Additional Coverage:
- My family of 4 only packed carry-ons for a monthlong international trip. We’ll never travel with checked bags again. (businessinsider.com)
No Baggage, No Problem: Local Family Conquers Month-Long UK Trip with Just Carry-Ons
A local family recently proved that when it comes to international travel, less truly can be more. Emily Bond and her family of four, including two young children, embarked on a month-long adventure across the United Kingdom this summer, making the bold decision to pack only carry-on bags – and they never looked back.
For many parents, the thought of navigating airports and foreign cities with young kids is daunting enough, let alone wrestling with multiple heavy suitcases. Bond, a seasoned traveler to the UK, understood the challenges well.
“There are just too many stairs, cobblestone roads, narrow ticketing turnstiles, and other variables that can make massive luggage an absolute pain — especially with children,” she explained. This year, she and her husband opted for a streamlined approach to combat these travel woes.
Their packing strategy for a month of diverse British weather? A surprisingly compact seven bags: three backpacks, two small suitcases, a weekender bag, and a laptop bag. Despite encountering London rainstorms, cool Cambridge nights, and unexpected heatwaves, Bond insists they never once felt underpacked.
The benefits of ditching checked baggage quickly became apparent. Avoiding lengthy queues at baggage claim was a huge win, especially after a long flight with jetlagged youngsters.
The peace of mind that comes from knowing all belongings are with them, safe from the dreaded lost luggage scenario, was invaluable. Moving between various locations, whether by train or foot, also became significantly smoother and more flexible.
The secret to packing light for an extended trip, Bond revealed, was to “pack for a week, not a month.” Their strategy centered around booking Airbnbs equipped with washing machines, allowing them to easily refresh their clothing. This enabled a “capsule wardrobe” approach, focusing on versatile, easy-to-wash, and wrinkle-resistant staple pieces like white T-shirts and classic button-downs.
For the kids, practicality was key: athletic shorts and plain T-shirts dominated their wardrobe. Sweatshirts and sweatpants worn on the flight cleverly doubled as pajamas, and even swim shorts were selected for their multi-purpose potential.
Given the children’s smaller clothing sizes, Bond ingeniously fit her own items into the same small suitcase as theirs. Her husband utilized a weekender bag for his clothes, with remaining essentials tucked into another small suitcase.
Each family member also had a personal bag: backpacks for the kids, stocked with a few toys and gaming devices; a backpack for camera gear; and a water-resistant laptop bag for Bond, which housed toiletries, a mini first-aid kit, and a smaller purse. This versatile bag served them well, from beach days to farmers’ market excursions.
Ultimately, this minimalist packing approach allowed the family to fully immerse themselves in their vacation experiences. “Instead of worrying about what to wear or how to get heavy suitcases from one location to the next, I got to focus on the meaningful moments,” Bond reflected, recalling cherished memories like enjoying a crab sandwich at Polzeath Beach and witnessing a 16th-century reenactment at Kentwell Hall. For this adventurous family, the experience was so positive that they’ve vowed to never travel with checked bags again, proving that sometimes, the best way to enjoy a trip is to lighten your load.