Backpacking as a Family of 6: How We Pack Light and Travel More

Less Luggage, More Travel

Want to know something crazy? When we had just one baby, we brought more luggage than we do now as a family of six!

When my oldest was born, airlines were much more generous with their baggage allowances. For two adults and one lap infant, we would often have three 50-pound bags included in our transatlantic fare. So what did we do? We packed three 50-pound bags, along with carry-on luggage, personal items, a stroller, a car seat… everything but the kitchen sink!

As a first-time mom, I think all the what-if scenarios go through your mind. You want to feel prepared for anything, and I was definitely nervous the first few times we traveled with a baby.

Now that we have four kids, I guess you live and learn what you actually need, what you can live without, and what things are better to buy when you get to your destination.

I look back and laugh at how, when my oldest was a toddler, I packed an entire suitcase just for her stuffed animals. She was obviously thrilled to have “all the friends” with us, but these days, I don’t bother packing toys. Perhaps a few stacking cups and other small items for the baby, or one teddy bear, but that’s about it!

Traveling with less luggage has saved us a small fortune over the last 10 years. With budget airlines, baggage fees can sometimes cost more than the plane tickets themselves. This must be how they make their money, because I still wonder how Ryanair stays in business when I often see flights from London to Europe for $15!

I’ve also had to remind myself that when we travel, we aren’t going to Timbuktu, so to speak. We’re usually visiting Europe or America, where there are supermarkets and clothing stores if we run out of something. It’s often cheaper to pick up basic toiletries at our destination than to carry all that extra weight in our suitcases.

The more you pack, the more you have to carry, transport in cars and taxis, and keep track of throughout your journey. And when you’re traveling with four kids, the last thing you need is more stuff to manage!

So, here’s how we pack for family trips, what we consider essential, and how we’ve learned to travel with less over the years.

What We Pack: Our Family Travel Essentials

The key to packing light is knowing what you genuinely need and prioritizing those items over everything else.

Here’s what typically makes it into our bags.

Travel Documents and Electronics

These are the things I always make sure we have before leaving the house.

• Passports: You can’t travel internationally without them!
• Credit and debit cards: I use Apple Pay most of the time, but there are occasions when you need a physical card, especially if you need to withdraw local currency from an ATM.
• Local currency: I usually keep some euros on me. Most places take cards these days, but it depends on where you’re going. On our recent trips to Italy and Germany, we needed cash to pay for the bus.
• Driver’s license: Especially important if you’re renting a car.
• Phones and chargers: Pretty self-explanatory!
• Plug adapter: I use one with multiple plug inputs and several USB and USB-C ports, which means we can charge several devices at once.
• Portable battery pack: Make sure it’s fully charged before you leave. If you’re out sightseeing all day, this comes in handy when your phone battery starts running low.
• iPads or tablets: I always have the kids download some Netflix or Disney+ shows to watch on the plane, along with a few games. Some larger planes have in-flight entertainment, but downloaded entertainment is also useful during airport transfers and other journeys.
• Headphones: Some airlines provide them, but I prefer bringing our own, especially for the kids.
• Reusable water bottles: We bring them empty and fill them at the airport water fountains. Many places in Europe have safe public drinking water, so you can refill them throughout the day.
• Watch: Because it’s useful to keep track of time, and I like to see how many steps we’re doing!

I also bring sunglasses and any essential prescriptions, glasses, or contact lenses. These are the sorts of things that can be inconvenient or expensive to replace when you’re away from home, so they’re worth making room for.

Clothing: Three Days Is Usually Enough

We generally pack three days’ worth of clothes, plus whatever we’re wearing on travel day.

That might sound like very little for a family of six, but we typically stay in rental apartments with washing machines, so we do a load of laundry every other day.

Here’s what we usually bring:

• Three outfits per person
• One or two pairs of pajamas
• Underwear, plus a couple of extra pairs because they take up very little space
• Walking shoes, which we wear while traveling
• A hoodie or sweater for layering, especially on the plane
• Swimsuits, depending on the destination
• Flip-flops or sandals for warmer destinations
• A sunhat if needed
• Workout clothes if we plan to exercise during the trip

I also try to choose clothing that dries quickly. Most of the places we’ve stayed in Europe have washing machines but no tumble dryers, so being able to wash something in the evening and have it dry by morning makes a big difference. I usually pack 3-4 laundry pods as they don’t take up much space and some apartments don’t provide detergent.

