How We Pack for a Family of 4 (Without Losing Our Minds)
The first time we packed for a family trip, it took 4 hours and we filled 3 suitcases plus a carry-on each. For a 2-week trip. David couldn't carry everything and Lily asked if we were "moving house."
Six months later, we're down to 2 checked bags and 2 carry-ons for the whole family. Not because we're minimalists. Because we learned what actually matters and what just takes up space. (If you're new to travelling with kids, start there before you start packing.)
Here's the system.
The One-Bag-Per-Person Rule
Each family member gets one bag:
- David: Rolling suitcase (checked, 23kg)
- Me: Rolling suitcase (checked, 23kg)
- Lily: Backpack (carry-on, she carries it herself)
- Max: Small backpack (carry-on, he carries it himself until he decides it's "too heavy" 10 minutes in, then David carries it)
David's suitcase has his clothes plus overflow kid stuff. My suitcase has my clothes plus overflow kid stuff. The kids' backpacks have their entertainment, snacks, and one change of clothes for the plane.
Total family luggage: 2 checked bags + 2 carry-ons + my day bag. Manageable in a taxi, a train, or a hotel lobby.
The Colour-Coded System
This changed everything. Each family member has a packing cube colour:
- David: Navy blue
- Me: Teal
- Lily: Pink
- Max: Green
When it's time to unpack at a new place, we pull out the right coloured cubes and put them in the right drawers. When it's time to repack, everything goes back in its colour. No mixing, no searching, no "whose sock is this?"
What Goes in Each Cube Set
Per person (3 cubes each):
- Cube 1 (small): Underwear, socks
- Cube 2 (medium): Tops, layers
- Cube 3 (medium): Bottoms, sleepwear
Shared cubes (in my suitcase):
- Toiletry bag (all family toiletries)
- First aid cube
- Electronics cube (chargers, adapters, power banks)
The Kids' Packing List
Lily (7)
| Item | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirts | 5 | Mix of patterns and solids |
| Shorts | 3 | |
| Lightweight pants | 1 | For temples, cooler evenings |
| Dress | 1 | She insisted |
| Swimsuit | 2 | |
| Underwear | 7 | Enough for almost a week |
| Socks | 3 pairs | |
| Sandals | 1 pair | Teva-style with closed toes |
| Sneakers | 1 pair | She wears these on the plane |
| Rain jacket | 1 | Packable |
| Pyjamas | 2 sets | |
| Sun hat | 1 | |
| Stuffed rabbit | 1 | Non-negotiable |
Max (4)
Same list as Lily, minus the dress, plus:
- Extra pants (2 instead of 1, because 4-year-olds are messy)
- Pull-ups for overnight (just in case, no shame)
- The dinosaur (absolutely non-negotiable)
The Entertainment Bag
This is what goes in the kids' carry-on backpacks for flights and long transits:
Lily's backpack:
- iPad (loaded with downloaded movies and games)
- Headphones (kid-sized, volume-limited)
- Colouring book + coloured pencils (not crayons, they melt in hot countries)
- Chapter book (she's into Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
- Small toy or figurine
- Snack zip-lock bag
Max's backpack:
- Old iPad (also loaded with downloads)
- Headphones
- Sticker book
- The dinosaur
- Hot Wheels car (singular, he only needs one)
- Snack zip-lock bag (bigger than Lily's because he eats constantly)
Critical: All tablet content must be downloaded BEFORE the trip. I spend an evening downloading Netflix episodes, Disney+ shows, and offline games over our home Wi-Fi. On the road, we top up downloads using my GOAN eSIM hotspot when hotel Wi-Fi is too slow. For the full entertainment rotation strategy, see our long-haul flights with kids survival guide.
What We Brought and Never Used
- Lily's "nice" dress shoes. Wore them once for a photo. They live in the bottom of the suitcase taunting me.
- Travel washing line. I thought I'd hand-wash clothes. I have never once hand-washed clothes. We use local laundry services ($2-5 per load in SEA, $8-12 in Europe).
- Mosquito net. Most places that need them already have them. The one we carried added weight and was used zero times.
- Travel towels for the kids. Hotels and Airbnbs always have towels. We carry one adult microfibre towel for beach days. That's enough.
- Too many books. Lily brought 4 physical books. She read 1.5. The Kindle would have been better, but she prefers real books. Compromise: 1 physical book, refresh at English-language bookshops along the way (they exist in most tourist cities).
What We Wish We'd Packed
- More rehydration sachets. Kids get dehydrated faster than adults, especially in SEA heat. We ran out in month 2 and had to find a pharmacy in Cambodia (Google Maps + GOAN data = found one in 3 minutes).
- A small packing scale. We got hit with overweight luggage fees twice. A $10 handheld scale would have saved us $60 in fees.
- Ziploc bags in multiple sizes. For wet swimsuits, snacks, sandbox toys, dirty clothes, first aid supplies. You can never have too many ziplocs.
- A second set of headphones per kid. Headphones break. They always break. Having a backup set avoids the nightmare of a 4-hour flight with no entertainment and no headphones.
The Tech Setup
| Item | Who Carries It | Why |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 15 Pro + GOAN eSIM | Me | Nav, booking, emergencies, hotspot for kids' tablets |
| iPhone 14 + GOAN eSIM | David | Backup nav, photos, calling |
| iPad (Lily's) | Lily's backpack | Entertainment, light schoolwork |
| iPad (Max's) | Max's backpack | Bluey |
| 20K mAh power bank | My day bag | Because 4 devices drain fast |
| Anker 65W GaN charger | Electronics cube | Charges everything |
| Universal adapter x2 | Electronics cube | One per room/area |
Both phones on GOAN means both parents have independent data, real phone numbers, and hotspot capability. Total cost: $58/month for the pair. Coverage across 105+ countries.
The Packing Routine
We repack every time we move to a new destination. Here's the process:
Night before departure:
- Laundry returned? Check.
- Toiletries back in bag? Check.
- Chargers and adapters? Check. (We've left 3 adapters in hotel rooms. Three.)
- Passports in my day bag? Check.
- Kids' backpacks loaded with entertainment and snacks? Check.
- Cubes colour-sorted and in correct suitcases? Check.
Morning of departure:
- Final room sweep (check under beds, in drawers, in bathroom)
- David takes both suitcases
- I carry my day bag + Max's backpack (when he inevitably gives up)
- Lily carries her own backpack (she's proud of this)
- Leave
This process takes about 20 minutes now. It used to take 90. The system works.
