Packing Your Family for a Trip Around The World
Our 6 year old ready to head out into the great big world.
Our One Year Around The World Packing Lists for two kids ages 6 and 4 and two adults.
One of my favorite things to do when I am wasting time not reading a travel book is to read travel blogs about packing. Think you found the perfect backpack? Think again, there are just so many tantalizing options.
With great excitement, I bring to you our entire family’s packing list with juicy photos. You can bet I researched at least a few of these items, and if you are here trying to find a great travel pack for your 6-year-old, or what type of water purifier is the best, look no further my friend!
This is what I recommend after 1 year of full-time hardcore travel, in planes, in trains, on boats, tuk-tuks and yes, occasionally even a motorbike or two.
What we left with is not what we returned with. What I would do in retrospect is what I have listed here.
Quick Tips:
Unless you want to look like these tourists you better pack accordingly.
Luggage: This is the most important purchase you will make. It is far easier to consolidate all your gear (including most of your kids’) into two large rolling convertible bags. Give your kids two small backpacks to carry their fun-stuffs. We also carried a waterproof Patagonia duffel bag for our wetsuits, kid-sized life vests and snorkeling gear as well as our swimming gear. This was worth it for us although probably not for every family.
Our Two Main Travel Bags:
I began the trip with an Osprey Meridian 55L backpack because I was sold that I wanted a carry on size bag and I loved the attached computer pack. After a couple of months, and a couple of countries, I realized smaller, in this case, was not better. Checking bags on flights rarely saved money and I was always stuffing my bag to the brim. A little more size would have been wonderful, which I am ashamed to say as I pride myself on my minimalist attitude.
My wife started with a small 55L non-wheeled backpack and we immediately realized how much we wanted wheels. We also rarely (never actually) carried our bags on our backs. In the old days when we were backpacking Europe this is all we did, but now with two kids, I am sold that it is overrated.
Also with small kids, we ended up carrying a lot of their stuff. After lots of real life, on the road testing, these are the two bags I would choose.
| Mom | Dad |
| Osprey Shuttle 110 L A beast of a bag with one simple mission. To carry a lot of stuff easily. | Osprey Meridian 75 Liter with integrated and detachable computer bag |
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| We saw a lot of families traveling with backpacks, but more often than not we were rolling our cases. This Osprey bag is a full 110 liters and is big enough to accommodate your family. This will free up your kids hands, limit complaining and provides plenty of space for all your gear. | This 75 Liter bag is the perfect combo. It provides plenty of packing room to accommodate your kids as well as yourself and is geared towards technomad. With an extremely durable well protected case for your electronics that integrates seamlessly with the bag it is perfect in every way. Except it needs a rain cover which I would bring if you can swing it. |
| View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
Optional Gear Bag
The following bag is absolutely overkill, but for full disclosure, we packed it to carry our wetsuits, water shoes, and snorkeling gear. It is waterproof and extremely durable if you need a duffle.
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We carried this Patagonia duffel bag for our wetsuits, kid-sized life-vests and snorkeling gear as well as our swimming gear. This was worth it for us although probably not for every family. |
| View on Amazon | |
Dad the Technomad
| Clothing | Toiletries | Miscellaneous |
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Mom the “Mule”
| Clothing | Toiletries | Miscellaneous |
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Six Year Old (schoolgirl)
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 2 pairs of socks
- 3 t-shirts
- 1 pair of shorts
- 1 dress
- 1 skirt
- 1 pair of leggings
- flip-flops
- lightweight tennis shoes
- 1 piece swimsuit
- rashguard
- water shoes (not needed!)
- Toothbrush
- 1 stuffed animal
- 1 baby blanket
- rain shell
Four-year-old boy
- 3 pairs of shorts
- 1 pair of pants
- 3 t-shirts
- 1 long-sleeve shirt
- rain shell
- 3 pairs socks
- 5 pair of underwear
- 2 pairs of shorts
- swim trunks
- rash guard
- 1 pair of lightweight tennis shoes
- 1 baby blanket
- 1 stuffed animal
School Stuff
We did it all wrong so I am going to tell you what I would recommend for this age.
- A set of color pencils
- Two notebooks
- 1 pairs of kid scissors
Medical Gear
- Small bandaids
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Tripple antibiotic cream
- Mosquito repellant (leave your mosquito net at home THIS IS NOT NECESSARY)
- Antibiotics: Cipro and doxycycline, we actually had a couple of old Norco as well from a dental procedure. This actually came in handy when my wife was injured.
- Ambien (30 tabs) – INVALUABLE
- Kids Tylenol and kids Benadryl
- Pair of epi-pen
- Steri pen and large water bottles
This is great, thank you! I would be very interested in your packing list for the kids – especially the 4 year old. I assume from your luggage description that you carried most of the kids’ things? Thank you!
Hi Sarah, I finally finished the list. It might be missing a few odds and ends but let me know if you have any questions.
Hi list is really helpful thank you, just wondered what you did about towels for everyone?
Thanks for the list! We are planning one year away with our 4,2 and 1 year old and hoping to pack similarly 🙂 Glad to know it is possible!!!
Do you think it would be feasible to do a family gap year travelling (warm climates only) with just carry on luggage? Your list doesn’t look that different to ours and we packed for a weeks holiday comfortably into carry on.
Yes, but I don’t think it is necessary and in some respects it is more work than it is worth. We started our adventure as a family of carry ons. But if I were to do it again I would pack the entire family into two large rolling bags and call it a day. Having carry ons didn’t saye us time or money and was a lot more work than I felt it was worth. But that’s just my opinion. 🙂