Packing cubes lined up, labeled and ready to go prior to our 11-day trip to Morocco.

Of course, spills happen, kids get sick, and drinks get knocked over. But the bigger reason I do this is in case our checked luggage gets lost or delayed.

I want everyone to have the basics they need to get through at least the first day of our trip without our suitcases. That means a clean outfit, underwear, pajamas if there's room, medications, and anything else we wouldn't want to be without overnight.

Going somewhere tropical? Put your swimsuits in your carry-on too.

There is nothing worse than arriving in Hawaii or the Caribbean, staring at the pool, and realizing everyone's swimsuits are sitting in a suitcase somewhere between home and your destination.

I don't try to pack enough in our carry-ons to replace everything in our checked luggage. I just make sure that if our bags don't show up when we do, we have everything we need to start the vacation anyway.Packing for a family vacation can feel overwhelming before you even pull out the suitcases. You're not only thinking about what you need, you're trying to remember clothes, pajamas, shoes, swimsuits, toiletries, favorite stuffed animals, and everything else your kids might need along the way.

But after years of traveling with our two kids, I've learned that thinking about packing is usually worse than actually doing it.

We've packed for just about every type of family trip. We've traveled on safari in Africa with only carry-ons, brought inflatable paddleboards to Hawaii, hauled fishing gear to Alaska, and moved from place to place with our kids on longer international trips.

And I've definitely overpacked a few times along the way.

The biggest thing I've learned is that there isn't one perfect family packing list. How I pack depends on where we're going, how we're traveling, whether we can do laundry, and what our family will actually be doing once we get there.

Here are the family packing tips that make getting four people packed and out the door much easier.

1. Make a Family Packing List and Save It

Beach Vacation Packing list that I use and update each time.

I always start with a packing list and check things off as they actually go into the bags.

You can create an organized master packing list on your computer, but honestly, your phone works just as well. I use the Notes app because I can add something the second I think of it.

The important part is saving your list after the trip.

Before your next vacation, pull up an old packing list and use it as your starting point. It is so much easier than trying to remember everything from scratch.

I still have packing lists from when my kids were toddlers and we traveled to Hawaii. They're hilarious to look at now because we packed so much stuff.

As your kids get older, your family packing list changes dramatically, but having that basic list gives you somewhere to start every time.

2. Check the Weather and Then Check It Again

Never pack based only on what you think the weather will be like.

Look at the forecast and pay attention to both the daytime highs and nighttime lows. Packing five sweatshirts for Hawaii doesn't make much sense if it's still going to be 80 degrees at 8 p.m.

And never assume somewhere like Alaska will automatically be cold.

We were once on an Alaska cruise where temperatures reached around 85 degrees in every port. We had packed plenty of shorts and T-shirts, while it seemed like half the ship was prepared exclusively for chilly weather.

I check the weather when I start packing and then check it one more time before the clothes actually go into the suitcase.

Weather forecasts change. Your suitcase should be able to change with them.

3. Lay Everything Out Before You Pack

This is one of the easiest ways I've found to avoid overpacking for a family vacation.

Put everything you're considering bringing on the bed or floor first.

Then look at it all together and start removing things.

Do you really need four pairs of jeans?

Do the kids need six sweatshirts?

Are you bringing three pairs of shoes that basically serve the same purpose?

I don't start putting clothes into packing cubes or suitcases until I've gone through this process.

Once everything is neatly packed, I find it much harder to convince myself to take things back out!

4. Packing Cubes Are a Must for Our Family

I live for packing cubes. Packing cubes are one of those travel items I use on almost every trip. I keep more of our tried-and-true favorites on my Best Travel Gear for Families page, including the things that have actually earned space in our suitcases.

Packing cubes make travel so much easier.

Everyone in our family has their own color, which makes it incredibly easy to know whose clothes are whose without opening every packing cube.

How I organize them depends on the type of family trip we're taking.

If we're staying in one hotel for several days, I'll open the packing cube and place the entire thing inside the drawer. Our clothes stay organized and aren't directly touching a hotel drawer.

If we're moving frequently, I organize things so I can get to what we'll need without unpacking everything.

We spent 10 days traveling through Morocco and stayed in a different riad every night. Having everything organized meant I wasn't digging through four people's clothes every evening.

One of my favorite packing tricks with kids is keeping both kids' pajamas together in one packing cube. They need their pajamas at the same time anyway, so there's no reason for me to hunt through two separate bags at bedtime.

It's a small thing, but those small things make a huge difference when you're moving from hotel to hotel with kids.

5. Give Each Carry-On Suitcase a Job

When we're traveling with carry-ons only, I don't necessarily give every person their own suitcase.

