I have finally finished putting together our family’s packing list for our trip. A few days ago I said I would share a bit about the system that I use, so here it is.
Travelling with five people with various interests, needs, and abilities… not to mention ages everywhere from toddler to tween, means you’ve really got to think about what you’re going to bring with you. This is a system that I put in place back in 2011, when we were packing for our very first vacation with our then-toddler, and while I’ve modified it a bit over the years as our family has changed, the general concept has always worked really well for us.
Disclaimer: For what it’s worth, I’m a Virgo and very earth-sign dominant. Anyone who knows anything about astrology, take from that what you will. I do not claim that this level of planning is for everyone, because most of my fire-sign heavy family would never. If you ever watched that episode of Full House back in the nineties where the Tanner family goes to Walt Disney World… I’m Danny. At least when it comes to packing.
Step 1: Assess Your Bags and Transportation Situation
We typically fly to Orlando. It’s a short flight for us, only a few hours, and we always use Southwest Airlines. Their customer of size policy absolutely cannot be beaten, and as a larger person, I tend to stick with what I know works well for me. Plus, the fares are reasonable AND each person with a ticket gets two checked bags, one carry on bag, and a personal item. You are also able to bring a separate bag for medical supplies, if needed, and a disposable bag for food to eat on the flight.
We have also driven in the past, but that takes considerably longer. Our last trip took 24 hours of non-stop driving between multiple drivers to get there (other than short breaks at rest stops here and there for the bathroom, or getting gas, etc.) It does save some on money, but we prefer to rent a minivan if we have a long drive, just for peace of mind. We also lose some baggage space doing it this way.
Since we’re flying with five people this trip, I know that I have the ability to have TEN checked bags, FIVE carry ons, FIVE personal items etc. I don’t actually need to use twenty bags, but this does let me look at what luggage I have and start making some decisions about what we’re bringing. If I were doing a drive down instead, I would be looking at where my kids would be sitting and how much room we have left. I’d probably have room for 3 of our bigger suitcases, plus a backpack for each kid.
Step 2: Start the Spreadsheet
After I’ve considered what bags I have to work with, I create a new spreadsheet in Google Sheets. On the first sheet, I make columns for each bag I’m bringing.
The first row designated the person who the bag is going under, and what category it falls under (so, it would say NAME – Checked #1, NAME – Checked #2, NAME – Carry On, NAME – Personal Item, etc.). I also have three extra columns – Family Medical Bag, Family Food for Plane, and one for Things That Are Not in Bags (ie, my rollator, the stroller, the car seat.
The second row designates WHICH bag is being used to fulfill that need. (So for me, I have “Blue Bag #1” “Blue Bag #2” “Little Blue Suitcase” “Purse” etc. One of my kids carries a cooler as their personal item. My toddler’s personal item is the diaper bag – which I carry)
The whole point of the first sheet is to nail down what bags you are bringing and who’s name is going on the luggage tag if you’re flying… or where they go in the car if it’s a long drive instead.
3. Make a Second Sheet on the same File and Brainstorm Items You May Need
This is where stuff is going to be really different for everyone depending on your needs. I make a row of columns on this sheet based around activities: sleeping, eating, general park days, swimming, hygiene, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, sensory tools, entertainment for the plane, memory keeping, reservations… I think you get them picture. I look at my reservations and park days and plans to think out the categories.
Then, I go through each category considering each person I’m responsible for. So for example, for the “sleeping” category, I can’t sleep without a small fan or some extra pillows. I also need to remember pajamas. For swimming, I put down swimsuits for everyone, aloe vera gel, beach towels, a swim bag, and a couple different types of sunblock because one kid can’t use the same products as the others. For sensory tools, I add the “blocker” ear muffs I mentioned in the recent post about sensory meltdowns plus some fidgets and my wife’s essential oils.
One category that I had to give a lot of extra thought to this trip is eating. My food allergies weren’t diagnosed on our last trip. I was definitely struggling with symptoms of some of them, but we didn’t figure out what the issue was until I had a severe reaction to sushi last year. I’m feeling much better these days, but I do have to be really vigilant about reading ingredient labels and making sure I’ve got my epipen and emergency meds on hand.
Unfortunately, a lot of my safe foods require refrigeration, and the hotel we’re staying at only has a “beverage cooler” that doesn’t provide cooling to adequate temperatures. And I’m not comfortable using a communal microwave for things like rice either. So I’m limited in options. We’ve decided to order instacart for rice milk, powerade to help manage my low blood pressure, and some stuff for the kids. We’re going to pack some of the harder to find things from home, like safe bread, sunbutter, and shelf-stable jelly packets.
4. Start Matching Items to Bags
This is pretty straightforward. If we need it on the plane, it’s going to go in a personal item. If we need it the first day but won’t need it on the plane ride, it’s going in a carry-on (like our park supplies). If it can wait until we unpack at the hotel that night and it’s replaceable if something happens to our luggage, it can go in a checked bag. If it’s medical, it is 100% going into the medical bag, because a prescription going missing could ruin a vacation. I tend to try to keep things together by category for the most part – I don’t necessarily want our toiletries in with our food, for example.
5. Highlight Items That Have Different Circumstances
I know where most of the stuff on my list is, but some things need to be purchased or located. For example, I know I need to restock our pull-ups and wipes before we leave. I need to remember to BUY that allergy-safe bread and sunbutter. I realized that my kids need sunglasses and water shoes. I highlight all of those last-minute needs in red. Then I highlight anything I’m planning to get when we get there in cyan – I’m planning to instacart a case of water, some extra powerade, some snacks for the kids, etc. And anything asking for laundry is currently highlighted orange because I’m at war with my laundry right now, and I’ll get that done once I finish running the rest of it.
6. Print Your Lists
I make each column its own sheet or Google Doc, and print two copies of the contents of each bag. One copy goes IN the bag as a checklist, and the other goes into a folder that stays in my carry-on. That way I have a full inventory of what we’re bringing and can use that to make sure everything landed safely… and that we have everything packed back up at the hotel for the return trip.
I’m honestly pretty sure this whole thing sounds pretty convoluted and chaotic, but it’s worked well for us for over a decade now. I’ll try to update this later with photos to show the system in action, and it may make more sense.
Access the Mouse 