With a brood in tow, travelling light can seem like an impossible task. Your kids go through clothes at breakneck speed because of their growth spurts, their inability to do anything in a clean way, and their tendency to get more food on their tops than in their mouths. This can usually mean one large piece of luggage per family member making your packing anything but light. Rather than think about everything that your family needs for a fortnight away and packing everything but the kitchen sink, think about travelling in a different way.
Packing
Have the luggage that you wish to take with you and let that be your limit to what you can pack. The best travel luggage tends to be wheelie suitcases if you are travelling to one resort to stay at for an entire fortnight without even setting foot outside of the complex. However, if your family needs a travel adventure that is more of a multistop tour, hardback suitcases aren’t going to cut it. If your kids are a little older, give them backpacks with a capacity of thirty five litres maximum. This way, they are responsible for their own packing.
A thirty five litre backpack forces you to travel light and every member of the household should have their own. You can fit at least a week’s worth of clothing into these backpacks while having space for gadgets, cameras, GPS devices, and shoes! Just because you are heading away for a fortnight doesn’t mean that you should pack fourteen days’ worth of clothes. Washing on the way can be done and is a fun experience! This sized backpack is also great for saving you time at the airport. The size and dimensions of this backpack means that you won’t have to check it into the hold and you can keep it in the cabin of the plane. This eases time pressures when arriving at airports and means that you won’t have to stress about your luggage ending up on the same flight as you.
Buy As You Go
You may assume that you need to pack all the clothes that your kids will need for the duration of your trip. However, you can also factor in buying anything that you may need while you are overseas. You will often need to pick up painkillers, a pair of socks, or some extra sandals because yours have broken, and you think nothing of it. The same can go for tee shirts, hats and sunglasses too. This can also be a cost-saving measure as you may find that items of clothing are cheaper overseas than in the UK.
If you are venturing overseas, check out the exchange rates and look at common prices of like for like items in the UK. If you go on a multistop Greece Tour, you will be amazed at just how cheap tee shirts are in the bazaars of Croatia, Greece, and Albania. There’s no need to pack your luxury designer gear when you can pick up a week’s worth of clothes for next to nothing.
Strategies For Packing
Just because you have limited space in a backpack doesn’t mean that you can’t squeeze in an exceptional amount of stuff. Consider the old adage of rolling instead of folding, especially if you are heading somewhere sunny and warm. By folding your summer dresses, you are going to create creases and take up more space in your backpack. Rolling is a more space-saving measure meaning that you can utilise the capacity of your backpack in a more efficient way. You will also no longer have to worry about creases or desperately hunting for an iron in your hotel room.
Put socks in shoes and ensure the heavier things go towards to bottom of your backpack. Go for a front-loading backpack and you can pack it in the same way as you would a traditional suitcase. If you have a guidebook or a music player, keep these in side pockets. You will often want to get these items out when travelling on a plane or train, so keep them accessible. In these uncertain coronavirus days, you will also need to factor in a face covering and hand sanitiser. This should be in your bag or pocket at all times.
Packing light means packing smart. Even with a small brood in tow, it can be done. By packing lighter, you will find that your travel plans become less stress-filled and more relaxed. Follow this guide and you will soon have a newfound love of travelling light when heading overseas.
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