Family Travel Packing: Our List of ‘Stuff’ We Are Taking This Time Around

29 Comments / By / December 15, 2009

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This is the 4th or 5th major time we’ve had “Baker Family Packing Night” since we’ve been traveling overseas.  It consists of pulling out everything we own into one spot, creating a travel list, and selectively choosing what to pack where.

This ended up being more than just a small update to our ongoing stuff page.  We realized there were a lot of changes and additions this time around!

Our goal this time, is to only have the two backpacks and the car seat.  In the past, we’ve had to also carry around a pack-n-play (which we’ve ditched now) and another couple reusable tote bags with miscellaneous items.  In other words our hands were full in addition to our packs.

Not this time. We’ve cut back even further and want to ensure that our hands are free (except for the pesky car seat…  no way around that one).

Here’s a video (featuring Courtney) showing what everything we own looks like when spread out:

As you can see.  We aren’t elite travel packers.  We have a lot of normal and bulky stuff, especially this time around.

Since we’ve been stationary the past 4-5 months, we slipped back into buying a couple less travel-friendly items.  We obviously don’t want to waste them now, so we are going to deal with a little extra clutter and cut back down as we use them up.

There are also several items that we are waiting to buy more of until we get to Thailand.  Milligan has outgrown just about everything she has and both Courtney and I could use more basic clothing like undershirts, sock, and so on.

I’m actually leaning towards investing in some quick dry fabrics, especially for underwear, undershirts, and towels, etc…  This kind of blurs the line of needs vs. wants, so we’ll see which side of me wins that battle.  🙂

Finally, although we track this in a widget on our Stuff page, here’s a full out list of what we are taking this time:

The Important Stuff (11)

Household Stuff (18)

Baker’s Stuff (25)

  • 9 x Underwear
  • 4 x Undershirt
  • 2 x Pairs of socks
  • Red T-shirt
  • White T-shirt
  • Black collared shirt
  • Blue Dress Shirt
  • Khaki Shorts
  • Reversible Belt
  • Swim Trunks
  • Athletic Pants
  • Running Shoes
  • Keen Newport H2 Sandals

Courtney’s Stuff (24)

  • 5 x Underwear
  • 3 x Pairs of socks
  • Bra
  • Sports Bra
  • 5 x Tanktops
  • Swim Suit
  • Jean Shorts
  • Jean Pants
  • Dress
  • Workout Pants
  • Northface Jacket
  • Pink Jandals
  • Running Shoes
  • Keen Venice H2 Sandals

Milligan’s Stuff (25)

  • 2 x Shirts
  • 2 x Skirts
  • Jeans
  • Black tights
  • Purple onesie
  • Pink Jacket
  • Swimsuit
  • Panties
  • Pretty Pink Hat
  • Sandals
  • Monkey Backpack
  • Pooh Bear
  • Blue Puppy
  • Sippie Cup
  • Bottle
  • Blankie
  • Blanket
  • Beach Ball
  • Small Orange Ball
  • Wooly Lamb Book
  • Cathy the Calf Book
  • Changing Pad
  • Diapers (lots of disposable ones)

Bathroom Supplies (22)

  • Toothpaste
  • 2 x Toothbrush
  • Nail Clippers
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • 2 x Deodorant
  • Hair Clippers
  • Q-tips
  • Floss
  • Aloe
  • Sunblock
  • Off
  • Mousse
  • Facewash
  • Shaving Cream
  • Hair bands
  • 2 x Razors
  • Medicine Container
  • Small baggie

Technology/Electronic Stuff (23)

Down to ~148 items!

Obviously, this list is for our own goals.  We aren’t competing with anyone.  We can debate minutia about the way we count ‘items’, but at the end of the day we are pleased with what we’ve cut down on.  We’ve got a decent grip on those areas we can cut even more and those which we need to beef back up.

We’ll continue to make minor updates to the stuff page as we go along, which should now reflect this new list!

29 thoughts on “Family Travel Packing: Our List of ‘Stuff’ We Are Taking This Time Around”

  1. Roblynn

    Having kids certainly adds to the “stuff”. When we moved here to Costa Rica it was just my two daughters and I. I gave each of them a army duffle bag and said that is what you get to bring with you. At that time we each got to check in two bags, free even 🙂 so we filled the second duffles with household items, dishes, towels etc. Those bags can fit lots of stuff, but weight limit of 52 lbs. It was challenging but fun.
    Different story when hubby joined us and brought along all his stuff as well as shipping down a crate! Beds are valuable here 🙂

    Reply
  3. Jason Ulsrud

    This is awesome… I love that your living a free life and giving yourself these experiences. Something I wish I’d done when I was younger. This is truly living minimalistic.

