What We Packed for a Year of Family Travel (And What We'd Do Differently)

Before we left Australia, we did what most families do.

We looked at what other long-term travellers were packing, read a few articles, watched a few videos, and then panic packed everything at the last minute assuming we’d need everything!

What we landed on was that every family travels differently and what works for one family won't necessarily work for another.

However, more than 200 days into our trip, we've learned that some of the advice we ignored was actually pretty good advice.

This isn't really a packing list anymore.

It's what we've learned after carrying our lives through airports, train stations, taxis, apartments, surf towns, mountain villages, and everything in between.

Our Backpacks Were a Good Decision

One thing we'd absolutely do again is travel with hybrid backpacks.

Being able to carry them when needed and wheel them through airports and train stations has made travel days much easier.

We bought Kia's and Emmett's bags second-hand from Marketplace. They were in excellent condition when we left Australia, but somewhere along the way the rubber on both sets of wheels hardened and started perishing. By the time we reached Italy, chunks of rubber were coming off.

Thankfully the wheels still work perfectly fine and should make it to the end of the trip.

Packing Cubes Didn't Work for Us

This might be controversial.

Everyone seems to love packing cubes.

We didn't.

For backpacks, I found rolling clothes and stuffing them into every available gap worked far better. Kia calls this my "chaotic burrito" method.

Packing cubes felt too rigid and wasted valuable space.

The same applied to vacuum bags. They compressed winter clothes well, but turned them into awkward bricks that were difficult to fit inside a backpack.

We Packed Too Many Clothes

Looking back, this was probably our biggest mistake.

Maddie somehow packed seven sets of pyjamas and far more clothes than she actually needed. At the time it didn't seem like a problem.

Later, when we had to carry everything, it became a problem.

Eventually we had to cull some items, much to her disappointment.

I wasn't much better.

I packed mountain bike gear, Ugg boots, and too many jumpers. While I've worn all of them at some point, I could easily have travelled with far less.

Kia packed a pair of casual shoes that were never worn and eventually donated them in London.

We Packed for Winter... and Still Got It Wrong

Packing for both Southeast Asia and a European winter is tricky.

We packed far too many thermals for the kids, yet somehow still missed things we actually needed.

Emmett arrived in Austria with Crocs and runners. Neither were warm enough, so we ended up buying him a proper pair of winter boots.

I also had to buy a raincoat in Vietnam because I hadn't packed one.

One of the biggest lessons we've learned is that you don't need to prepare for every possible scenario before you leave.

You can buy things when you need them.

Schooling Gear Was Mostly Unnecessary

Before leaving, we packed workbooks, maths books, reading books, stationery, iPads, keyboards and all sorts of educational resources.

Most of the workbooks were thrown out fairly early.

The iPads have barely been used.

And physical books turned out to be surprisingly heavy.

Instead, we've bought books as we've travelled, read them, and donated them before moving on.

It's been far more practical.

Shipping Things Home Isn't Worth It

Several times we've considered sending excess gear home.

Every time we looked into it, the shipping cost was ridiculous.

In almost every case it made more sense to donate items we no longer needed than pay to send them halfway around the world.

We Packed Way Too Many Cables

Technology was another area where we overpacked.

We brought backup cables, spare cables, extra adapters and enough charging equipment to power a small office.

Most of it has barely been used.

One thing we definitely wouldn't leave behind though is our power board.

We nearly fried it in Vietnam, which would have been a disaster because almost every device we carry relies on it.

The Biggest Lesson

After more than 200 days on the road, the biggest thing we've learned is that you need far less than you think.

Before leaving, every item feels essential.

Every "just in case" item seems justified.

Then real life happens.

You adapt.

You buy things when you need them.

You donate things when you don't.

And eventually you realise that most of what makes long-term travel enjoyable has nothing to do with what's inside your backpack.

If we packed again tomorrow, we'd bring:

• Fewer clothes

• Fewer shoes

• Fewer thermals

• Fewer cables

• Less schooling gear

• No vacuum bags

• No neck pillows

But we'd absolutely keep:

• Hybrid backpacks

• Good running shoes

• Resistance bands

• LifeStraw water bottles

• Our power board

• The portable monitor

• The drone and GoPro

Because while it's impossible to pack perfectly for a year of travel, it's surprisingly easy to carry far more than you actually need and constantly paying for extra baggage is a real pain.