You Get One Backpack: How to Travel Light with Kids

As parents, it can be easy to think that when you travel with your children, you need to bring everything but the kitchen sink along for the trip. We run through all the what-ifs in our minds and try to prepare for every possible scenario and misfortune. After all, kids make messes. Kids get dirty. Kids sit in the dirt, smear PBJs on their faces, wet their pants, jump in puddles, blow out the knees of their pants, and lose their socks.

It can feel difficult to anticipate and prepare for all the mishaps that can occur when we’re on the road, but we’ve learned over the years that it’s better to minimize the amount of belongings we take with us. When the messy scenarios occur–and they will–we’ve always found a way to adapt and make it work. And being unburdened by the absence of excessive luggage has enabled us to truly enjoy our trips much more.

*Waiting for our flight to Molokai, HI.*

One and Done

Years ago, we came to the decision that everyone in our family each got one backpack. And that’s it. And no, I’m not talking about a gargantuan monstrosity that causes your child to disappear under its sheer mass when they shoulder it. No, this is a backpack that our kids can comfortably pack around for hours, through airports, down hiking trails, and throughout the city.

Achieving this level of minimalistic travel with kids requires a good deal of strategy and planning, because with this arrangement, you won’t have room for six pairs of pants and three jackets. This can be especially challenging when you’re visiting an area with a wide range of temperature and weather, as our trips often are. There are a few tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years to help us successfully manage this style of travel, and that’s what I want to share with you today.

*Traveling light is especially helpful on small planes.*

Tip #1: Make A List

I started letting my kids pack their own bags when they were around six years old, although of course with supervision and a final bag check before the zippers get zipped. An efficient way to help them with this is to print out a packing list and let them check items off as they go. I’ve included a link to this packing list for free, in case you’re interested in using it yourself. Because the items we take for each trip vary according to destination, planned activities, and the weather forecast, I leave the quantity space empty and pencil that in according to necessity.

Tip #2: Think Through Every Item

Cotton, while cozy and soft, is not your friend for travel. It holds odors easily, is difficult to dry once it gets wet, and does not wick moisture away from your body. Merino wool or synthetic materials are always a better option.

Unless we’re visiting a balmy location like southern California or Hawaii, I almost always have my kids pack the three following items: a light fleece hoodie, a puffy jacket, and a rain coat. There are several reasons for this.

First off, they’re all lightweight and pack down nicely. If it’s dry and cool, the fleece will suffice. If it’s raining and cool, the fleece and rain jacket are the perfect combination. If it’s cold and dry, the fleece and puffy provide two warm layers. And finally, if it’s cold and wet, all three layers will keep your child both dry and warm. Because we spend so much of our travel time outdoors, I have learned the hard way that missing any one of these three articles of clothing can cause unnecessary discomfort and lack of enjoyment of an outing or activity. That being said, I don’t have my kids pack two jackets and three hoodies “just in case.”

Just enough, and not too much.

*It’s important to pick travel shoes that are both comfortable & versatile.*

Tip #3: Be Prepared to Hand Wash Clothing

Now bear with me here. This isn’t as bad as it sounds. If your family packs synthetic, quick-drying clothing, doing a quick washing by hand in your hotel sink is actually an efficient and effective way to stretch those outfits for several more days. This is especially helpful if you are going to be traveling for more than four or five days. What’s more, you can teach your kids to wash and dry their own clothing.

The method I use for this process is as follows:

I’ll fill the bathroom sink with water, add a couple drops of liquid laundry detergent, and then add the clothing items. I’ll let them soak for a few minutes, and after several vigorous agitations with my hands, I’ll drain the sink and rinse the items with clean water.

Once this step is done, I’ll do a quick hand-wringing of the clothes before using the towel roll and feet trick to squeeze out the remaining wetness. (See video tutorial here.) The final step is to hang your clothes out to dry, whether that’s on a shower bar, the hotel closet hangers, or even a makeshift dryline with a piece of paracord. If I’m going to hand wash, I’ll often do it in the late afternoon or evening, and typically by the morning, everything is dry and ready for another use.

Now if you have access to a washer and dryer, then by all means avail yourself of that option and skip this step! But I think it’s worth adding here, because we’ve encountered several situations during travel where we did not have access to such amenities, and hand washing especially small, often stinky items such as socks and underwear was a vital part of being able to pack light and travel long.

*Keeping it simple in rustic accommodations.*

Tip #4: Go Digital

While we generally don’t advocate for lots of screen use for kids, a Kindle Paperwhite is an exception to this rule for us. And although it technically is a screen, our kids only use the Kindle for book reading, not for games, movies, etc. Because our kids are avid readers, and because enjoying a good book is a lovely element of vacation, we found earlier on that we were weighing down our backpacks with enough reading material to last everyone multiple days. The Kindle eliminates all this, of course, because you can store hundreds of books on a single device, so that the kids will always have good reads, whether that’s on a six-hour plane flight or in a hammock with a beach view. It’s small, lightweight, and fits the minimalist packing list in every way.

Tip #5: Skip the Unnecessary Paraphernalia

Adhering to a bare-bones travel style also means you won’t have room for seventeen souvenirs at the local gift shops along the way. But let’s be honest: how often do those items end up forgotten and tossed aside several months later anyway? Keep these purchases to a minimum. You can focus on valuable experiences instead of more possessions, and your trip will likely be more budget friendly as a result.

On another note, we used to bring a passel of toys and activities for our kids on every trip, but over the years we’ve found that you get a lot more mileage out of a few small, thoughtfully chosen items. It’s amazing how creative kids can get with five toy dinosaurs or a small plastic container of Legos.

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, we want to make valuable, lasting memories with our kids while they’re young. Packing light has hugely shaped our travel and afforded us freedom and flexibility. So if you’re tired of lugging multiple massive suitcases through the airport and in and out of hotels, try the one bag travel hack on your next trip. We’re pretty sure you’ll be glad you did.

Share Your Hacks

Have a minimalist packing tip that you’ve come to love? Share it in the comments!