Family Travel Packing Guide: Kids’ Backpacks
The biggest question we have received is definitely about how to pack for a trip around the world. Here is the breakdown of our kids’ backpacks for our family gap year. We are still trying to determine how much they are able to carry on travel days. A few of these items have ended up in mom and dad’s bags. Check back to this page for updates about how our off-brand gear holds up, what we packed well, and what we ditch/change/add along the way. Head here for Dad’s backpack and here for Mom’s backpacks. To find out what country we are currently in and to see all our worldwide travel adventures, head over to our Instagram page.
Backpack
Brandon (9 years old): We got him a 40L backpack from Walmart for around $30. It has no frame and fit him well with initial trials. However, we have found out that when we load it up, the single top-loading design makes it harder to distribute out the balance of his gear. His backpack swings enough even with all of the straps adjusted to make it hard on him. He is a big and strong 9-year-old, so if we were starting over would have picked a backpack with a frame to help keep his load more balanced.
Abigail (7 years old): She is using a fairly standard tactical backpack (that we already owned). Her clothes compress so small in the packing cubes that space isn’t an issue. She can handle the weight of her gear, but not more, so there was no need for anything different.
Both have and use a Naturehike fanny pack to store notepads, cameras, sunglasses, a snack, etc. These have been really handy.
Clothing
We packed almost the exact same thing for both kids, trying to find versatile items that would layer easily and dry quickly.
Here is their exact clothing list:
- 5 short-sleeved shirts: most are athletic blend quick-dry shirts, including this one for Abigail. Two of Abigail’s are sleeveless, and one of Brandon’s doubles as a swim shirt.
- 1 long-sleeved shirt
- 1 rain jacket: We absolutely love Columbia rain jackets. As you can see from a lot of our stuff, we are not picky regarding brands, but all 4 of us travel with Columbia rain jackets. It’s the perfect blend of wind and water protection without being hot and sticky.
- 1 hooded sweatshirt: We keep these accessible in their backpacks for travel days in case they get cold during flights.
- 1 collared shirt for Brandon and 1 long dress for Abigail for church days or a nicer dinner
- 3 quick-dry shorts
- Long-sleeve swim shirt and Swimsuit
- 2 pair of pants: Each have a pair of joggers. Abigail has leggings and Brandon has Columbia zip-off hiking pants.
- 2 comfy and light PJs that take up almost no room: shorts for Brandon, nightgown for Abigail
- Hat
- 5 lightweight and quick-dry underwear
- 6 Socks: We bought this 8-pack of Saucony Women’s socks for them to share that actually fit Ashley, Brandon, and Abigail! They also have 2 pairs of crew-length socks for hiking in pants.
Shoes
Pro tip: break in but don’t wear out your choice of both primary shoe and sandals before leaving!
- Waterproof hiking/tennis shoes: This is one area we have already seen a difference between name-brand and off-brand. Abigail’s Columbia ones look brand new; Brandon off-brand already has a big rip in them. A small caveat may be that he’s a boy and tends to wear his shoes a bit harder!
- Slip-on sandals
Miscellaneous
- Angel Watches: With an appropriate SIM card, we can track the kids in real-time if we get separated for any reason. Angel Watch Co. has amazing customer service and works worldwide. Hopefully, none of this is needed, but safety is always a top priority when taking a trip around the world as a family.
- School: Abeka math books, Journals, and Kindles. We use the Kindles for independent reading, math flashcards, piano practice app, and also as a noise machine/clock in the kids’ room. Our family does a ton of read-aloud, so Abigail also has coloring materials and Brandon has a bag of Legos. They use these things EVERY. DAY. so we definitely feel the extra weight is worth it!
- Baseball gloves and ball
- Collapsible Water Bottles
- Headphones
- Loveys: If your child has a special blanket or stuffed animal, deciding whether to bring it is always a hard decision for families. There is a risk of losing something so special, but it’s also helpful for them to have something familiar from home. Abigail is still VERY attached to lovey, so we actually bought an identical one to bring with us! She liked the idea of having the original one safe at home, but still had something special to take with her. If she loses this one, we can order another one off Amazon, and it’s not the one she’s had since birth.
So there it is, how to pack for a trip around the world.. at least for backpacks two of four! Stay connected with our blog here, and we will post updates over time about how our packing is working in real life!
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Comment below with questions, things you would add, or what you would subtract from our list. We will update this page as things get tossed, lost, broken, torn, and added to my pack.
