Packing List For Vacation: What To Pack For Your Family Trip

Your long-awaited vacation is right around the corner! Time to gather the crew and pack your bags. If the stress of packing makes you want to just stay home, let us help! Here, we share our packing list for vacation to take a load off your shoulders.

We’ve designed this list to be applicable all year-round. We’ll cover the basics, and all you need to do is adapt the list to your vacation destination and your family’s particular needs. After all, only you know your family inside and out!

Year-Round Packing List For Vacation

Clothing

 

The clothes you pack depends on where you’re headed and what you’ll be doing.

That said, no matter what the climate is like, opt for clothes that aren’t too bulky and layers that you can easily take off and put on throughout the day.

You’ll also need to decide how many of each item to pack. Think about whether or not you’ll have access to a washer and dryer and if you’re likely to go through more than one outfit a day (muddy hikes, anyone?).

Here are some clothing items to include:

• Underwear
• Socks
• Bras
• Pajamas
• Casual outfit
• Nice outfit
• Belt
• Jacket
• Jewelry
• Appropriate footwear for your activities
• Purse or handbag
• Workout clothes if necessary
• Watch
• Hat

Toiletries

Here’s a list of basic toiletries that you may need but, once again, only you know what you use (or don’t use) every day! So take this list and run with it:

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Floss
• Mouthwash
• Soap
• Deodorant or antiperspirant
• Perfume or cologne
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Hairdryer, flat iron, or other styling tools
• Brush or comb
• Hair gel or other products
• Facial cleanser
• Facial moisturizer
• Body lotion
• Razor
• Shaving cream
• Contact lenses and case
• Contact lens solution
• Makeup and makeup remover
• Feminine products
• Nail clippers
• Wipes for easy clean-up
• Chapstick

As far as toiletries, a good packing list for vacation includes travel-sized items and items that can serve more than one purpose.

We recommend bringing along Babo Botanicals 3-in-1 Hydrating Face, Hands & Body Wipes with cucumber and aloe vera. These non-drying wipes gently cleanse your face, hands, and body without rinsing, leaving your skin soothed, soft, and hydrated.

And, since they’re multitasking pros, you can use these wipes to clean up your little one’s mess, take off your makeup, or freshen up after a long day of adventuring and touring.

Medication

Of course, you’ll need to pack the medicine and vitamins that you take on a regular basis. With the right planning, it’s not hard to also bring along some of the medicine that you might need if you happen to get sick.

Your trip is likely to go off without a hitch — we’re not trying to jinx things! But it’s better to be safe than sorry (or sick!).

If you have questions, ask your doctor about what sort of medicines they recommend for where you’re headed, especially if you’re traveling internationally. It’s also a good idea to chat with them well before your trip about any vaccines you’ll need.

Here’s our list to get you started:

• Prescription medications
• Vitamins
• Allergy pills, birth control, or anything else you take on the reg
• Thermometer
• Pain reliever like ibuprofen
• Diarrhea and laxative medication
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Antibacterial cream
• Motion sickness medicine
• Sleeping pills
• Moleskins for blisters

Travel Documents

 

Basically wherever you go, you can always pick up an extra bottle of shampoo or buy a new shirt. What’s not nearly so easy is replacing things like credit cards and important documents, like your passport.

Double (and triple!) check that you’ve got everything you need, that you know where it is, and that it’s in a safe place. Here’s what to include:

• Tickets (if you’re using mobile tickets, make sure you have a portable phone charger)
• Travel belt for keeping important documents safe
• Identification
• Passport (if necessary for where you’re traveling)
• Photocopy of your passport
• Visa paperwork (if needed)
• Information about reservations (hotel, car rental, etc.)
• Vaccine record
• Cash
• Credit cards (let your bank know if you’ll be traveling internationally with your credit card)
• Health insurance cards
• List of emergency contacts, medications, and important health information

Travel Necessities

 

You can’t get very far without your phone and phone charger. Here is a list of those sorts of necessities for your trip.

Plus, when you’re in the air or in the car, it’s nice to have a few things on hand that will make the trip more comfortable.