It’s also worth thinking about whether you can get more than one use out of an item. Sometimes I’ll wear a T-shirt to sleep in one night and use it for a workout the next day. Little things like this can cut down on the amount of laundry we need to do.

Of course, if we’re traveling for a wedding or taking a more luxurious trip that requires dressier outfits and multiple pairs of shoes, we might need to pack more. Family backpacking isn’t going to work for every single trip!

Toiletries and Personal Care

Toiletries are one of the easiest ways to save space and weight.

I keep a bag of miniature toiletries ready to go, which is particularly useful when we find a last-minute travel deal and don’t have much time to prepare.

I pack the basics, including:

• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer, as needed
• Essential makeup
• A small hairbrush
• Nail clippers
• Any other personal care items we genuinely need

I have separate toothbrushes for travel because we use electric ones at home. Electric toothbrushes are great, but they’re bulky, so I prefer having a small manual toothbrush for each family member, complete with a toothbrush cap.

Keeping these in a dedicated travel bag means I can pack much further in advance without having to remember to take our everyday toothbrushes out of the bathroom at the last minute.

I also bring a tiny bottle of dish soap and a bottle brush when we’re staying in a hotel with the baby and need to wash bottles in the sink.

Before we leave, I check whether our accommodation provides shampoo and body wash. These are often included, but conditioner and moisturizer are less common.

I also check how far we’ll be staying from a supermarket so we know where to pick up anything we’ve forgotten or don’t want to carry with us.

One important tip: check supermarket opening hours at your destination! Many places have reduced hours on Sundays, and some stores don’t open at all. It’s also worth checking whether any local holidays will affect opening hours during your trip.

Baby Items

Traveling with a baby is a little different, and what we bring depends on their age and how we’re feeding them.

I’ll cover this in a separate post because baby packing deserves its own discussion. There are definitely some items you need to bring from home, but there are also plenty of things you can simplify depending on your destination and accommodation.

Snacks, Snacks, and More Snacks!

If you’re traveling with kids, you know that snacks are essential.

We always bring plenty for the journey. Airport food can be expensive, and having snacks readily available is especially useful when you’re dealing with flight delays, long transfers, or hungry children who suddenly decide they can’t wait another five minutes to eat.

I would much rather have a bag full of snacks than a bag full of unnecessary toys!

A Mini First-Aid Kit

I put together a small bag with a few essentials rather than carrying a large first-aid kit.

Ours usually includes:

• Band-Aids
• Pain relievers for the adults and age-appropriate options for the kids
• Antacids
• Insect bite cream

I also pack any personal medications we need. The aim is to have the basics available without carrying an entire pharmacy around with us.

A Few Extras

Depending on the trip, I might also bring a mini tripod to document our travels.

I’m starting to share more of our adventures on social media, so it’s useful to have a way to take family photos without always asking someone else to take them. That said, I’m also trying to be better about documenting our trips while still living in the moment!

Amazon Fire TV Stick: I recently started bringing ours when we travel. Not all apartments have smart TVs, and hotel TV channels can be limited, especially in English. It’s great for the kids to watch their usual shows during downtime and for the adults to enjoy a series once the kids are in bed. It’s surprisingly compact and a lovely little extra to have with us!

How We Manage to Travel With Less Luggage

Knowing what to pack is only half the battle. The other half is figuring out how to fit everything into our bags and get through the airport without feeling like we’re moving house.

Here are some of the things that work for us.

1. Pack for Three Days, Not the Entire Trip

This is probably the biggest change we’ve made over the years.

We don’t pack a separate outfit for every day of our trip. Instead, we pack three days’ worth of clothes and plan to do laundry along the way.

We typically stay in rental apartments with washing machines, which makes this much easier. If you’re staying in hotels, you can still hand-wash smaller items or look for a nearby laundromat.

And if you do run out of something, you can usually buy what you need at your destination.

2. Take Advantage of Every Allowance Your Airline Allows

Depending on the airline and your ticket, you may be allowed a personal item and additional shopping or duty-free bags.

We often bring one or two reusable grocery bags that we fill with snacks and other items for the journey, taking advantage of any additional bag allowance the airline actually permits.

The important thing is to check the rules for your specific airline and ticket before you travel. Budget airlines can be particularly strict about the number and size of bags you’re allowed to bring onboard, and you don’t want to end up paying extra fees at the airport.

3. Wear Your Bulkiest Items

If you’re trying to fit everything into a backpack, every bit of space counts.

We wear our bulkiest shoes and bring a sweater or hoodie for the plane. If we’re traveling with coats, we can wear them or carry them rather than stuffing them into our bags.

