I always find myself feeling confident in the ability to pack for a family trip. That feeling is immediately followed by the realization that I neglected some very important chunk of stuff that leaves me feeling completely unprepared. We discovered that a bunch of folks have prepared guides to help us remember every little thing to make a trip run smoothly.

Without this Whole Foods guide I would have completely forgotten any type of first aid supplies—exactly the thing that you regret most when forgotten. Click this to see the Whole Foods article, “Tips for Your Next Adventure” and be sure to scroll to the bottom for their guide on packing a first aid kit.

Need more? We found a very extensive “Family Packing List” at FamilyVacationCritic.com that is interactive—you can check things off right inside the web page. This is not much more than a list, but it’s a very thorough list.

Are your kids young-ish? RealSimple.com provides a list similar to the above but with a focus on the young family. Click this to see their “Young-Family Vacation Packing Checklist” and be prepared to scroll because it’s a long one!

Here’s one more list. Things to do in your home before leaving on vacation. This can be important. I’ve heard a story about a family that returned from vacation to find water flowing from an upstairs bathroom, through the main floor and into the basement. Massive water damage that could have been avoided by simply twisting off the water supply to an upstairs toilet. Click this to see the “Checklist For Leaving House & Home On Vacation” compiled by FamilyVacationSurvivalGuide.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 29th, 2011 at 11:50 am and is filed under Parenting, Travel. Both comments and pings are currently closed.