• Phone
• Portable phone charger
• Regular phone charger
• Wallet
• Travel pillow
• International outlet adapter (if necessary)
• Empty water bottle
• Eye mask
• Face mask if your airline or destination requires it
• Hand sanitizer
• Earplugs
• Gum
• A change of clothes in your carry-on
• Chapstick
• Tissues
• Bandaids or a very small first aid kit
• House and car keys
• Backpack

Fun Stuff

Vacation is meant to be relaxing and fun! Bring a few things along to stay entertained and provide a few treat-yourself moments, such as:

• Book or ebook
• Charger for your ebook
• Crossword puzzles or any other type of old-fashioned paper fun
• Camera and memory card
• Tablet/laptop and charger
• Earbuds
• Snacks and drinks

Kids’ Essentials

When it comes to a packing list for vacation with the fam — well, let’s just say that your kids’ list might end up being longer than yours!

Head back to the “clothing” section at the beginning of this article to be sure to pack all of the clothes that your kids will need while away.

You’ll also need to think through the necessary toiletry items for the little ones. This will, of course, vary based on your child’s age and their typical daily routines.

For ease of packing, turn to travel-sized baby products, like Babo Botanicals Soothing Diaper Cream in a convenient three-ounce bottle or our Sensitive Baby Travel Kit, which includes shampoo, lotion, and diaper cream.

All three of these baby essentials are EWG-verified and formulated specifically for little ones with extra-sensitive or eczema-prone skin.

Jot this list down for your kids:

• Clothing
• Toiletries
• Diapers and Soothing Diaper Cream
• Baby wipes
• Feeding necessities
• Bottles, sippy cups, etc.
• Books
• Colors and coloring books
• Activity books
• Games
• Tablet and charger
• Snacks
• Floaties (if you’re going to the pool or beach)
• Hat and other sun-protective clothing
• Baby sunscreen
• Their favorite blanket or stuffed animal

If you’re heading to a sunny location (remember that you can still get a sunburn in the winter!), stock up on sunscreen that is safe for and gentle on your baby’s skin.

We recommend a mineral sunscreen made with zinc oxide, like Babo Botanicals Baby Skin Mineral Sunscreen. This fragrance-free sunscreen provides SPF 50 broad-spectrum protection and is water-resistant for 80 minutes.

 

Seasonal Items

The above lists are the basics that you’ll need no matter where you’re spending your days off.

But there’s a whole slew of other things you may need to include on your packing list based on the season, the weather of your destination, and what activities you have planned.

Here are a few items to keep in mind:

• Winter coat
• Winter hat
• Gloves
• Scarf
• Hiking books and socks
• Hiking pack
• Rain jacket
• Poncho
• Umbrella
• Swimsuit
• Flip-flops
• Swimsuit coverup
• Summer hat
• Beach bag
• Beach umbrella
• Beach towel
• Beach chairs
• Beach or pool toys
• Ice chest
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Aloe vera gel

Since sun protection is such a big deal whether you’re hitting the slopes, spending an afternoon at the beach, or heading out for a day hike, sunscreen and an after-sun gel should be on nearly every packing list.

Choose a mineral sunscreen that will effectively ward off the rays of the sun without exposing you to the questionable chemicals used in traditional sunscreen.

Babo Botanicals Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 and Sheer Mineral Spray Sunscreen SPF 50 are both great options!

 

These sunscreens are made with zinc oxide to protect your skin from the sun as well as our Nutri-Soothe™ Complex to nourish your skin with vitamins and antioxidants.

They’re fragrance-free, vegan, and dermatologist tested.

For a natural, skin-nourishing relief after a day in the sun, try Babo Botanicals After Sun Soothing Hydrating Aloe Gel.

In addition to pure aloe vera, this formula contains green tea, witch hazel, arnica, and eucalyptus oil to cool your skin and form a protective barrier that helps retain moisture and promote healing.

Ready To Go With Your Packing List For Vacation!

 

It’s time to travel, and with this packing list for vacation, you’ll be ready to hit the road before you can say “suitcase”!

Review each list and adapt it to your family’s needs and habits, adding to and taking away from the list as you see fit.

Just be sure that you don’t forget the essentials: important travel documents, any of the things your kids can’t live without, and mineral sunscreen, like Clear Zinc Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30.

Bon voyage!