Backpacking with kids: packing tips

Quick Summary

🎒 Experience Level: From beginners to seasoned family travelers
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Focus: Practical advice for traveling with 1+ children
🧳 Key Benefit: Travel with just one backpack for the whole family
⚖️ Core Philosophy: Less stuff = more enjoyable travel experiences
🌟 Pro Tip: High-quality, lightweight, multi-purpose items are worth the investment

After years of overpacking and struggling with heavy bags, our family mastered the art of traveling light—even with two children. What started as a couple's backpacking adventure evolved into a family journey where we discovered that carrying less actually enhances our travel experiences. Here's what we've learned along the way.

Introduction: The Freedom of Traveling Light
Tip #1: Embrace Kids' Messy Clothes
Tip #2: Minimize Your Own Wardrobe
Tip #3: Invest in Quality Lightweight Clothing
Tip #4: Accept You Can't Prepare for Everything
Tip #5: Leave Room in Your Backpack
Tip #6: Skip Most Toys
Tip #7: Forget the Travel Cot
Tip #8: Restock Supplies Along the Way
Tip #9: Avoid Multi-Climate Trips
Tip #10: Ship Home or Store Unneeded Items
Bonus: The Ultimate Packing Question
Family Packing Light Checklist

Introduction: The Freedom of Traveling Light

Traveling light is easy when you're alone and have a simple itinerary—but add children to the mix, and suddenly it seems impossible. With so many "what-ifs" and potential scenarios to prepare for, families often end up with mountains of luggage.

In my twenties, I was that traveler who packed everything "just in case." Fortunately, I met my husband—a master at minimalist travel—who showed me how much more enjoyable journeys become when you're not weighed down by unnecessary items.

Now, after years of family adventures across multiple continents, including extensive travel throughout China with our children, we've refined (or rather, he refined) our approach to packing.

The result? We often travel with just one backpack for our entire family, creating more freedom and flexibility in our journeys.

Here are our top 10 tips for traveling light with kids, based on real experience and many lessons learned along the way.

Tip #1: Embrace Kids' Messy Clothes

When traveling with children, dirty clothes are inevitable. On our last trip to China, our daughter was covered in croissant flakes and chocolate smears before we even caught our connecting flight!

Instead of packing excessive spare outfits, embrace the mess. Our rule of thumb: we don't change their clothes unless they're very wet or covered in truly unpleasant substances (think bodily fluids).

Trying to keep kids perfectly clean during travel will drive everyone crazy.

Practical Approach:

Pack only 3-4 spare shirts for kids
Bring a lightweight travel apron for mealtimes
Plan to wash small items in the sink as needed

Tip #2: Minimize Your Own Wardrobe

Adults should follow the same principle. After many trips, we've settled on this bare minimum:

2 t-shirts
2 pairs of underwear
1 pair of quick-drying trousers
1 warm layer (like a fleece)
2 pairs of socks
1 pair of appropriate footwear (sandals for summer, walking shoes for cooler weather)

Add climate-specific items as needed, but keep it minimal. Most destinations offer laundry options—hotels provide service, hostels have facilities, and sink-washing works for smaller items.

The benefits extend beyond just a lighter backpack. With fewer options, you'll spend less time searching for clothes and more time enjoying your trip.

Tip #3: Invest in Quality Lightweight Clothing

It might seem wasteful to buy premium clothing for growing children, but high-quality items make a tremendous difference when traveling. Clothes that are breathable, quick-drying, and packable will save you countless headaches.

Merino wool t-shirts have been game-changers for our family trips. They keep you cool on hot days, work as base layers in cold weather, and dry incredibly quickly after washing.

Budget Tips:

Buy slightly larger sizes for longer use
Look for sales and discounts
Check high-quality secondhand shops (offline and online)
Focus on versatile items that work in multiple settings

The investment pays for itself in comfort and convenience.

Tip #4: Accept You Can't Prepare for Everything

With children, it's tempting to pack for every conceivable emergency. What if they get sick? What if it's unexpectedly hot or cold? What if they need specific comfort items?

The reality is you simply cannot prepare for everything. Unless you're traveling to extremely remote locations, you'll find solutions if unexpected situations arise. Most places sell medicine, clothing, and children's necessities.

If your child develops an illness beyond what basic medications can address, you'd need to see a doctor regardless of what you packed. Trust in your ability to solve problems as they come rather than trying to carry solutions for every scenario.

Tip #5: Leave Room in Your Backpack

There's nothing more frustrating than struggling with an overstuffed backpack every time you need to access something or add a newly purchased item. When every corner is filled, even putting away a jacket becomes a challenge.

Always aim to keep your backpack about 20-30% empty when you start your journey. This creates space for:

Souvenirs and gifts
Snacks purchased along the way
Jackets and layers as temperatures change
Items needed unexpectedly

This buffer space preserves your sanity and flexibility throughout the trip.

Tip #6: Skip Most Toys

With each trip we take, we bring fewer toys. Children are remarkably adaptable and often find entertainment in their surroundings—new environments provide natural stimulation and novelty.

For our older daughter, we focus on small, multipurpose items:

Drawing supplies (small notebook and few colored pencils)
A small puzzle (like a pocket Rubik's cube)
A compact ball

For younger children, one or two favorite comfort items are usually sufficient. You'll be surprised at how rarely children miss the toys you left behind.

Tip #7: Forget the Travel Cot

On our first family trip to Norway, we lugged along a travel cot. While occasionally useful, it became a tremendous burden while moving between locations (and we nearly lost it on one of our first train journeys).

Most family-friendly accommodations provide cribs or cots upon request. For destinations where this isn't standard, consider alternatives:

Room arrangements where the child can safely sleep on a bed or mattress
Local rental options for essential baby equipment
Adaptable sleeping arrangements (like bed-sharing when appropriate)

Traveling light is about making smart trade-offs, and we've consistently found that the items we leave behind are rarely missed while the weight we save is appreciated daily.

Tip #8: Restock Supplies Along the Way

Don't try to bring enough diapers, wipes, or snacks for an entire vacation. Research what's available at your destination and plan to purchase supplies as needed.

On our Kungsleden hike in Sweden, we made the mistake of carrying a full trip's worth of food and diapers. We later discovered that:

The trail huts stocked basic food (pasta, rice, oats)
We could have sent a supply package to the mid-point visitor center
Local options were more plentiful than we expected

These insights could have saved us 5-7 kg of weight—significant when walking daily with backpacks.

Always research what you can purchase at your destination. For items you truly can't buy locally, consider whether they're actually essential.

Tip #9: Avoid Multi-Climate Trips

This is advice we struggle to follow ourselves, but it makes a tremendous difference: plan trips that require only one type of clothing and gear.

For lighter packing, avoid combining:

Trekking adventures with city exploration
Winter activities with beach relaxation
Formal occasions with wilderness excursions

Each additional climate or activity type multiplies your packing requirements. If you truly want variety in a single trip, consider our next tip...

Tip #10: Ship Home or Store Unneeded Items

For longer journeys with distinct phases, develop creative solutions for gear transitions.

During our last trip to China, we experienced both extreme winter (-30°C in Harbin and Mohe) and mild conditions (14-29°C in Chongqing and Shanghai). Our solution:

We packed winter gear in a separate suitcase
Left it at our Beijing hotel while exploring warmer regions
Retrieved it on our return through Beijing before flying home

This approach meant we only carried the heavy winter items to and from the airport, not throughout our entire journey.

Another option is shipping items home. In China, we paid $60 for boat shipping and $100 for air shipping to send back souvenirs and unnecessary items we'd brought. This included children's books we purchased and equipment we realized wasn't essential.