Child-size packing is a fine art. Albeit we’ve been travelling fulltime now around the world for six years. But before we left I had so many questions about kids daypacks and wanted all the tips I could get about packing for longterm travel…
On reflection, longterm travel packing is not that different to packing for a week-long holiday. BUT; you do have to carry it for much longer.
So about the kids daypacks:
WHAT ARE THEY ACTUALLY CARRYING IN THERE?!
Here is everything about our kids daypacks unpacked with details of exactly what they are carrying for longterm family travel.
Kids Daypacks – What type of daypack can they carry?
Since we first left for full-time travel with the kids in 2019, the boys have carried their own kids daypacks on travel days.
The boys carry:
- Macpac ‘Limpet’
- Macpac Torlesse 30L Junior Hiking Backpack
The Macpac Limpet is a kids daypack that can attach to our big backpacks too.
Each of their bags holds all their special treasures and they carry their own bag on travel-days.
So for this reason, it’s important not to overpack as it just ends up being another bag for the parents to carry.
We got the kids bags ready to pack a few weeks out from leaving, and gradually reduced the toys and extra ‘stuff’ that was in there as we counted down to departure.
- Tip: Remember – there isn’t any point packing a bag for them if they can’t actually carry it!
In our first year of full-time family travel we took high speed trains in Japan, hiked to find dinosaur footprints in South Korea and took an overnight train in Uzbekistan.
Since then we regularly take the trains in India and they carry their daypacks while we cross borders on foot.
We’ve crossed the border from India to Pakistan four times now!
These are all the kinds of travel days when it is essential that the kids daypacks are ones they can carry on their own and comfortably.
Plus it needs to have things in that they are happy to take responsibility to carry.
Kids Daypacks – Harry’s Bag (5 – 11 years old)
- Macpac Torlesse 30L Junior Hiking Backpack
- Medium eBags Packing Cell (used as toy bag)
- Pencil case
- Drink Bottle
- Samsung A9 Lite Tablet with Lifeproof Case
- Kindle
- Headphones
- Macpac Kids Tui Fleece Jacket (this lives in their day pack)
- TheNorthFace Neck Buff
- 2x Lined Exercise Books
- Sunhat
- Sunglasses
Plus he has a small collection of Pokémon Cards, Tech Deck Skateboards, matchbox car and tiny toys.
These change frequently depending on interest.
So we have a rule for travel that if they get a new toy or trinket they need to give one away.
Kids Daypacks – Oscar’s Bag (3 – 9 years old)
- Macpac 16L Limpet Backpack
- eBags Medium Packing Cell (used as toy bag)
- Budding Builders NZ LEGO Block Buddy
- Pencil case
- Drink Bottle
- Samsung A9 Lite Tablet with Lifeproof Case
- Headphones
- Macpac Kids Fleece Jacket (this lives in their day pack)
- Scrapbook/Small Story Books
- Sun Hat
- Sunglasses
Oscar hands over the LEGO for travel days. But he carries all of his (large) collection of small-medium dinosaurs and Pokemon and Bakugan cards!
Does that look similar to the packing list for your kids daypacks? Let us know in the comments.
Read more about packing for travel
- 10 Daypack Essentials.
- Our Travel Medical Kit.
- Our Packing List For Full-Time Travel: 2 Packs, 4 People.
- Packing List For India.
- Packing Other Essentials: Electronics, Toiletries And Medical.
- Electronics Packing List For Travel.
Useful links for your travel planning and packing
These are the companies we use and can recommend for planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. It is easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere online.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Make sure you have insurance before further contemplating packing and kids daypacks for travel!