For our family of four, our typical carry-on packing system looks like this:

The kids share one carry-on.
My husband gets one carry-on.
I get one carry-on.
The fourth is our family miscellaneous bag.

That fourth suitcase is where I put toiletries, games, electronic cords and chargers, hats, and all the random family travel items that don't really belong in anyone's clothing suitcase. Games are one of the things that always make it into our family bag. For trips by car, I have a separate guide to our favorite family road trip activities and tips, including the things that have kept our kids entertained on long driving days.

This system makes packing so much easier.

It also makes things easier during the trip because when someone asks where a charger, card game, or another miscellaneous item is, I know exactly where to look.

Having a system for what goes in each suitcase is much easier than randomly filling bags until everything fits.

6. Plan to Do Laundry on Longer Family Trips

Doing laundry while traveling can dramatically cut down on the number of clothes you need to bring. We did this on safari in Tanzania and it worked incredibly well.

We traveled with only carry-ons and had laundry done along the way while staying at different tented camps. Since we were moving between camps, it was so nice not to be hauling large suitcases everywhere we went.

Before a longer trip, I look at where we're staying and figure out whether we'll have access to laundry.

If we're staying in an apartment or vacation rental, I may specifically look for one with a washer and dryer. In other destinations, hotels or lodges may offer laundry service.

Cruises can make laundry easier too. Depending on the cruise line and your loyalty status, you may have complimentary laundry benefits. On longer sailings, some cruise lines also offer a fill-a-bag laundry special for a set price.

If I know we can do laundry halfway through a trip, I pack accordingly. I also enjoy a break from doing laundry, so if we are staying in one place on the trip, I will pack enough to not have to worry about laundry.

7. Don't Pack a Completely Different Outfit for Every Day

This is especially important when packing for myself.

Instead of thinking:

7-day vacation = 7 completely different outfits

I think about clothes that can be mixed, matched, and worn more than once.

A pair of shorts can be worn again. One sweatshirt can work with several outfits. A nicer pair of pants or a dress can usually cover more than one dinner.

I also try to choose clothing that works together so we aren't bringing extra shoes or accessories just to make one particular outfit work.

The longer we've traveled as a family, the more comfortable I've become with wearing things again.

Nobody at your hotel knows you wore those shorts three days ago.

8. Don't Pack Clothes You'll Feel Obligated to Wear

I learned this one the hard way on a cruise.

I once overpacked so many outfits that I started feeling like I needed to change clothes just to justify bringing everything. I'd put on a dress for dinner, wear it for a few hours, and then realize I had another dress waiting for the next night that I was also only going to wear for a few hours.

It felt ridiculous.

I still like getting dressed up for dinner on a cruise, but now I keep my cruise packing much simpler.

I'll bring a few simple black dresses and change the look with fun earrings or necklaces instead of packing a completely different outfit for every night.

And if one night I feel like leaving my shorts on and going to dinner? I do.

I've gotten much better at packing for how we actually travel instead of packing for the imaginary version of the vacation I have in my head before we leave.

That might be my biggest packing lesson of all.

9. Bring an Extra Bag if You Plan to Shop

Think about the trip home before you leave.

FreshCruiser Tip

A lightweight, packable duffel is one of my favorite things to bring when we're traveling somewhere where I know we'll want to shop.

If we're going somewhere with lots of shopping opportunities, I don't want to spend the last night of our vacation trying to figure out how we're going to get everything home.

For a trip to Chiang Mai, for example, we brought an extra lightweight duffel bag for the return trip. It barely took up any room on the way there, but gave us an entire extra bag for everything we bought.

It also works well for dirty laundry on the trip home, which frees up space in your regular suitcases.

10. Diapers: Pack Them or Buy Them at Your Destination?

When my kids were little, my preference was usually to pack the diapers.

Packing diapers leaves room for souvenirs.

If you're visiting family, ordering diapers ahead of time and having them shipped directly to the house is a great option.

Otherwise, diapers don't add much weight to a checked suitcase, and they have one big packing advantage: they disappear as you use them.

That means you automatically create extra room for souvenirs on the way home.

You also don't have to arrive after a long travel day and immediately find a store that carries the diapers you need.

If you're packing for younger kids, my tips for flying with a toddler cover more of what I found worth bringing on the plane, along with ways to make the flight itself easier.

11. Pack a Change of Clothes in Your Carry-On

Everyone should have at least one change of clothes in their carry-on—not just the kids.

Of course, spills happen, kids get sick, and drinks get knocked over. But the bigger reason I do this is in case our checked luggage gets lost or delayed.

I want everyone to have the basics they need to get through at least the first day of our trip without our suitcases. That means a clean outfit, underwear, pajamas if there's room, medications, and anything else we wouldn't want to be without overnight.

Going somewhere tropical? Put your swimsuits in your carry-on too.

