THE ULTIMATE CHECKLIST FOR PACKING LIGHT WITH KIDS
Yes, it’s true that you can pack light with kids and you don’t have to sacrifice your sanity to do it. No, I’m not talking “I’m a crazy backpacker and I wear the same clothes for a month” light, I’m talking reasonable light.

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Clothing
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3 tops – short or long sleeve depending on climate.
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3 bottoms (pants, shorts or a combination – convertible pants are fantastic for this) NO JEANS
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4 pairs of underwear
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Packable wind/rain jacket
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1 warm top for layering (synthetic or wool – we like these ones)
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1 pair of baselayer bottoms
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Swimsuit
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3 pairs of socks preferably lightweight wool
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2 pairs of shoes – one light sandal and one heavy duty waterproof sneaker or hiking shoe
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Hat
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2 pairs pajamas
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Personal
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Coloring supplies (small pad of paper and crayons)
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Small bag of toys (no larger than 1 quart)
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Paperback books 3-5 small ones
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Kid camera
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Water bottle
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Backpack (child sized so that they can carry all of their own things EVERY DAY)
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Snacks for the plane ride (buy all other snacks on arrival)
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Hygiene
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Powdered laundry detergent (premeasured and separated into one load Ziploc bags)
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Basic toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, brush, hair elastics, hand sanitizer, sunscreen)
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Basic first aid kit in a sandwich size ziploc (bandaids, childrens pain reliever, antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone cream, and anti-diarrhea medicine)