I hope you had a great Memorial Day!
We spent the holiday at the beach on our first family vacation in the Caribbean. We’ll be here all week–which means that we needed to pack for the whole week!
I used Pinterest to research tons of family-friendly packing lists and blog posts that would help us get ready. The BarrisTourista was able to travel to Vegas with just a carry on bag, and Roni The Travel Guru fit a whole month of outfits into her carry on! If they could do it, couldn’t I make it happen for our vacation?
LeSportsac sent me one of their ultra roomy Large Weekender bags to see if I could get it done. Completely redesigned, LeSportsac’s new bags feature lighter fabrics, shiny aluminum hardware, and a coated metallic lining in silver or pearl that gives them a cool shine.
Roni mentioned packing cubes as a way to maximize space, so I headed to Amazon to grab some. I ordered 3 packages–one for each child and another for myself, because DaddyVents decided that I was nuts and packed his own bag.
Each set came with 3 cubes in small, medium and large, and 3 matching “secret pouches.”
The 2Live Crew’s cubes (in navy and turquoise) fit 8 pairs of shorts, 16 t-shirts, 3 pairs of pajamas, and two pairs of swim trunks. In my pink lepoard print cube, I packed 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs
of shorts, 12 t-shirts, a romper, and 3 dresses, including the Henkaa Sakura.
Pause. Let me explain how cool this dress is. You know when you’re a bridesmaid and your friend swears you’ll be able to wear the dress again? With a Henkaa dress, you actually will.
Canadian based, Henkaa makes dresses that everyone looks good in (even the babies!). With three different lengths and five different styles, Henkaa makes sure that you’ll never show up to a party wearing the same dress as another girl ever again.
The Henkaa Sakura can be worn in a ton of ways. You can twist the straps to make over 20 different styles, add accessories like brooches, necklaces, and overlays (I got the Femme Floral print) and really make it your own. Best of all, it’s made of wrinkle resistant material, so you can just throw it in the bag.
I packed clothing in the large cube, socks; underwear; and Pull Ups in the medium cube, and snacks in the small cube. I packed our sandals in the pockets along the inside of the LeSportsac bag.
Everything was neatly organized for our adventure in the Spice Isle, until I realized I had forgotten something very important…exactly how much clothing 3 people need for 6 days! Ok, so maybe “need” isn’t the word, but our vacation wardrobe had to have options. We’d be out and about on the island, spending time at the beach, attending a wedding, and meeting family from overseas for the very first time. So, maybe I over packed a little bit.
We were able to fit most of our belongings in a larger suitcase, but I used the LeSportsac Large Weekender to carry my Henkaa dress, wedding shoes, sandals, and undergarments.
So, can one family fit 6 days worth of clothes into a carry on? I’m sure they can. Just not this family!
I do think that if this were a shorter trip or if I were traveling alone, the Large Weekender would be the perfect bag to fit everything in.
Do you think your family could go carry on only?
Read the rest of the Prepare for Takeoff Series here:
Getting Your Child’s First Passport
Your Toddler’s First Flight
Travel Activity Kits For Toddlers
- Why Every Birth Needs A Doula - February 10, 2021
- How to Protect Your Peace During White Thuggery - January 7, 2021
- 10 Moms to Follow Into the New Year - December 30, 2020
I think we could fit all of our clothes into one carry on, but we’d still need a second one for shoes and other essentials. It’s tough trying to cut back on luggage when you’re traveling with kids or family.