There is nothing worse than arriving in Hawaii or the Caribbean, staring at the pool, and realizing everyone's swimsuits are sitting in a suitcase somewhere between home and your destination.

I don't try to pack enough in our carry-ons to replace everything in our checked luggage. I just make sure that if our bags don't show up when we do, we have everything we need to start the vacation anyway.

12. Keep Important and Irreplaceable Items in Your Carry-On

There are certain things I simply won't put in checked luggage.

FreshCruiser Tip

If losing something would significantly affect your vacation, think twice before putting it in checked luggage.

Medications, electronics, passports, important documents, jewelry, and other valuables stay with us.

When traveling with younger kids, there's another very important category:

The beloved stuffed animal or blankie.

If your child cannot sleep without it, don't check it.

13. Ask Yourself: Can We Actually Carry All of This?

This sounds obvious until you're standing outside an airport with five roller bags, four carry-ons, backpacks, a stroller, and two children.

Before leaving home, make sure the adults can realistically move everything you're bringing.

Remember that someone may also need to push a stroller, hold a child's hand, pull out passports, or help a kid with their backpack.

If you can't physically maneuver all of your luggage through an airport, you probably have too much.

This is another reason I've loved traveling carry-on only when the trip allows it. Being able to easily move through an airport, get into a car, or change hotels can be worth far more than having a few extra outfits.

14. Count Your Bags

We always know our number.

Before leaving the house, count everything you're bringing.

Once the checked luggage disappears at the airline counter, count again so you know how many pieces should still be with you.

For example:

Before check-in: 8 bags
After checking 3 suitcases: 5 bags

Airports are distracting, especially when you're traveling with kids. Having a number in your head makes it much easier to quickly check that everything made it onto the shuttle, through security, into the rental car, or up to the hotel room.

15. Leave a Little Extra Room

You don't need to fill every inch of your suitcase just because the space is there.

We almost always come home with more than we left with—souvenirs, sweatshirts, things the kids bought, or random items we somehow accumulated during the trip.

Leaving a little room also makes repacking easier.

Remember: the suitcase you perfectly organized on your bedroom floor probably isn't going to look quite as perfect when you're repacking everything in a hotel room at 6 a.m.

And if you're going somewhere where you expect to shop a lot, that's when I'll bring that extra packable duffel.

One More Packing Tip: Make Notes After the Trip

This might be one of my favorite family packing tricks because it makes every future trip easier.

When we return from somewhere we visit regularly, I make notes while everything is still fresh in my mind.

We go to Florence, Oregon every year, so I'll send an email to myself and my husband with things like:

What worked?
What did we wish we had brought?
What did we bring but never use?
What should we do differently next time?
Is there something we want to remember to do or see?

I even do this after trips to Grandma's house.

For general packing lessons—bring more underwear for the kids, we packed too many clothes, don't bring that giant beach bag again—I'll add them to my master packing notes.

It takes about five minutes after a trip and saves me so much time when we're packing for the next one.

Quick Family Packing Checklist

Every trip is different, but these are the main categories I run through before we leave:

Clothing

Family travel is much easier when everyone pitches in.

Shirts and tops
Shorts and pants
Dresses or nicer dinner clothes
Underwear and socks
Pajamas
Sweatshirt or jacket
Swimsuits
Shoes
Hats

Toiletries & Health

Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Toiletries
Sunscreen
Medications
Basic first-aid items

Travel Essentials

Passports or identification
Wallet and credit cards
Travel documents
Phones
Chargers and electronic cords
Headphones
Portable chargers

Kids' Travel Items

Games
Books
Electronics and headphones
Snacks
Comfort item or favorite stuffed animal
Change of clothes

Before You Zip the Suitcase

Check the weather one last time.
Remove anything you're unlikely to use.
Make sure important items are in your carry-on.
Leave room for the trip home.
Count your bags.

The Biggest Thing I've Learned About Packing With Kids

After years of family travel, I've learned that packing gets much easier with practice.

You don't need to anticipate every possible situation. You don't need a completely different outfit for every day. And unless you're traveling somewhere extremely remote, chances are you can buy something if you forget it.

More Family Travel Tips from FreshCruiser

We've taken trips where we've needed specialized gear and trips where our family of four has traveled with only carry-ons.

The best packing strategy isn't always packing less. It's packing for the trip you're actually taking.

Make a list, check the weather, use packing cubes, think about laundry, keep the truly important things with you, and resist the temptation to pack for every possible "what if."

And most importantly, don't bring so many dinner outfits that you spend your vacation changing clothes just to prove you needed them.

The goal isn't to pack perfectly.

It's to get your family—and all those bags—out the door and start the vacation.

Family Packing Tips: 15 Things I’ve Learned Traveling With Kids