Cool boxes, suitcases, sponge bags, devices, gadgets for travel

[Coldhandscoldheart]

After another trip involving poorly planned and packed suitcases (I accept that the right gadget probably won’t change this) and numerous plastic carriers for a weekend away (uk), what do I need to make me more together for travel in the uk. Two smallish children, long car journey. Clear sandwich bags seem to help for some things, but I don’t like buying them, it seems wasteful even when I reuse them. So often I don’t have any.
somewhere there is the pockety solution of my dreams. Any ideas?

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MNHQ

A big waterproof laundry bag. Bought one ages ago for a long trip but even on a night away it's so handy. All dirty clothes go straight into it and it has a toggle on the top. Even wet flannels etc go in. Once home I take it straight to the laundry basket or put a load on.

Also some cheap pillow cases can be useful for packing shoes

Cotton or waterproof Laundry bag
huge holdalls
packing cubes
cooler backpack and icepacks
lots of Tupperware for days out/picnics etc (I never use plastic bags)
reusable water bottles
bin liners
toys and books are packed into one large backpack and kept together

Packing cubes are a game changer. I have one with undies in, one with vests and t shirts rolled up, one with gym kit/swimming stuff etc. Usually I have 4-5 of different sizes. You can keep stuff in them in drawers when you get to your destination so everything stays under control, and also flip over as things get used up and use them for dirty stuff so when you get back everything is in one place.

Packing cubes and IKEA bags- no need for suitcases, I simply put everything into them. They’re ideal for keeping all beach stuff together or outdoor clothing and wellies too.

If we're away for a weekend dh and I each use a fancy bag for life (not the 10p ones, the fancy ones that are a couple of quid each). We take a 3rd and all the washing goes in there. Separate bag for toiletries and then you (well, I!) need a bag for iPad, knitting, diary, books, paintbox, all the things I take to keep myself amused. He has his book and his phone in with mine. I don't take a handbag! That's one bag too many, just shove my purse and phone in with my knitting. 5 bags between us which can be carried into the b&b in one trip.

If kids are coming they each have their own small case and a backpack (all young adults so often not with us).

I think it depends on the trip.

Things I do:

One bag that for all shoes so I’m not separating them from the clean clothes. I usually use a big cloth beach bag so it can be washed after the trip.

One bag for all toiletries.

When DCs were younger I’d take everything including kitchen bowl, I would use it for washing up, warming bottles, sterilising bottles, keeping things in the room tidy, but it was also great for separating packing in the case. I’ve also taken large Tupperware containers for the same thing. I use smaller Tupperware containers with lids for in room food or food on the go, they can be washed and reused throughout the trip.

Plug in cool boxes are brilliant for keeping food & drink chilled. Saves a fortune on buying food if we have fresh food to make lunches in the hotel. Or just a normal cooler and buy bags of ice.

I regularly take old clothes/underwear/shoes/toiletries that are ready to be thrown away and just get rid of them when finished with rather than bringing them back with me.

One bag is always dedicated to laundry, big summer beach bags are usually my go to bag so they can be washed too.

if we are moving around a lot, for example one night stop offs I will prepare an overnight bag with everything we all need in one bag. It means we don’t need to fully unpack the car or if we do we only need to use what’s in the one bag. We like road trips so have gotten good at splitting our packing so we are not having to open everything up all the time.

I read a tip on using those hanging clothes storage things to keep toiletries and other things organised when travelling. It was ok, good if staying somewhere where you don’t have much space, but I found it more hassle that it was worth. Just as easy to keep all my toiletries in the one bag.

I do sometimes use bags for life. Tupperware is variable, I feel is need a set that fits into a bag maybe ?

One of those toiletry bags that just opens out and then drawstrings back in. Forget the name of them but they're really useful. Agree with packing cubes too.

Backpack per person for on the journey stuff

Soft bag per person with clothes, toiletries, books etc. this has a couple of ‘just in case’ plastic bags for dirty clothes, shoes, anything wet. I have a packing checklist for these so the DC can do their own, or when you get could at least help.

IKEA bag for outdoor clothes, wellies, walking boots (the bulky stuff)

Cool bag for fridge food

IKEA bag for non fridge food / drink

Okay, so what backpack do you use? At the moment I have one that has one main pocket, which carries everything, two tiny side pockets which usually hold wet clothes in one side & rubbish in the other and a tiny front pocket. It doesn’t seem to matter what I put in the main bit I always end up digging through stuff. The kids tend to empty their own rucksack, so you end up grabbing a bag thinking it has a change of clothes, only to find this has been changed for several interesting rocks, a drawing and a lightly used biscuit. So I usually put everything in my bag.
one journey I did use Velcro to stick a bowl to each of the trays tables to hold their snack, that worked quite well.
we always just seem to have so much crap jumbling about. I’ve tried waste bins taped on & no one reallly used them, or the tape fell off, or they got pulled down.

I have 3 kids and me and my hubby each have a North Face backpack with multiple compartments. Cost a bomb but last forever. We have separate cooler backpacks for food

Thanks all, I fell I need a housekeeping thread of how to be organised on holiday. Packing cubes I will look into, I almost never unpack when I get somewhere I’m not sure why, but having sections for different things sounds good. I appreciate the bag for life packers, I really think I need things that close properly for most things.
I probably do need to brace myself for spending quite a bit.
do you have picnic sets? I’m thinking about one of those. I need to recognise I will always have ‘oh I just brought this in case’ stuff, I’m never going to be a minimalist traveller, I fear the unexpected.

For backpacks, the kids had mini ones when small then Smiggle ones (I generally think Smiggle is over priced crap, but these are great). They have laptop pocket for electronics, big section, small pocket at the front with various pockets within it. I have a North Face one. I get the kids to pack their backpacks so stones / fiddle toys / random stuff do feature.

Then the big bag each has the stuff they need, using the packing checklist I print off.

I agree that bags for life don’t close and that can be an issue - it’s why I like the IKEA bags as they are deep enough that stuff doesn’t tend to fall out, and you can tie the handles.

I think you have to accept the car will be a mess at the end of a long journey. But even kids too young to help unload can carry rubbish to a bin, a couple of things at a time, or scramble around in the car finding rubbish and putting it in a plastic bag.