Do you always feel like you’re forgetting something while packing?  What about when you’re having to pack for your kids as well? 

Lori LeRoy, Family Travel Writer, shares some first-hand packing tips and tricks for traveling with kids:
Packing more efficiently:
1. Stay somewhere with a washer and dryer. You can cut your packing significantly by doing laundry halfway through the trip. Do it at night just before bedtime or first thing in the morning before starting your day. You’d be surprised how many hotels have laundry facilities, and you can search for Airbnbs with washers/dryers. 
2. In the absence of laundry facility, bring quick-dry clothes to rinse out in a sink with pure castile soap and hang to dry. Castile soap is an all-in-one product that’s ideal for efficient packing. You can use it for laundry, as body wash, dish washing, even shaving! 
3. Packing in storage cubes or big baggies makes it much easier to find what you brought and keep your suitcase or backpack organized. They are especially useful because you can write kids’ names on them/days of the week/clean or dirty. 
4. Rent strollers, car seats, pack n plays, etc. at your destination instead of taking them with you.  There are now several services in cities, both domestically and internationally, that provide daily rentals of high chairs, booster seats, cribs and even beach toys. They deliver them right to your door.
5. If flying, pack all Rx and needed medication in carry-on luggage, preferably in a bag that you can fit under the seat in front of you.

What should I pack besides typical clothes, toiletries? 
1. Have each kid bring their own backpack and fill them with things to keep them busy, like a tablet, activity books and stickers, books to read during a road trip or flight. If you’re flying with checked luggage, also include one change of clothes (important in case luggage gets lost). 
2. Kids safety – bring bright-colored hats and wristbands with important info, like parent names and phone numbers. This is especially important if you’re traveling to a large, populated city or a jam-packed amusement park.  
3. Dryer sheets are great to stick in shoes or just throw in your suitcase to keep your clothes smelling fresh throughout the trip.   

Other important trip prep tips: 
1. If you’re traveling to another country, bring copies or your passport (also email photos of them to yourself and a close relative or friend).
2. It’s also a good idea to email your itinerary (flight/hotel/destination info) to a close relative or friend.

About Lori:
Lori writes for Kidtripster and We Said Go Travel, as well as her own blog, and provides both destination information and tips and tricks for traveling with kids.  

Visit Lori’s blog at www.mapsmemoriesandmotherhood.com, or follow her on social media: 
Instagram: maps_memories_motherhood
Twitter: @mapsmemoriesmom
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mapsmemoriesandmotherhood/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mapsmemoriesandmotherhood/