Getting ready to go

Packing…

Packing is a pain. Definitely. I’ve learned a few things, though. You don’t need as many clothes as you think you do. I’ve never run out of clothes on a trip, especially since everyone seems to come home with more t-shirts than they left with. Pack enough underwear and socks and the rest can slide a little.

Pack one common toiletries bag that you can keep track of. Everyone’s toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair stuff, etc. all goes in the one bag and I’m responsible for it. When you’re in and out of hotels for a week, it’s easy to leave stuff behind, so I keep track of this stuff myself.

The car…

Always vacuum the car before the trip. Yes, you’re going to trash it over the course of your travels, but you don’t want it to start out that way. It will drive you insane. Every time you stop for gas, collect any trash that’s accumulated (candy wrappers, fast food cups, crumpled papers) and dump it! Assign one of the kids to wash the windows while you’re gassing up too. Keeping the car as neat and clean as possible will mitigate some of the chaos.

Keep the car as empty as possible. You might be able to cram stuff in at home into a precise Tetris-like puzzle, but you will never be able to duplicate it in the hotel parking lot or, especially, after hauling out a tent and camping gear multiple times in one trip. Keep it simple and only bring what you really need.

For example, during our first trip I borrowed about 25 DVDs from friends to keep the kids entertained during the car ride. I think they watched the same 2 over and over. Be realistic about what you need and don’t waste the limited space you have.

 Speaking of the car, we’re fortunate to have a lot of room. We travel in a mini-van that typically seats 7 and there are only 4 of us. We remove all or half of the back seat to accommodate our suitcases and gear. Our preference is to remove only half of that backseat so that we still have an extra seat available; that way we can separate the kids into different rows if needed, or allow them to stretch out more to sleep. I’ve also enjoyed slipping into that backseat with the kids’ DVD player when I need a break from so much family-togetherness.