This post shows how I usually pack my suitcase.
We usually visit our families during the summer and stay for 5 to 6 weeks on average. Since my husband and I are from different countries, we visit both sides of our families every summer. We live out of suitcase for an extended period of time. That is also the time I do some shopping to bring items from Japan and the U.S. back to our posting overseas, so I try to minimize the amount I initially pack.
Because of our annual trip, I have developed my simple system of organizing a suitcase when I pack for myself as well as for my children. I used to pack for 4 of us: myself and my 3 kids. Now my oldest child is almost 15 and my middle one is almost 12. They started their own suitcases since several years ago. It’s a game changer. It still feels surreal that I don’t have to pack for them. Realizing how traveling has become so much easier with children compared to even 3, 4 years ago is incredible.
I still pack for my 7-year-old son, though. I’m not sure when the day I can trust him enough to pack for himself will come. (Who knows what he will end up putting in a suitcase if I ask him to pack, you know? Pokemon cards? Rubik’s cube?) However, for now I am enjoying the time when I still get to decide what to pack (I love picking his outifts!) for him when we travel.
CLOTHES
I choose 7 to 8 tops, the same number of bottoms and a dress or two. I select tops that can go with many bottoms. They tend to be white and simple one color design. I pick 3 or 4 pair of pants and 2 or 3 shorts and a dress in case we might go somewhere that requires a bit of dressing up.
MIXING & MATCHING
I like to select versatile pieces for the top so that they can go with many bottoms. This way, even though I am wearing the same 7 or 8 tops for 4 to 6 weeks, I don’t feel like I’m wearing the same things over and over. Below are the photos to show how a few tops can go with many of the bottoms.
FOR MY SON
I select clothes for my son using the same strategy. I try to pick tops and bottoms that are versatile and can be mixed and matched.
TOILETTERY
I don’t require a lot to travel. I bring bare minimum and buy whatever need at the destination.
SHOES
Again I select a minimum number that I really need. I usually purchase a few new pairs of shoes and sandals during our summer home leave, so I bring the ones I must have: a pair of nice sandals (I know that these may look so nice, but they are fine), a pair of sneakers, and a pair of flip flops.
I put a pair of shoes in an individual bag to prevent them from touching other items in a suitcase. Shoes are dirty.
JEWELRY
I try not to pack too many pieces of jewelry as they can get heavy. Again selecting simple design that can go to many outfits is a key. I also try to pack a few signature design necklaces so that I can combine it to accessorize simple tops I bring.
HOW I FOLD CLOTHES
It’s pretty much the same as Marie Kondo, but Instead of 3rd, I do 1/4. I personally think you can fold the way you like if it works for you. It is fine as long as you can fold in a size small enough to pack vertically which you will see later. I have demonstrated a few examples of how I fold below.
ITEMS I USE TO ORGANIZE & USE DURING TRIP
I have used this blue denim fabric bag in the left bottom corner for over 2 decades. It was a gift from my mom when I was in high school. I always put my underwear in it. The round gauze with wire inside is a protective bag for washing bras. I carry it with me to long trips when I wash my clothes. The round mesh item is a foldable laundry basket. I’ve had it over 10 years. I purchased it in Japan at a 100 yen store. I haven’t seen the same one since then. I need to buy another one as my current one has a few holes.
PACKING
I started packing vertically some time ago. It is so much easier to see what we have at a glance. It was intended to make selecting clothes easier for my son without making a big mess every time he pulls out clothes, but he manages to still make a pile of messed up shirts and shorts…
I didn’t take photos of our pj’s and my underwear, but we do add these items as well.
Below are shoes, jackets, and whatever we need to pack. In this photo, I packed gifts. When we visit our families in Japan as well as in Texas every summer, we pack gifts to our families. I usually use 1 suitcase for my son and myself and one suitcase for souvenirs to our families and friends and also some school supplies/materials for my kids when they go to a local Japanese school for a bit. I call it my own Japan camp. That would be another blog topic about raising bilingual kids. We take a lot with us, but we also shop a lot when we’re back home. It’s great that we can get rid of what we take and we can refill during our holidays.
GUIDING MY KIDS TO PACK
Now two of my children are old enough to pack for themselves for a trip. I give my older two girls a general guideline and they pack on their own. When they are done, I inspect what they have packed and sometimes I pull out a few items from the suitcase. My girls have to share a suitcase. Each of them take one side. I haven’t introduced them to folding and putting clothes vertically yet. My goal at this point is to let them be responsible for what they chose to bring. Thus, I let them pack however they like for now so that they can focus on what to pack rather than how to pack.
I hope this post was helpful!! I would love to hear what you thought of this packing post. Please comment below!
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