What I Actually Used to Pack Up Our Family of 4 for Spring Training!
- Lilly Clark
- Feb 23
- 5 min read
Packing your life to live out of a suitcase for more than half the year is hard enough, but packing for an entire family makes it 10x harder. Sometimes we roadtrip from California to Florida for spring training, and sometimes we fly and ship our car. Either way, the way I pack mostly stays the same. I’ve tried different ways to pack up, and I finally think I have mastered what works best for my family. I’m happy to share my experience whether you’re preparing to move, in the midst of traveling for baseball, or just reading this for fun. I’ll be linking the items I use so that you can see what I actually use to pack up our family of 4 for spring training!
My Top 10 Packing Essentials:
1.PACKING BAGS
After our first season traveling in the Minor Leagues, I discovered that packing bags were the most efficient way to organize and fit all of our things. Boxes are too big, containers are too bulky, but packing bags, they’re perfect. I have a packing bag full of toys for my kids, a bag of extra clothes, a bag of blankets and pillows…I could go on and on. They truly change your life if you are a traveling family.
2.LABELS
This may seem so simple, but it is so helpful. I used to never label my items and think “well it’s all going to the same place.” In all honesty, it is. But after a long travel day, the last thing I want to do is go searching through everything to find my son’s toothbrush or favorite monkey he sleeps with. So labels came into play, and I highly recommend it.
3.VACUUM BAGS
Vacuum bags are a life changer. If you travel a lot and have never used them, now is your time. I genuinely don’t know how I packed before I discovered these. Packing your closet away is so hard when you have to pick and choose what clothes to bring. From spring training in Florida to the affiliate teams, the weather can be so drastically different. Last year I went from warm Florida to freezing New Jersey and I was not prepared in the slightest. This year, I am prepared. I used vacuum bags to suction the air out of my clothes and pack everything I need for all types of weather.
Another example, babies grow out of clothes so incredibly fast. Packing their clothes up for baseball season can be difficult because I have to pack all the sizes needed throughout the year; I was able to fit all the sizes we would use from now until the season is over in one bag. If you can’t tell, I am really passionate about using vacuum bags, lol.
4.GOOD SUITCASES
Another simple but important essential, suitcases. I love a good suitcase set. My favorite suitcases have the expanding option, pockets for organization, and the spinner wheels that make it easy to push. I think suitcases speak for themselves whether you are road tripping or flying. We have different ones that are from over the years, but I’ve linked some similar to my favorite set that I use!
5.DOCUMENT SAFE
A document safe was a new addition to our travel life this year, and I’m super happy with it. From motherhood to travel, I tend to forget where I put my important documents and it never ends well. I’d have some stuff with me and some at home, but I would always lose track of where everything was. Now, I have the perfect little safe to put everything in. The zippers lock up with a code so it's secure for all your personal documents!
6.LUGGAGE SCALE
Without a luggage scale, my suitcase would have been far overweight this past move. It took me three tries to get my suitcase to 50lbs. This is a game changer for flying because who likes to open their suitcase and disperse items into other ones on the ground at the airport?
7.CALPAK LUKA DUFFEL
This is a staple for every single trip I go on. It’s packed with everything I need in a carry on, and my boys snacks, toys, tablets etc. I love all the pockets for organization, and it even has a separate pocket for your shoes. I have the regular Luka Duffel, not the large. I’ve linked the Calpak link and one from Amazon that looks like it.
8.BUBBLE WRAP
Every move needs it. I mainly just wrap our kitchen supplies in bubble wrap. This is definitely an essential for breakables and fragile items. Plus, it becomes a great toy for your kids when you’re unpacking, lol.
9.BEIS DIAPER BAG
I’ve gone through 3 different diaper bags and this Beis one wins the award. It perfectly fits all the items I need for two kids. The cost is worth it to me. It has a changing pad built in, a special compartment up front for wipes (much needed on a travel day), and the perfect pockets to fit moms things too. I will say, this is probably too big of a backpack if you just have one baby, but absolutely perfect for two kids. I’ve linked the original Beis diaper bag and one that is close to it from Amazon!
10.LARGE TOILETRY BAG
As a former hairstylist, picking which products I’m taking with me from my bathroom may be one of the hardest things for me; probably harder than picking clothes. I limit myself to one large toiletry bag full of hair products, clips, and brushes. I then limit myself to one more large toiletry bag for my skincare and all the other essentials. I used to pack way about 3 or 4 bags worth of toiletries, but we live by packing at the minimum. I’ve linked one similar to my hair product bag and the one I use for all other things.
Also adding on that silicone bottle covers change the game for leak proofing your shampoo conditioner, and soaps! I’ll link that here, too!
Packing is something so many people dread doing (including me), but having these packing essentials helps me pack up my family fast and efficiently. I’m continuously learning new ideas and organization methods since we live on the road for more than half the year with spring training and baseball season. I hope you had fun reading about what I actually use to pack up our lives or learned something useful for you. More travel and spring training blogs to come!
With Love,
A Mama in Full Swing
Taking notes!
Love this!!