13 Packing Hacks Every Family Should Know

If you want to keep your sanity and actually enjoy the trip ahead of you, it's absolutely essential to know the ABCs of traveling as a family: accommodate everyone, balance baggage and corral kids. That sounds like a multitasking list only an octopus could manage, but these must-know packing tips will help you juggle tasks and make traveling as fun as it should be.

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One person in your familial squad might require particular medications, while another would freak out if their favorite pair of jeans were left behind. With all of the different personalities in your household, each person deserves a customized packing list. Create these lists weeks before your trip. This way, all members of your family can contribute, edit and even begin packing their own bags. Everyone (especially you) will feel much more secure knowing they have what they want and need well before your planned travel dates.

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When choosing clothes to pack for family travel, try not to focus on putting together specific outfits. Instead, select a color scheme or mood you'd like for the trip, and base your fashion choices around that. Make sure all of your garments can go with one another. You'll want mostly basic, solid-colored pieces, but adding a printed scarf or other bold accessory can jazz up your look for the days you're feeling more adventurous. Have everyone in your home follow this strategy to minimize time spent packing, when your destination should be what holds your attention.

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If anyone in your family brings more than three pairs of shoes on a family vacation, there's an opportunity to edit your packing list. Depending on what kind of travelers you are, you might only need two pairs each: one pair for more formal events, like nice dinners; one casual pair (that you'll wear most of the time); and, if you plan on being physically active, you'll need a pair for that, too. Anything else will take up an enormous amount of space in your family's bags. Have everyone wear the bulkiest shoes they're carrying to the airport, such as boots or clogs, to save on valuable luggage space. Remember your color scheme and select footwear that can complement anything in your traveling closet.

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For less-than-clean footwear that needs to be packed with clothes and other items you don't want mucked up, wrap them in bags to keep them separated. There's no need to get fancy and purchase special shoe sacks. Instead, reuse paper and plastic grocery store bags, since they can fit a variety of shoe sizes. Bring a few spare bags, and keep them throughout the trip so you can separate soiled clothes from clean ones.

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A daypack is usually a smaller version of a backpack, sometimes simplified to a pouch with drawstrings as straps. When packing for family travel, include a daypack on the list for yourself and others in your family. These lightweight bags should lie flat in your luggage, with nothing in them. Once you arrive at your destination, take them with you and fill them with useful things, such as snacks, chargers, bandages and other necessities for a day of exploring. Little ones might have a happier trip if they can bring their favorite toy or trinket along in their own daypacks.

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Checked bags can get lost in transit, and even carry-ons can get left on a train or bus. It's a good idea to mix up your family's items and crosspack in the unfortunate case that any bags go missing. Keep the most crucial items in your handbag or carry-on when possible, such as passports or meds (for best protection, carry these in a fanny pack or travel belt). Other than that, mix up items between bags so that, if one bag is lost, no one is completely without what they need.

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The airport will be cold. The plane will be freezing. You'll clear room for more important items in your luggage. These are the obvious reasons you should dress each member of your treasured tribe in layers when on a family voyage. Other benefits include being able to peel away clothes that suffer spills (or worse), and keeping everyone warm so there's no need for the reused, sometimes questionable blankets provided by the airline. Wear all you can through the TSA checkpoint, then adjust and rework layers afterwards.

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Between dead batteries, weak cell signals and airplane technicalities, you and your crew could spend a significant amount of time without the online connectivity you've probably become accustomed to. Before heading to the airport, download apps and games that will keep you and yours happy even when all the bars on your devices have disappeared. Some streaming apps, including Netflix and Spotify, allow you to download certain material to your device so that it's available offline. This option is great for kids and adults, since you can stock up on your favorite music, TV shows, movies, games and even podcasts! Isn't it nice to live in the future?

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Believe it or not, battery-free fun still exists, and traveling is the perfect time to expose your kids to some of the games from your past. Travel-sized and card games can be excellent forms of entertainment and bonding when screen time isn't an option (or you want to give your eyes a break). Remember tic-tactoe, hangman or just doodling characters from your imagination? Teach your kids any unique games you learned when you were their age, and see if they have any they've picked up that they can show you. You'll be surprised at the bond that can come from dead batteries. A simple pencil and pad can go a long way!

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Make sure to pack a multi-headphone audio splitter to minimize how many electronics you bring. Even if you decide to load up on devices, splitters give your family the option to depend on one phone or tablet for streaming, in case the batteries in other electronics have failed you. This nifty problem-solving tool is a great way to practice sharing and compromising for children (and adults) who need a nudge in learning how to be more communal with content.

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With the gang in tow, it's guaranteed that someone, at some point in your long journey, will get hungry. Satiate those cravings before they surface by being ready with plenty of go-to snacks. Eat or drink anything that's unwrapped before you get to the airport, since these items might cause problems when going through the TSA line. However, have a snack sack brimming with flavors your kids adore, and keep it in your carry-on or handbag so at a moment's notice, you can tame the starving beasts in your herd.

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You can't bring bottles with more than a few ounces of liquid through the TSA checkpoint, but you can bring empty bottles through, which you can fill up at fountains near your gate. Take advantage of this and save money on buying waters for the whole family at the airport. Having to ask the flight attendant for a million cups of water won't make you any in-flight friends, either. If possible, bring your own reusable water bottle, or simply a plastic bottle you've already used.

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Some think that packing everything you can fit is the best way to prepare for a trip, but many lose time by purchasing travel-sized toiletries, which they often pull out for scrutiny while going through security before repacking them. Not only does purchasing toiletries and other travel goods give you a reason to shop in a store you haven't seen countless times, but it also saves on an extra errand before you leave.

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