Traveling Light: Packing Lists for a Weekend, Week Long, or Month Long Trip with kids
One of the biggest mistakes I see families make when traveling isn’t that they’re going to the wrong places, or choosing the wrong activities. It’s that they’re making travel harder than it needs to be by packing too much for their trip!
Bringing more than you need might seem like being prepared for whatever, but the reality is that filling your bags usually just means having more weight to carry and less room for bringing back souvenirs.
Whether you’re just heading out for a weekend trip, spending a week in a new place, or really taking time to travel for a month or more, simplifying your packing list can help make getting to your destination easier.
How much does trip length actually change what you pack?
I often get asked how we manage to pack every thing we need in so few bags. After all, it seems like traveling long term should mean tons more luggage than you’d need for a shorter trip, but, in reality, that’s not how it works out.
Really, if you pack what you need for a single week, you probably already have what you need for longer!
Whether we’re headed out for a weekend beach trip or spending a year bouncing around Southeast Asia, our family pretty much uses the same things every day.
Some Basic Packing Principles and Tips for any trip
Keep your clothing choices simple
Unless you plan on being in one spot for more than a few months at a time, only pack clothes for about five or six days. Doing laundry once a week, or even washing a few items in a sink, is far easier than hauling massive suitcases through airports or train stations.
Overpacking is a bigger mistake than under-packing
Overpacking happens when you try to prepare for every single hypothetical situation. Sticking to just packing for the planned activities, and trusting that you can buy the rest at a local market if really needed, goes a long way to helping you save on weight and space.
Use packing cubes to keep things organized
Packing cubes help keep your bag way more organized and will save on space, too. You can, and should, use them for clothes, but they’re just as good for keeping other things together. We use them to organize our charging cables, toiletries, and even our LEGO!
How we travel
My family typically travels with carry-ons only, one backpack per family member. We each carry our own clothes and personal devices (laptops, tablets, phones), and then we divide the other bits out as evenly as possible.
Items that absolutely have to go in a carry-on, like power banks, end up in my personal bag so that if we choose to check the kids’ bags, we can, though that happens pretty infrequently.
This works great for our family at this stage, but when the kids were younger, we did usually have checked bags as well, with things like books, art supplies, toys, etc. As the kids have gotten older, we’ve been able to downsize to a smaller amount of toys, and more eBooks over physical books.
Our Bags
My wife and kids all three opted for the Cotopaxi Allpa when were choosing backpacks for our travels. They open like a clamshell, with a single zippered pocket on one side and the other side divided between a medium pocket and two smaller ones. Plus, there’s an external pocket great for keeping things you need easy access to and a dedicated laptop/tablet pocket next to your back.
These bags have more than enough space for everything you’ll want to bring and more! But the huge amounts of space also means they can get pretty heavy, if you’re not careful. You’re much more likely to go over on weight than you are to run out of space.
35L is just about the perfect size for a carry-on backpack, and this one by Cotopaxi does a great job of maximizing that space while still looking good.
I'm recommending it as a great option for teens, but don't forget the adults. This bag is a great choice for all ages!
I, on the other hand, opted for an Osprey as my travel bag.
Where the Allpa divides its main compartment in two, my bag has one, large interior section and a second compartment with a padded pocket for a laptop, tablet, etc. Plus an easy access zipper pouch on the exterior, and two water bottle holders. Overall, I don’t feel like it holds as much as the Allpa bags, but it still holds more than enough and it feels way more comfortable to wear, at least for me, so when we need a larger pack for an outing or hike, we most often use the Osprey.
I've been using the Farpoint 40L for about 2 years, and it has held up remarkably well to our lifestyle of constant travel. There have been times when I wished it would hold a bit more, but if I'm being honest, I would probably think that about literally any bag.
I've definitely already gotten my value out of it, and I fully believe that it will be able to last me for a long time to come.
Packing Cubes
Regardless of which bag we’re packing, a good set of packing cubes does wonders for keeping things compact and organized!
I really like the packing cubes that also have a compression feature because it helps keep things compact, but the big reason we use them is because it helps make unpacking easy. Being able to open a bag and grab exactly what you need, without having to dig through a jumble of clothing, cords, and assorted souvenirs is a definite perk.
I'm not recommending a specific brand here. Just the *concept* of packing cubes. We've used several different brands over the years, and they're all basically the same, though I do recommend getting one with the compression feature for those moments when you really do need that little bit of extra space.
