How To Pack Efficiently For a Family Trip

As Summer is coming to a close, we are going on one last little adventure! We will be road tripping to a fun little cabin to spend some time as a family. As a stay at home mom, the majority of the packing duties fall on me, so I thought I would share my method for packing for my entire family! (Yes, my husband can pack for himself, but I still help him out a little bit!) So here it is! How to pack efficiently for a family trip!

This article contains affiliate links. This means I have shared links to products I use and love and if you click on one and make a purchase, I may receive small compensation at absolutely no cost to you!

Create Lists

Make a list for each member of the family. Include how many outfits they will need, socks, underwear/diapers, hair accessories, toiletries, shoes, bathing suits, etc. Anything they will need to wear or use to get clean should be on the list!

Once you have done that, make a list of extras. For example, I will pack a bag of toys/books/games for my kids that is easily accessible in the car, but also easy to bring in once we get to our destination. For more tips on car travel, check out my post on how to road trip with kids the fun way!

Then, it’s time to think about your food situation. Will food be provided, will you eat out, cook yourself, or a combination of all! Plan out your meals and make a list of the groceries you will need. I suggest placing a pick up order at the closest grocery store to your destination! If you will be eating at restaurants, make a list of the ones you would like to try!

If you need help with organization, join the Heart + Home community and gain access to our free planner!

Get Prepared

Before I begin packing anything, I get as much laundry done as possible. This allows me to have the largest selection of clothes available to get things packed. I will try to do several loads the week before we go then a couple small loads leading up to our departure.

After everything is clean, begin planning your outfits. Refer to your lists you made above to know how many outfits, etc. you will need and plan them out. Make sure you have what you want to brig clean, and if not, throw it in one of the loads! Planning out your outfits ahead of time reduces the need to over pack and helps you think clearly when putting things into your suitcase.

Start Packing

Let’s get down to it!! Once you have your outfits planned out, begin putting them in your suitcase! I suggest using packing cubes to keep things organized and easy to reach for. Alternatively, you could place each item of a certain outfit one on top of the other and tightly roll all the components of the outfit together before placing in your suitcase. These methods give more room and make it easy once you arrive to pull out an already put together outfit.

I typically pack the extras last; the snacks, books, toys, games, etc. This way I have a good idea of what we will need, and also so the snacks are fresh! We like to bring a cooler in the car for drinks or other cool snacks, so that is packed at the last minute!

Once everything is ready to go, it’s time to load up the car! We put the suitcases in the very back and the snacks/toys in an easy to reach spot. This is typically on the ground in the middle row of our minivan.

Don’t Stress

Lastly, try not to stress about it too much! The whole point of vacation is to relax and make memories with your family! If you spend too much time stressed over the packing aspect, it will take away some of the fun!

Where are you going on your next adventure?!