Episode #21: Carry-On Only Travel With Kids: How We Pack Light and Skip Checked Bags
Why Our Family of Seven Travels Carry-On Only (And How It Makes Every Trip Easier)
Here is how our family of 7 does carry on only. 3 AWAY carry on bags and then the kids have their rolling backpack/ suitcase.
Let me take you back to when I was 20 years old.
I was studying abroad in Spain, and after visiting a few other countries with friends, we headed to Paris.
And my luggage… didn’t.
For two full days.
I arrived with only the clothes I was wearing. No toiletries. No pajamas. No backup outfit. I remember desperately trying to buy underwear in a small Paris shop and feeling completely overwhelmed, uncomfortable, and honestly miserable.
That experience stuck with me.
And from that moment on, I decided something very firmly:
I will always travel carry-on only.
Three nights or three weeks — it doesn’t matter.
Fast-forward to today, and now we travel as a family of seven all over the world using that same strategy. Europe, Alaska cruises, New York, the Maldives, Japan… all with carry-on luggage only.
In this episode, I shared exactly why we do this, the gear we swear by, how we pack for long trips, and the mindset shifts that make packing light possible — even with kids.
Here’s the full breakdown.
Why We Don’t Check Bags
Traveling with a big family means logistics multiply quickly. More kids, more bags, more things to keep track of, and more opportunities for something to go wrong.
That’s why we love traveling carry-on only.
It means:
No waiting at baggage claim
No risk of lost luggage
No paying checked-bag fees
Faster airport exits
Easier connections
Less to juggle while wrangling kids
But the biggest reason?
Peace of mind.
I love knowing that everything we need for the trip is with us at all times. And I constantly remind myself:
If I forgot something… I can buy it there.
That sentence alone keeps me from overpacking.
Invest in Quality Luggage
One of the keys to making carry-on travel work is using high-quality suitcases.
Our favorite is Away luggage. Click HERE to get $40 off your first suitcase or bag.
What I love about it:
Built-in compression side
Durable construction
Rolls beautifully
Designed to fit packing cubes perfectly
That compression feature is huge — it lets you tighten everything down so you’re using every inch of space.
I’ll link all our favorite luggage, packing cubes, and bags in the show notes so you can see exactly what we use.
My favorite AWAY luggage with the No Reception Club black duffle or a similar one from Amazon looped through the handle for easy transportation.
Packing Cubes and Compression Bags Are Non-Negotiable
If you’re not using packing cubes yet, consider this your sign.
We rely on:
Standard packing cubes
Compression packing cubes
Air-compression bags for bulky winter gear
Compression cubes are my personal favorite. You pack them normally, zip them shut, and then zip again to squeeze out all that extra air.
For coats, sweaters, and ski layers?
Air-compression bags are absolute lifesavers.
Find my favorite packing Amazon finds HERE including packing cubes.
Each Kid Is Responsible for Their Own Bag
Every one of our kids uses a rolling backpack suitcase — and they’re in charge of it.
I love these bags because:
They roll or can be worn as backpacks
Perfect for international travel
Fit under airplane seats on smaller planes
Encourage independence
Giving kids ownership over their luggage makes airport days smoother and builds confidence.
And it saves my arms.
My Holy-Grail Parent Travel Bag
Now let me tell you about a bag I cannot stop raving about.
My No Reception Club duffle bag.
This thing was clearly designed by parents.
It has:
Built-in clothing cubes
Tons of pockets
A dedicated dirty-laundry bag
A removable insert you can hang in a hotel closet
A slide-through sleeve so it stacks perfectly on top of rolling luggage
That sleeve is one of my favorite features. I can glide through airports with one hand, and the bag never feels bulky or awkward.
It’s streamlined, intentional, and hands-down one of the best travel purchases I’ve ever made.
Seriously, I cannot imagine traveling with my kids without this bag. For a full video of al the features, watch here.
The Hideaway Carry On Duffle
How We Pack for Long Trips
No matter how long we’re gone, I usually only have the kids pack four to five days’ worth of clothes.
Even for two- or three-week trips.
Here’s how that works:
Mix-and-match outfits
Neutral colors
Pants or shorts worn twice if clean
Layers instead of bulky items
Laundry halfway through the trip
Most hotels — and especially apartment-style stays — have laundry machines. Worst case? A laundromat.
Doing one load mid-trip saves massive suitcase space.
Rolling vs Folding: What We Do
This is a hot debate in the travel world.
Roll or fold?
I fold.
Packing cubes are rectangular, and folding clothes to match that shape lets me:
Fill every inch
Stack neatly
Compress better
Avoid wasted space
Rolling works for some people, but folding has always given me the best results.
Extra Carry-On-Only Tips That Make It Work
A few more strategies we rely on:
Wear bulky jackets and shoes on the plane
Limit toiletries and buy at your destination
Share items between kids
Skip “just in case” outfits
Pack only what actually gets worn at home
Bring one nicer outfit max
Stick to travel-size everything
Ask yourself:
Would I wear this twice at home in a week?
If the answer is no — it doesn’t come.
Why Lost Luggage Changed My Mind Forever
That story from Paris is exactly why I’m so committed to carry-on travel.
Airlines misplace millions of bags every year. When luggage goes missing, families are left scrambling to replace:
Clothes
Toiletries
Shoes
Medications
And the cost isn’t just financial — it’s time, energy, and vacation stress.
Traveling carry-on only removes that entire variable.
The Mindset Shift That Makes Packing Light Possible
Packing light isn’t about deprivation.
It’s about freedom.
Freedom to change plans.
Freedom to hop trains easily.
Freedom to grab taxis without wrestling suitcases.
Freedom to breeze through airports.
And freedom from overthinking.
Remember:
If I forgot something… I can buy it there.
That sentence has saved me more than once.
Final Thoughts
We’ve taken this system everywhere:
Europe.
Alaska cruises.
New York.
The Maldives.
Japan next.
Family of seven.
Carry-on only.
It is absolutely possible — and once you do it a few times, you’ll never want to go back.