If you use a neck pillow, you can often clip it to the outside of your backpack or wear it around your neck.

It’s not necessarily the most fashionable way to travel, but it can save a surprising amount of space!

4. Be Strategic About Strollers and Car Seats

When we travel with a stroller or car seat, we try to protect it with a suitable travel bag.

If you’re checking your stroller, a stroller bag helps keep it clean and protects it from some of the dirt and handling involved in airport travel. Ask me how I know!

Depending on the airline’s rules and the bag’s weight allowance, you may also be able to put a few lightweight baby essentials, such as diapers or wipes, inside the stroller bag.

Always check your airline’s rules before adding anything extra, and make sure the stroller or car seat is packed according to its requirements.

5. Don’t Pack Everything Just in Case

This is something I’ve learned over many years of traveling.

It’s tempting to pack extra toiletries, extra clothes, extra shoes, and all those little things you might need. But the reality is that most everyday essentials can be purchased at your destination.

We usually travel to places with supermarkets, pharmacies, and clothing stores. If we forget something or unexpectedly need an extra item, we can generally find it when we arrive.

Of course, there are exceptions. Prescription medications, essential baby supplies, and anything difficult to replace should be planned for carefully.

But for the everyday things? Try not to pack for every possible scenario.

6. Check the Liquid Rules Before You Fly

Airport liquid restrictions have been changing as new scanners are introduced, but the rules can still vary depending on the airport and terminal.

To be on the safe side, I recommend checking the current requirements for your departure airport and any airports you’ll be connecting through. If you’re unsure, stick to containers of 100 ml (3 oz) or less and keep them ready for inspection.

Some airports now allow larger quantities of liquids and no longer require them to be removed from your bag, but don’t assume the rules are the same everywhere.

And remember: if you’re bringing a reusable metal or vacuum-insulated water bottle through security, it needs to be empty.

7. Accept That Sometimes You’ll Need to Check a Bag

Although we try to avoid checking luggage whenever possible, there are times when it’s unavoidable.

At Christmas, for example, we usually check at least one bag because we have gifts to give and presents to bring home.

Longer trips, weddings, special occasions, or vacations that require dressier outfits can also mean bringing more luggage.

The goal isn’t necessarily to travel with the absolute minimum every time. It’s to avoid carrying things we don’t need.

What About the Things You Forget?

One of the biggest concerns people have about packing light is what happens when something goes wrong.

What if you run out of clothes? What if the washing machine in your rental apartment doesn’t work? What if you forget something important?

Honestly, sometimes things do go wrong. But we’ve learned that most packing problems are manageable, and a little flexibility goes a long way.

One of my favorite examples happened on a trip to Vigo, Spain.

My husband had packed his running shoes because he planned to go for a couple of runs during our trip. He put them in the basket underneath the stroller, and when we arrived in Vigo, one shoe was missing!

We had no idea where it had gone.

Rather than letting it ruin his plans, we found a shop and bought an inexpensive pair of running shoes that would do the job for the week.

When we got home, the missing shoe was sitting in our living room!

At least it hadn’t been lost for good, and he was still able to run during our trip.

It’s a good reminder that not every problem needs to be solved by packing more things from home. Sometimes you can simply find a solution when you arrive.

Is Family Backpacking for Everyone?

Definitely not!

I’m not a fashionista, and although I’ve started sharing more of our travels on social media, when I’m traveling with four kids, I’m trying to document our experiences while also living in the moment.

There are times when checking a bag or bringing a larger carry-on is the right choice. There are trips where we’ll need more clothing, extra equipment, or things we wouldn’t normally bring.

But the principle still applies: the less luggage we have, the less we have to carry, the less we have to worry about losing, and the less we have to manage.

Traveling light is something I’ve learned gradually over many years. After each trip, I think about which items I packed but never used and what I wished I’d brought but didn’t have.

Over time, you start to recognize the difference between what you genuinely need and what you simply feel more comfortable bringing along.

And eventually, you become more comfortable with less.

For us, traveling with fewer bags means less time worrying about our luggage and more freedom to explore. It’s one of the ways we make family travel more manageable, save money, and hopefully travel more often.

You don’t have to become a hardcore backpacker or squeeze your entire life into one tiny bag to benefit from packing lighter. Even leaving a few unnecessary items at home can make a difference.

And if all else fails? Remember that you can usually buy another T-shirt, a bottle of shampoo, or even a pair of running shoes when you arrive.

Happy travels!