Nanny to Mommy

My family loves to travel, and we do so as often as possible. But one thing that I hate is hauling 4 or 5 huge bags just for a week (or weekend) getaway. Everyone thinks they’ll need a specific outfit, pair of shoes, or essential toy on the road. This leads to heavier bags and plenty of frustration.

I knew there had to be a better way to pack, so I went hunting for some bag packing hacks and picked the ones I thought were the best for families like mine. I hope you’ll find this list just as useful as we did!

Of all the items that end up in our bags, liquids were always the heaviest. From big bottles of shampoo to juice boxes to endless bottles of water, we were carrying at least 7-10 lbs of liquids everywhere we went. And many of them were in our handbags, making travel seem all the heavier.

First, stop bringing all of your shampoo, body wash, and hair products on trips. Hotels always have that stuff on hand, and you can go a few days without your favorite products.

Next, invest in a self-cleaning water bottle like Auron Bottle. Auron has a UV-light sterilizer in its lid, and it can turn any water into pure drinking water in 60 seconds.

Auron’s UV light bulb kills 99.99% of germs, including bacteria, viruses, mold, allergens, parasites, and more. It can turn water from any source into drinking water. That means you can fill up at the airport bathroom, a public fountain, or even a river or lake. Just tap Auron’s lid to start the purification process, and in 60 seconds, you’ll be ready to drink.

Auron makes travel so much easier. Instead of packing lots of bottles, we only need one empty Auron bottle. Whenever we’re thirsty, we can fill up from any tap or water source and have fresh drinking water in seconds.

Auron travels really easily. It fits in any bag, and it’s practically indestructible. It also has a bunch of smart features, such as auto-clean, hydration reminders, and a temperature display so you can check how hot or cold your drink is (Auron can keep any drink hot or cold for 24 hours!). Smart bottles are the way to go when traveling. Auron keeps us safer and more hydrated on the road while making our bags a little lighter. If you want an Auron Bottle for your next trip, you can get one now for 60% off the list price. Just click the link and pre-order before the sale ends!

Do you ever notice how your kids ALWAYS overpack, and you ALWAYS end up carrying their bags?

To change this, you need to reduce their bag size and make it easier for them to carry their own bag.

The solution? A backpack!

Kids are already used to carrying backpacks, so it’s a lot less of a hassle for them, even when they get tired or fussy. Plus, it will prevent them from loading massive duffle bags with a bunch of toys they’ll never play with anyway (more on that in a sec).

Don’t stop at the kids, either. Parents should backpack up too. You don’t want to have your hands full of bags while you’re navigating unknown places or an airport with young children. Get a good travel backpack so your hands are free to take care of your little ones, manage your travel documents, and, probably, end up carrying your kids’ bags anyway!

One of the golden rules of travel is to leave about 20% of your bag empty when you leave home. This leaves space for souvenirs.

Another big advantage is that it reduces your weight by 20%! If you normally pack 5 bags, this will reduce your luggage weight by an entire bag. The difference is huge when you’re jet-lagged and stumbling through an airport.

Plus, you’re probably not going to buy so many souvenirs that you’ll fill up all the excess space. But, it’s easy to convince kids to do, because they love the idea of getting new goodies on vacation.

Of course, you need to stick to this rule too, so don’t pack those extra 2 pairs of shoes! I know, it’s harder than it sounds...

This one will be met with resistance by the kids, but it’s a necessary battle. The one-toy rule is exactly what it sounds like. Each child gets to choose just ONE TOY to bring on vacation. Not 5 or 10.

Kids will literally fill their bags with toys before they even start thinking about clothes. Bargaining with them over which toys they can and can’t take is much more difficult than just drawing the line at one.

You don’t have to feel bad, either, because you know they NEVER play with the toys they bring. Vacations are too new and exciting. Their toys are just dead weight.

If their siblings have to abide by the same rules, then it won’t be too hard to convince them. Plus, you can use the prospect of souvenirs as a bargaining chip.

When our luggage pile started to get smaller and lighter, it made a huge difference in our travels. It’s easier to move from place to place, the kids are less fussy, there are fewer fees along the way, and everything seems to go a little more smoothly.

Your vacation is supposed to be a time to feel light and breezy, so don’t burden yourself with huge bags! Get some travel backpacks for the whole family and limit how much stuff everyone packs (with an iron fist, if necessary!). Next, get a smart bottle like Auron Bottle to make lugging liquids a thing of the past.

Auron has the added benefit of keeping you healthy no matter where you go. It can turn unsafe tap water in foreign countries into drinking water in just 60 seconds. Don’t forget to pick one up during the pre-sale special for 60% off. It lasts for life, and it’s always travel-ready!

Learn more about Auron Bottle and pre-order yours at auronbottle.com.