A lot of families love traveling during the holiday season to have a break from the daily routine and to bond with each other. This means a lot of people in the family, mostly moms, are left stressed out as they figure out the things to pack for the vacation. Luckily, there are packing hacks that you can use to make things a lot easier for everyone in the family like the 10 we listed below.

Be organized and make a list

writing notebook list

How do you keep track of what to pack for the family vacation? A checklist! This is probably the most important hack of them all. It’s so easy to do, that’s why most of us take it for granted. In addition, it’s easy to get excited and over-pack for a trip, especially when going to beautiful places like as Boracay.

List the things for each family member and then by importance. Only slash items out when there’s a visual or some sort of confirmation that the item is in the bag.

This will help everyone remember the things you need to bring and do before you leave the house. You’ll also be able to use the list to remove things that aren’t really essential to the trip to save on space. More importantly, this can also teach everyone in the family to be responsible enough to pack their own things on their own and save you the stress.

There’s a thing called packing cubes and you should use it

packing cubes

Packing cubes are small square mesh bags that can be easily opened and closed with a zipper. It’s used to organize the way you pack things in your luggage bag. How? It compartmentalizes your things so that you can have easy access to whatever it is you need without having to take everything out of the bag.

You can pack all your shirts, shorts, pants, gadget peripherals, undies, and whatever else you’re bringing to Boracay in separate packing cubes. And because it’s mesh, you can see what’s inside each packing cube. Moreover, it stacks neatly in your bag.

Rolling clothes can save space

rolling-clothes

Don’t you hate how much space your clothes take up in your luggage? Oh, how we wish there was another way to pack our clothes for your Boracay OOTD while saving space. Wait. There is! And it’s as easy as rolling your clothes instead of simply putting it in.

There are two ways to efficiently roll up your clothes to save space. One is to directly roll up each shirt, shorts, pants, and whatever clothing you have and place it neatly in.

The other method is to roll up your whole outfit for the day. This means you have to plan what you’ll be wearing ahead of time and strategically roll it up together to save up on space and keep things organized. It’s an essential space-saving packing hack that you should learn to do.

Bring a smaller bag

bring a smaller bag

Never forget to bring a smaller bag with you. An extra small bag will help you if you’re staying in a secure hotel like Alta Vista de Boracay. It gives you the flexibility to leave your luggage in your hotel room while you explore the surrounding area. You’ll be able to bring your essentials with you such as your camera, mobile phones, wallet, power bank, sunglasses, and whatever else you think you need. Talk about a travel hack for packing light.

Save on toiletries

cube toiletries

Stop! Don’t put large shampoo bottles and soap boxes in your luggage just yet. These things take up so much space and can spill in your bag.

You might want to give your hotel a call first or check reviews. See if they provide free toiletries and what are available. If they have, don’t bring your toiletries unless it’s prescribed by a doctor for special use. If you’re staying in a good place like Alta Vista de Boracay, you’re sure to be covered. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look like much, you can always ask for more.

Use ziplock bags for your toiletries and other liquids

use ziplock bags

If it can’t be helped, you can store your toiletries and other liquids in a ziplock bag. It’s a reusable plastic bag that can be sealed with a zipper or lock. An alternative would be using a heat seal to melt the opening of the plastic so that it’s permanently closed. Don’t fret. You can easily tear it up when you get to your destination. Just don’t throw it away carelessly when you’re in Boracay.

Bring an extra waterproof reusable bag

waterproof reusable bag

If you’re going to a beach like Boracay or if there’s any swimming involved, you might want to pack an extra waterproof bag. You can use it two ways: store your items or whatever is in the packing list for your toddler or store your wet clothes in it on the way back home. It sure beats having to sundry or spend money to send your wet clothes to the dry cleaners.

Reuse straws and candy cases for your jewelry

reuse straws

Don’t know how to pack your jewelry for travel? Here’s a good carry-on travel hack for you: use a straw and candy cases to store your jewelry so it doesn’t get tangled or lost in your luggage.

The necklaces you have and bought in Boracay can be looped in straws to avoid getting tangled, while small jewelry such as earrings and rings can be stored in small candy cases.

Do these underwear packing tricks

packing tricks

If you’re worried about flattening your bra or swimsuit top, you can place your socks or undies in each cup to avoid that from happening. Meanwhile, briefs or boxers can be rolled and squished in whatever space is left in your luggage. As for your socks, you can insert them in your shoes or roll them up to conserve space.

Store cables inside a sunglass case

cable on sunglass case

Even though there’s a lot to do in places such as Boracay, you’ll surely bring a gadget during your travel to kill time, take pictures or do some work. These items will require you to bring a cable or two. You can store your earphones, charging cables, and other small gadget peripherals inside the case of your sunglasses. This way, you don’t lose it while you travel and keep it safe from tangling with other loose items. This carry-on travel hack will help you store it in a safe and organized manner.

There you have it. Hopefully, these 10 packing hacks will help you bring, store, and organize all items so you can save on space for pasalubong and essential items on your way back home from an amazing family trip.

10 Packing Hacks for Traveling with Your Family This Christmas