    Good luck guys and I look forward to following your travels.

    Reply
  5. Stephanie RJ

    Re. clothes: Thailand can be a surprisingly challenging place to find non-touristy clothes and necessities at reasonable prices. The sizes are also tailored to more petite bodies… I’m a 4 in US sizes, but i’m lucky if i can fit into an XL in local stores in Asia. A friend is raising kids in BKK and she gets a lot of stuff shipped from the US or brought over by visitors. Alternatively, you could consider taking a half day in Australia to shop for clothes before you head to Asia. The options are a lot more similar to the US, probably, and may be cheaper than NZ.

    Reply
  6. alex - unleash reality

    This is getting me really excited.

    sends whiffs of adventure unravelling through the cold glass screen straight out to slap the drool off my face and make me get hustling to make it to Thailand.

    India was amazing. it’s close to Thailand if you’re contemplating a next stop. Had one of the most life changing experiences i’ve ever had while i was there. There’s this woman named “Amma” who’s called “The Hugging Saint” in Kerala, India. All she does all day is hug people. She’s hugged like 20 million people and it’s all nonprofit and it’s in the middle of the jungle and it’s amazing.

    Oh… and i didn’t see “Torch”

    wound up bartering my torch and 100 rupees for a pair of impish santa’s elves magician’s shoes… and you can also use it to uh, see stuff in the dark 🙂

    really inspiring that you’re making this happen WITH your family.

    Interested to hear how thailand turns out with your kid.

    inspired. +stumbled.

    keep well mate. and good luck. and be in touch.
    alex – unleashreality.com

    Reply
    1. Baker

      Yeah, we actually don’t carry a flashlight which we really should in retrospect. We’ll probably look to add this soon if we find a good price on one. 🙂

      Thanks, Alex

      Reply
    1. Baker

      1) New Zealand is first
      2) Australia is second
      3) We may have to take a traditional cab when arriving in BKK at night the first night
      4) Our current plan puts us there 60 days

      Reply
  12. Cate

    I hate to rock your world but unless Milli is in the bottom 5% she’s outgrown the carseat anyway, rendering it useless. (The Evenflo Discovery 5 has a 22lb weight limit and a 29in ht limit- but it is possible she is under this.) I’d also be extremely surprised if taxis in Thailand had seatbelts with any regularity, but hopefully someone who has actually been there can clarify this. I’ve BTDT with a Graco SafeSeat purchased for my own taxi use and it’s very hard to get a safe installation every time you get in a taxi, which sort of defeats the purpose.

    Reply
  13. Cate.

    I’ve heard these are good for travel, but have no experience with them and am not a car seat tech or expert of any kind.

    It may be too late this time, but there are two 5pt safety vests available for occasions such as these. One is this: http://www.safetrafficsystem.com/ but Milli would need to be 30lbs. This is the other one: http://www.epinions.com/review/pr-Cosco_Tote_n_Go_93-900_Convertible_Car_Seat/content_138816163460 and the weight min. is 25lbs.

    Reply
    1. Baker

      Cate, thanks for all the information!

      We are going to be exploring the ‘vest’ option more. Milligan is in the bottom 10-20% for her age, but is still on the cusp of outgrowing the current seat. She’s right on the bottom edge of weight for those links, but like I said we are definitely interested in researching more options.

      Thanks again!

      Reply
  14. jolyn

    I think you guys are doing a great job. Traveling with a toddler really has to be the hardest thing ever; it only gets easier. We haven’t used a carrier in a few years — it looks like they’ve gotten a lot better/more compact, which is great for you!

    Reply
  17. Family on Bikes

    It’s amazing how little we truly need! We are a family of four traveling on bikes (from Alaska to Argentina!) roadschooling the boys. Everything we have – including full camping and cooking equipment and winter clothing – is lashed, strapped, or buckled on our three bicycles!

    When our boys were young, we managed to travel with just the two baby backpacks with the detachable daypack/duffle. That was all we needed!

    Nancy
    http://www.familyonbikes.org

    Reply
  18. jforest

    I love it, the list is so small! I’m looking at the huge backpack filled with clothes that I took to my parents house for 10 days, and I swear it’s twice as much stuff as you have. You guys do a fantastic job of packing. I am going to have to refine my technique!

    Reply

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