have the world’s lightest wide handle luggage collection and come with a 10-year warranty. Seems like a great option for families. The line includes both hard and soft-sided pieces in multiple colors.
If hard-sided luggage is your thing, there are tons of options, colors and finishes. I think this Rockland set is classy, super cute and comes in at under $120 for the set! You can’t beat it.
Whatever style of luggage you prefer; I recommend having a good carry-on. When traveling with kids, a carry-on is an essential for me. I personally use a wheeled under seat bag to carry my iPad, portable battery chargers and electronic accessories, toiletries, magazines or books, tickets, and passport. I always make sure to have a scarf or wrap in my bag that can be used as a blanket or to cover my face because I am a total germaphobe. My husband usually takes a small overhead carry-on with necessities we would need should our luggage be delayed.
Now for packing…. of course, you don’t want to forget your beach essentials like sunglasses, swimsuits, coverup and a hat but here are a few tips I stick to when packing.
Decide on your packing method. I suggest one of the following three: rolling all your clothing to lessen wrinkling and save space; keeping your clothing on hangers which makes unpacking a breeze; or using packing cubes. Packing cubes can also conserve space but may increase wrinkling depending on how they are used. This cactus set from Amazon is so fun!
Bring something to contain dirty clothes. No one has time for extra laundry because dirty stuff rode home mixed with the clean items. Especially if you’ve been at the beach! You can use a laundry sack or even a garbage bag.
Pack with zip lock bags so you can easily find items and always bring extra baggies.
Pack all your cosmetics and toiletries from your evening routine, the night before you leave when you finish using them. The next morning before heading to the airport, perform your normal a.m. routine for getting ready and then pack those items as you use them, this way you won’t arrive at your destination missing anything important!
Always pack a basic first aid/medication kit when leaving the U.S. I can’t tell you how many times this has come in handy. It’s not near as easy to find a CVS for a sore throat or upset stomach when you’re in another country. Oh and throw in some swimmers ear drops! Anytime we travel and I know we will be swimming, I always pack it. It’s not worth realizing your child has water in their ears midflight. Been there, done that, ouch!
Bring insulated cups. If you’ve got the room, bring them. Nothing is worse than a yummy drink that gets hot and watered down before you can finish it.
Pack a soft-sided foldable cooler. These are so nice to have and don’t take up much room in your suitcase. For Father’s Day I got my husband, dad and father-n-law one of the IceMule coolers. We can’t wait to try it. They are lightweight, they float, can be carried as a backpack and keep drinks cold for at least 24 hours.
Pack card games and dice games that are small for packing. These are always a fun way for the family to hang out and can be thrown in your pool or beach bag too.
Bring plenty of sunscreen and bug spray. These are super pricey at resorts and your selections are always limited. My daughter’s face is very sensitive and I have rosacea so we never travel without our elta sunscreen. I love that it doesn’t sting, it’s not greasy and it does not clog your pores or cause breakouts. They also make a tinted version which I use on days that I don’t need a full coverage foundation.
Make sure you have tunes for the beach and pool. We always make sure we have something to play music on when we travel. There are so many options out there that are portable and waterproof, making them perfect for a beach destination. I love this COMISO one and it’s under $30 bucks!
You might want to bring a pool float or water hammock. I know this may sound crazy but the last time we went to Mexico, I brought two floats that I purchased for $3 from the dollar store. I just kept them in the box and asked the hotel to blow them up when we arrived. It was so nice having a float and we didn’t feel bad leaving them behind when we left.
Pack a waterproof phone case. These come in so handy for beach trips, fishing and water outings and kids love to take underwater photos.
Last but not least, I always bring my travel folder. You can use anything that will corral papers but mine is just a poly folder that I fill with copies of our reservation and travel info. Before each trip, I always research things to do, places to eat, popular attractions, etc. Anytime I book an excursion or outing, I will print off a page with the address, phone number, hours and reservation number. I also love to print off restaurant info and write down popular dishes and recommendations from apps like Yelp. It’s always nice to have done the legwork beforehand and not when everyone is tired and hungry. Don’t forget to toss in a pen so you have one on the plane to fill out immigration documents if traveling internationally. I like to pack this in my under seat bag so I have it handy upon arrival.
All of these things have been great additions to my packing routine. When I was working on this post, I came across the coolest thing and remembered recently using something similar at a waterpark. Of course, this is totally not a necessity, but sure would be great to have when traveling. The AquaVault is a portable safe that you can attach to your chair, a stroller, bicycle or even a golf cart!
We are so excited for our trip to the Cayman Islands! Can’t wait to share that one with you soon.