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Packing 101
Suitcase Savvy for Families on the Go By Sharon Waldrop
Pro Traveler Extraordinaire
Lain Ehmann from Brookline, Mass. travels frequently with her husband and son. "Like everything with traveling, the key to packing is to pre-plan," she says. "Know what activities you'll be doing, what the weather is going to be like and if you'll have access to laundry facilities." Lain offers valuable tips for traveling families:
- To cut the boredom while traveling, pack a travel backpack for children. Many children will also enjoy having their own bag to carry.
- UNDERpack instead of OVERpack. It's worth spending a few hours in a laundromat not to have to take the whole closet along. You can also buy T-shirts as souvenirs that you can wear while on vacation.
- Group items together since you may find yourself looking for socks for the whole family all at the same time.
- Stay away from items that need to be ironed. If you need a dressier outfit, try rayon.
- Don't get so preoccupied in packing for your kids that you forget to pack for YOU.
- Think "mix and match." Instead of bringing five separate pairs of shorts and five shirts, aim for two or three pairs of shorts that each go with the shirts.
- Pack more underwear than you think you'll need.
- Always take along a sweater or light jacket, even in the summer.
Airplane Travel
Pack crucial items in a carry-on bag in the event your luggage ends up in Tulsa while you and your family fly to Cincinnati. Things to consider are contact lens supplies, prescription medications, diapers and wipes, etc. For women, if mascara and lipstick are crucial items, put them in a carry-on bag! Although your checked-in luggage will most likely have a luggage tag with your home inforation, that won't do you much good while you are sitting in Cincinnati waiting for the airlines to magically find you. Put a standard-sized piece of paper in an easy-to-find place inside your suitcase with contact information at your destination.
