Travel Essentials

Our family doesn’t travel often so what makes me qualified to offer advice on the subject? Valid question! The answer is a simple one. Since we DON’T travel often we work very hard to make sure every single trip is the best it can be. There are factors out of our control (weather being a big one) but with careful planning we have been able to have some pretty amazing adventures on a budget with very few ‘if only we’d packed this’ moments. I lived out of a suitcase in college for six months while traveling in Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Austria, Italy, Spain, Poland and Switzerland. That was a piece of cake compared to planning a trip for a family of five, but I love a good challenge and enjoy testing out the very best products and travel hacks. In the last ten years we’ve been to Alaska, driven down the Oregon/California coast, road tripped to Yellowstone National Park and a few years later to the Teton Valley in Idaho. Two of our trips required air travel and one was a 12 day trip smooshed into a Subaru Outback. There is a fine balance between being prepared and over-packing.

In April my youngest and I will be traveling to Washington DC with her class for four days. We’re going through a tour company so I don’t have to do any of the logistical planning, but I also have zero control over food stops and we’ll be in a big group in a variety of settings. I find packing for this scenario requires just as much advanced planning so we can focus on all there is to see and do in DC in comfort with full bellies and prepared for any weather and potential long waits. I’ve put together a packing list for the items we’ll fit in a rolling carry on and two small backpacks. Technically we’ll have two rolling carry ons, but half of one will be used for prepackaged food since we are gluten and dairy free. We don’t need two of everything on the list either so I believe it is very possible to get everything on this list as carry ons.

Full disclosure, the links I’ll be sharing are affiliate links and I receive a small commission from any purchases you make through them. I ONLY link items that I’ve tested out and have earned a place in our suitcase. As I test out new products I’ll add them to my Amazon Storefront that you can access here.

We won’t be checking any bags on our trip. Every day we will need to carry anything we might need with us. I’ve heard it rains one out of every three days in Washington DC so an umbrella is worth the space it takes up in my bag. I researched many backpacks and looked for guidance from museum websites on what dimensions backpacks can be. Be sure to do your own investigating for your trips as well! I ended up buying this camera bag because it completely padded, but still holds all the items you see here. Now my SLR camera is protected without having to tuck it into a separate bag. There is a velcro strap designed to hold a tri-pod at the bottom of the bag that works perfectly for my umbrella. I especially like that there is a compartment on the back that I can zip my RDIF Blocking Wallet into and I won’t be at risk for being pick pocketed. The straps can be zipped together to convert the bag into a crossbody bag that I’ll wear in front of me in high traffic areas. My daughter will be wearing her crossbody bag on the front as well. This photo is only the things I’d want access to on the flight or during the day. I made sure it ALL fits, even though I don’t have to carry it all every day.

We leave in a little over two months. That means it’s time to start gathering the items on the list below so it isn’t a mad dash at the last minute. I’d much rather track down a couple things a day than spend the week prior running to Target or hoping my Amazon order comes in time. I still need to order a phone tripod, an extra SD card, new headphones, one more battery pack. I’ll be picking up an extra box of snacks on every Costco run just to make sure they have what we love in stock. I plan to order a box of these GoMacro Bars that are the best tasting protein bars we’ve ever found. They aren’t filling enough to be a meal replacement, but they’ll help with our blood sugar and tide us over until mealtime.

One thing on the list that I wanted to go into more detail on is the type of shoe deodorizers I’m bringing. We’ll spend hours on our feet in Washington DC. I’ll slip these into my shoes at the end of the day and any trace of odor will vanish by morning. These work with activated charcoal that only need an hour in the sun to ‘recharge’. They last two years with monthly sunning sessions. They have been a total game changer for us! I used to buy sprays and powdered for the boys recently I wanted something to absorb moisture and not just cover up any stink. This product works better and is way more economical. I wear the same shoes for running and for work which wouldn’t be possible without these Moso Natural Shoe Odor Absorbers .

What are some travel must-haves on your list?