8 Vacation Packing Tips to Keep You Organized

Eight vacation packing tips for your next trip that will keep you organized!

These vacation packing tips are helpful whether you are taking a road trip or an airplane on your vacation. All moms know that packing for a trip can be a little overwhelming. There are so many things to remember; if you are not organized, you can easily forget essentials.

Let’s dive into these tips so that your next vacation can start off well!

8 Vacation Packing Tips

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1. Do a brain dump.

Before you even start packing, do a pre-vacation brain dump. This will help you get all of the things you need to do out of your head and onto paper.

Grab a notepad and write down everything that is on your mind.

Then go through the list and highlight the things that are essential to do before your trip. If things are not essential, put them on a list that you can view when you return from vacation.

2. Make a list of what to pack.

Now you need to make a packing list. Trust me, this will help you! It is so easy to forget the extra contacts or socks, but having a list will help you stay on track.

As you pack the items, cross them off the list.

3. Gather any items from the store.

I have found it helpful to pack travel-size items for shampoo, conditioner, and contact solution. You can grab some smaller travel-size bottles to reuse for this.

4. Start packing a couple of days earlier.

There is nothing more stressful than trying to pack the morning of a trip as your excited kids are running everywhere. Take some time to start packing a few days ahead of time.

Here is a basic packing timeline:

4 Days Before- Get what you need from the store
3 Days Before- Start packing
The Morning Of- Add in the last minute items to your bags.

5. Use packing cubes.

I started using these packing cubes last summer and love them! They come in different colors so you can assign a color to each family member. Roll your clothes and place them in the cubes.

These work great if you pack one per family member and then place in a large suitcase.

We also have used these when we go camping as they do not take up a lot of space and the kids easily know where their clothes are.

6. Bring a reusable laundry bag.

My mom always did this and it helps so much! Get a reusable laundry bag that you can bring on your trips. If you are able to do laundry while on vacation, this helps you see what needs to be cleaned.

If you are not able to do laundry on your trip, you can easily keep your clean and dirty clothes sorted.

7. Pack some snacks.

Whether you are taking a road trip or flying on a plane, your kids will need snacks. This is a great time to get individually wrapped snacks that are easy to travel with.

Add in some special snacks that are not in your typical rotation because these snacks will be great for those tired moments when your child needs a little boost.

8. Do a check the night before your vacation.

The night before you leave, check your list and make sure you can easily see what you need to pack the morning of the trip. There are always the last-minute essentials that can not be packed ahead of time so this will help you make sure you get these items packed.