Packing for a weekend trip (2-3 days)
Weekend trips are perfect for exploring nearby locations that won’t require a lot of travel! And, because you’ll only be there for a couple days, there’s really not that much that you’ll need to pack. Don’t overthink it too much.
For our family of four, we’re often able to pack everything we need in a single bag, so we can travel light and not worry about carrying a lot of bags in the airport. And on a shorter trip like this, our main focus is absolutely on the location itself, so it’s unlikely that we’ll need much that isn’t accessible at our destination.
What to pack for a weekend trip
- a change of clothes for each day of your trip
- ONE pair of shoes
- Any personal toiletries that you’ll want (think deodorant, tooth brushes, and toothpaste)
- Any devices you’ll want plus a charger and cable for each device you’re bringing (phones, tablets, cameras, and maybe laptops?)
- Passports and travel documents (if traveling internationally)
And that’s really about it.
Tip: Most hotels and short term stays will have basic toiletries like soap and shampoo available. Unless you need a specific shampoo or conditioner, what the hotel offers is usually fine for a weekend.
This is the exact travel adapter I've been using for the last 4 years. Mine is pretty beat up at this point and could probably use an upgrade, but it still sees daily use. It's helped us plug in our devices across nearly 30 different countries and has worked on almost every plug we've encountered. (South Africa has some weird plugs.)
Easily one of the best purchases I've made for travel!
I highly recommend you buy 1-2 universal plug adapters to travel with, but even if you don’t, most places will have local plug adapters available at hardware stores or shops aimed at tourists. They’re usually pretty cheap ($2-$4) but they’re also a lot less flexible that they adapters that I use.
I also like traveling with a powerstrip so I can turn one adapter into several different plugs!
Some examples of weekend trips we’ve done
- Scuba Diving in the Cham Islands in Vietnam – While staying in Da Nang, we took a weekend to visit the nearby Cham Islands! We packed clothes for 3 days, toiletries, swimsuits, a GoPro and our phones all in one 35L backpack.
- Visiting Singapore – During our stay in Malaysia, we took a weekend to fly down to Singapore. We left most of our things in the apartment we rented in Malaysia, and only brought a single bag with us. We most certainly didn’t see everything Singapore has to offer, but we were able to see a handful of fun places and could say we were there!
- A transit stop-over in Beijing, China – While doing a visa run, we arranged our travel so we could make use of a transit visa in China to explore some of what Beijing has to offer. We only had a weekend to give to it, so that’s what we did, but we definitely did not do everything we wanted to.
- Visiting Lesotho from South Africa – While road-tripping in South Africa, we spent a weekend in Cathkin Park, and took a day-trip from there into Lesotho. It was an easy, laid back trip with a focus on relaxation and scenery!
Also Read…
Diving Trip with Tigerfish Diving: Why you should absolutely add SCUBA to your Hoi An itinerary
Packing for a week long trip (7-10 days)
Spending a week in a single location is often just right for seeing all the major attractions, trying out some local foods, and getting a basic feel for a place. But it’s also long enough that you’ll likely have some downtime you want to spend relaxing rather than exploring.
What to pack for a week-long trip
When spending 7-10 days in a place, you may feel like you need to pack a ton more than for a weekend trip because you’ll have so much longer there. But, really, you don’t actually need to pack all that much more!
I suggest:
- 5 changes of clothes per person
- ONE pair of shoes (and optionally a pair of flip-flops
- Any personal toiletries that you’ll want
- Personal devices and chargers (If we’re traveling longer than 3 days, we definitely bring laptops, both to have just in case something comes up or for watching media together during downtime!)
- Passports and travel documents (if traveling internationally)
Tip 1: 5 changes of clothes may not feel like enough to some people, but most often, it’s easy enough to find same day laundry services wherever you go! We’ve done this in Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, and more. In other places, like Paris, Malaysia, South Africa, and Thailand, we’ve booked stays that have on-site washers and just done laundry ourselves as needed.
Tip 2: If it turns out 5 changes aren’t enough, clothes make great souvenirs and are usually less expensive than what you’d buy at home. It’s 100% worth packing light and adjusting as you go.
Some examples of week-long trips we’ve done
- We met up with some other families to spend a week in Tokyo with our kids, including a zoo trip, cherry blossom viewing, sushi train restaurants, and exploring temples.
