How To Pack Light: Carry On Packing List for Toddlers

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baby laughing on front of luggage

We choose to travel carry-on only whenever possible. Through our years of travel, we have found that bringing less simplifies our entire trip- from packing, to the actual travel, to unpacking. This is the packing list for toddlers I use to make sure we have everything we need, and nothing more, for any trip.

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Advantages of Packing Light

  • Packing smaller suitcases is just easier. We don’t need to worry about packing and folding our entire wardrobe.
  • Moving through airports with carry on bags is much easier. We are often able to skip the check in desk and we never need to stop at baggage claim.
  • Traveling light saves money in checked baggage fees.
  • Managing fewer items reduces the possibility of losing something to theft or carelessness.
  • Lifting smaller items is much easier when going up and down stairs in hotels or metro stations.
  • Transportation is easier with fewer things- we don’t need to worry about renting a larger car or boarding a crowded subway with large bags.
  • We like to unpack at our destination. Unpacking and repacking when moving hotels takes less time with fewer things.
  • Smaller suitcases can be tucked away more easily in a small hotel room.
  • When returning home, there is less laundry to manage and unpacking is less daunting.

We’ve been traveling with Away Bigger Carry Ons for several years and love them. They are easy to wheel through airports, have convenient organization features, and easily hold a week’s worth of clothes. Click here for $20 off your Away purchase.

toddler in stroller with Disney character

Our “Golden Rule” of Packing

Bring only what you can carry up a flight of stairs in one trip. 

Yes, you read that right. We bring only what we can carry up a flight of stairs in one trip. And when traveling with a toddler, that includes our daughter. This allows us to move quickly through airports to make tight connections, board subways and trains without issue, and carry our luggage up subway steps. It also reduces the chances of losing items to theft- each parent is able to keep their hands on their items.

Typically, we divide items like this:

Tips and Tricks for Traveling with a Carry On

Pack for 5-7 days

We have found that 5-7 days is the sweet spot, regardless of trip length. With messy babies, that means 7-9 outfits.

Do Laundry

We plan our trips to have access to laundry every 5-7 days. Typically, we stay in AirBNBs, so this is easy. If we don’t have laundry in our apartment, we will find a wash-and-fold service nearby. Some destinations, including those in Asia, have very affordable laundry services through the hotel, so we do use that occasionally. Just be sure to check the turnaround time and plan accordingly.

Buy Diapers Later

Pack enough diapers to get through your travel day and your first day in the destination. After that, you can purchase diapers at most grocery or convenience stores. Be aware that many stores in Europe are closed on Sundays, so plan accordingly.

Skip the “just in case” items

Unless you are visiting a remote destination, you can pick up these items at your destination if needed. Only pack the items you will definitely need.

Pack toddler items in parent’s luggage

We travel with 2 carry on suitcases (Away Bigger Carry On) for our family of 3. Eloise’s items get divided between mine and Casey’s suitcase. Toddler clothes are so much smaller. Without large shoes and extensive toiletries, they just don’t need all that space.

Pack items together by use

When we traveled as a couple, we packed similar items together- all of the electronics in one pouch, toiletries in another, etc.. When traveling with young kids, it is sometimes important to be able to grab everything you need quickly. For that reason, we pack items together by use. Everything needed for diaper changes gets wrapped in the diaper changing mat. Everything needed for sleep goes into one pouch.

When we arrive at a destination and need to get a space ready for sleep in 0.6 seconds, we can move quickly and know exactly where everything is, without digging through multiple pouches. The packing list below is sorted in a similar way to make packing easy.

baby on porch looking over Catalina Island

Packing List for Toddlers- Carry On Only

Packing needs will vary based on the needs and age of your toddler. We pack significantly more outfits for toddlers than we do on our men’s packing list or women’s packing list. This allows for backups when your child inevitably spills their breakfast, plays in the mud, or just gets messy.

Clothing

Pack clothing for 5-7 days and plan to do laundry.

  • 7-9 outfits (tops, bottoms, and socks)
  • 2 pajamas
  • 2 pairs of shoes
Seasonal Items- Warm Weather
Seasonal Items- Cool Weather

Toiletries

Diapering

  • Diapers (enough for travel day+1 more day)
  • Wipes
  • Diaper Cream
  • Diaper changing pad
  • Antibacterial

Sleep

Feeding

If you are still nursing or bottle feeding your toddler, you will need additional feeding supplies. Check out our Packing List for Babies for the full list.

Other

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