Packing List

We are a typical American family, with lots of stuff; it’s a constant battle to weed out the old to make room for the new.  My desire to buy new things has been curtailed somewhat since we have started planning for our big trip, but with kids it’s pretty difficult to maintain the status quo.  They outgrow shoes, clothes, books, and toys quickly, and they are always interested in getting the latest “new thing.”   So I think it will be refreshing to be on the go, away from our household goods, limited to the “essential” items of life.

My goal for this trip is to limit ourselves to what will fit in four carry-on sized bags.  One of those bags will likely be a small daypack that Daniel can manage, so we’ll really only have three bags for the bulk of our things.  I’ve gone through countless packing lists on the internet to get ideas of what is essential, what is nice to have, and what is a waste of time to bring.  Since I found it so useful to look at other people’s packing lists, I wanted to return the favor and share our’s.

Anita/Caroline:

• 2 pairs of shoes (one closed toe/one open)
• 1 rain jacket
• 1 lightweight sweater or jacket
• 2 pants/capris
• 2 skirts
• 1 dress
• 1 pair of shorts
• 5 shirts (long/short-sleeved, various colors)
• 1 swimsuit
• 1 pair of socks (planning for shoes that don’t require socks)
• undergarments
• 1 hat
• 2 scarves

Bill/Daniel:

• 2 pairs of walking shoes/sandals (one closed toe/one open)
• 1 rainjacket
• 2 pairs pants
• 2-3 pair shorts
• 1 swimsuit
• 4 pairs of socks
• 5 pairs of underwear
• 5 shirts (long/short-sleeved, various colors)
• 1 lightweight jacket
• 1 hat
• 1 pair of pajamas shorts

Toiletries:

• minimal, with emphasis on non-liquid options (like shampoo and moisturizer bars)

Miscellaneous:

• Travel towel
• packable daypack
• clothesline
• sink stopper
• concentrated multi-purpose soap
• Inflatable hangers (help shirts dry by keeping sides apart; seems silly but I’ve read lots of good reviews)
• Spot remover
• Small roll of duct tape or gaffers tape
• Safety pins, clips, a few rubber bands, twist ties, carbiners, paper clips
• Sewing kit that includes heavy duty needles, extra buttons
• Ziploc bags, variety of sizes
• Small notebooks
• Pens, markers, pencils
• Glue stick for journaling
• Foldable Frisbee
• Dice games
• erasable white boards and pens
• workbooks for  homeschooling

First Aid (this can probably be scaled down to the things you want to have in the middle of the night when you can’t get to the pharmacy, but we’ll take it all if there is room):

• Tylenol, ibuprofen (adult and  children’s)
• antidiarrheal
• Laxative
• Cold or congestion drugs
• Anti itch cream
• antihistamine
• topical antibiotic
• Sunscreen
• usual prescription medications
• Letter from doctor describing  prescription medication
• bandaids
• Moleskin
• thermometer

Electronics:

• kindles (2)
• cheap small laptop
• iphone
• adapter plug
• flash drives for backing up pictures, etc.
• 2 cameras

Luggage:

Anita:  Osprey Porter 46.

Bill: ebags motherlode TLS weekender convertible

Caroline: rolling carry-on.

Daniel: Osprey Jet Daypack (primarily for things to keep him entertained on the road).