- We did a week-long self-drive safari in Kruger National Park, South Africa where we spotted all five of the Big 5 during our 5 days in the park.
- We did a camping road trip across multiple National Parks in America, including Badlands National Park, Black Hills National Forest, Devil’s Tower National Monument, and Yellowstone.
- We spent a week in the Galapagos Islands during our stay in Ecuador.
Packing for a month long (or longer!) trip
If you’re staying a month or longer in a single location, it starts to become worth it to pack a bit more, though I still recommend packing on the lighter side unless you’re planning on setting up a long term travel base.
At this point, you may be justified in bringing a wider variety of clothing choices. Weather changes may happen while you’re there, or you may be seeing the same groups of people often enough that you want more than a handful of travel outfits.
Kids may want to bring more toys to play with during down time, and, if you homeschool, there may be things you want to bring for that. For our kids, we often bring a couple stuffed animals, a large bag of LEGOS, and some basic art and journaling supplies.
What to pack for a month(s)-long trip
- 8 changes of clothes. And the only reason I say 8 is because I don’t like doing laundry more than once a week. You can definitely get by with less, especially if you have sets of clothes that can mix and match!
- ONE pair of shoes and a pair of flipflops, if you’re in a beach area.
- Devices and chargers (Phones, tablets, laptops, eReaders, and anything else you’ll be likely to use on a regular basis. We also brought a Google TV streamer that we use for our our TV viewing
- Passports and travel documents (if traveling internationally)
Tip: For longer stays, I actually don’t recommend traveling with toiletries beyond what you would need for a weekend trip or so, unless there’s a specialized product that you just have to have. It’s easier to do a quick shopping trip on arrival for basic toiletries, and such!
Examples of month(s) long trips we’ve done
- We took 11 months to travel the 11 countries in South East Asia during 2024
- We spent 6 months traveling Mexico and Central America in 2021
- We spent 5 months in Luxor, Egypt in 2021-22 and 7 months in Marsa Alam, Egypt in 2023
Extras that I pack for trips of any duration
These packing lists really just cover the absolute basics that we travel with, but there are always items that aren’t really on the essentials list but still somehow always make it into our bags.
- A French Press – Sure it takes up more space in our bags than not traveling with a way to make coffee, but I would be hard-pressed to find a better method for getting my morning brew.
- Sound-cancelling headphones – Especially great for watching videos on long flights!
- Go Pro Action Cam – We love snorkeling, so the action cam ends up in our bag basically any time we travel, just in case.
- Travel Computer Monitor – I work from my computer (as most people do) and having the extra space to spread out (digitally) helps make things easier.
- An eReader – There are a number of great eReaders out there nowadays, but most of our books are from Amazon, so we’ve mostly stuck with Kindles over the years.
- USB-C Mobile Game Controller – I could say this is for the kids, but no, it’s actually for me.
- A Day Bag – This is the exact bag I’ve used on a day to day basis over the last 3 and a half years. It’s perfect for keeping everything from passports and power banks to grocery shopping bags and water bottles at hand and accessible without needing a full-size back pack.
Is traveling light hard for the kids?
We’ve been lucky enough to travel with our kids basically from the very start, so they are very used to living on the go. But, especially when they were younger, it was hard at times because we didn’t want to deprive them of having the staples of a normal childhood.
We traveled with suitcases full of stuffed animals and a library of children’s books, and we ended up buying toys all across then globe and then having to leave them behind as we went. If your kids aren’t expecting that, it’s definitely worth discussing the possibility with them before they discover there’s no more room in the bag.
We also make sure that they absolutely have space for specific “always” items that go with us wherever we are. For our kids, that’s their personal pillowcases. This gives them a taste of familiarity, no matter where in the world we find ourselves, which can be emotionally grounding for them when they need that. And really, a couple pillow cases take up almost no space in the bags.
Closing thoughts
While we definitely prefer packing light now, it was not a skill that we started our journey with. When we first started, we had 2-3x the luggage, all of which was filled to bursting with everything we thought we might possibly need!
Over time, we’ve learned what things we actually need, what things we can do without, and what things are easier just to buy when you get there. Just remember that (almost) no matter where you end up, you’ll be in a place where people are already living life and surviving, so you’ll definitely be able to survive, too!
I know my list is pretty bare bones (other than the French Press), but it’s a reflection of how we actually travel and live our life.
Hope it helps!
