I love being a mom and teaching my kids to love the outdoors, but let’s face it, it’s a lot harder to get out the door once you have kids. Gone are the days when I could wake up, toss a protein bar and a water bottle into my backpack, and take off for a twenty mile bike ride or throw a tent and some snacks into my car and set out on a spur of the moment, week-long camping trip with a friend. I have learned that packing an adventure bag of gear ready to go at all times makes it more likely that my family and I will make it out the door to have some awesome outdoor time.
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General Adventure Bags
Over the years, I have found that some basics are always necessary for outdoor adventures with my kids. When possible, I like to keep these items in a convenient spot in a ready to go bag. This helps me to stay organized and prepared to adventure outdoors because every parent knows that sometimes just getting the kids to put their shoes on and walk about the door can be a struggle, and I am much more likely to get outside with my kids if I have my bag already packed to go.
What is an Adventure Bag?
An adventure bag is a tool you can use to help your family get out more. Your bag can be any shape or size that works for you and your family, and you can use any random backpack or bag you have lying around your house or something fancier. The main idea is to have something that you can grab that contains all or at least most of what you need for spending some time outside.
In my family, what works best for us is to have a collapsible laundry basket that I keep in the trunk of my car. I try to make sure that I have seasonal gear stocked in the basket so I am ready for adventure, or at least have a solid head start to being ready. I like to use smaller bags to store essential items and have used packing cubes, random zipper bags and even Ziplock bags for this.
As you use your bag, you will likely discover what works best for your family, and there really is not a right or wrong way to do it. Remember, the goal is to make it easier for YOU to get outside. My adventure bag will never win any aesthetic awards or show up great on Instagram, but it works well for me.
Check out some of our teams favorite gear and adventure bags and bins!
Why Do I Need an Adventure Bag?
Recently, some friends invited my kids and I to meet at a playground for a winter play date on a really cold day. The weather up until that point had been unseasonably mild, and that factor in combination with just having moved, it took me way longer than it should have to get ready to get out the door. By the time I packed snacks and located all the warm socks, boots, mittens and other winter gear, I was completely exhausted. We ended up having a great time, but I did forget a few things that would have made the experience better, namely a warmer layer for me to keep my bottom half from freezing.
That experience reminded me of the importance of having my adventure bag packed and ready to go. Normally, I would have already had most of the items set up in my bag, and getting out the door would have taken only a small fraction of the time and energy it took me that day. It also made me realize that there were likely other days that week that I would have taken the kids outside, but my dread of the preparation made it easier to just stay in.
Having an adventure bag ready eliminates steps in the getting ready process for me. When all we have to do is fill water bottles and grab shoes, my family and I are more likely to get outside.
What Should be Included in an Adventure Bag?
I live in Michigan, where we experience all four seasons (sometimes in the same day), so some of the contents of my adventure bag vary based on the time of year. I have also found that the contents have changed somewhat as my kids have gotten older. However, there are always some items that have remained consistent that I consider to be must haves, including a first aid kit and snacks.
Basic First Aid Kit
I keep a really small and basic kit in a little bag with various sized bandages, antiseptic wipes, and antibiotic cream, and I always bring it with me, whether we are going on a walk in the neighborhood or on a long bike ride. The TMM team has some great advice about First Aid Tips for the Outdoor Family that includes a guide to making your own that fits your family’s needs. A first aid kit is very important to include in your adventure bag.
Clothing
The amount and type of extra clothing that I keep in my adventure bag has varied with the ages of my kids and the season, but I always have some type of clothing items included. If you have babies and younger kids, you will likely want to include a full change of clothes. Even with older kids, it is a good idea to have some extra clothing on hand, especially when there is a possibility of getting wet and cold.
If you are able to have more than one of set of weather appropriate items, it is nice to be able to keep spare items in your adventure bag, such as hats and gloves for winter and bathing suits and sun hats for summer. My friends and neighbors know that my family is very outdoorsy, and they often give me hand-me-down gear so that I have multiples of most things, but when I only have one of something, I make sure to be diligent about washing, drying, and returning the item to my adventure bag. End of season sales are also great places to pick up a spare set of gear.
Some of our best clothing posts:
Snacks
Snacks are something that I always have in my adventure bag. We always have better and longer adventures when we are properly fueled, and I have learned that my kids can eat an insane amount of food when they are on an outdoor adventure. Having extra snacks on hand has been very helpful for me on a number of occasions.
When selecting which snacks to leave in my bag, my first priority is to find things that are shelf stable. The other factor to consider, that I have learned the hard way, is to make sure that the snacks will survive your weather conditions. If you will have your adventure bag sitting in your car in the hot sun or cold winter, watch for items that will melt or freeze.
Protein bars, individual packs of nuts and trail mix, and hard candies/lollipops are among my go-to snacks to leave in my adventure bag. I like to pack these together in an opaque packing cube, so that they do not get mixed in with the other gear, so that no one sees them while getting geared up and tries to sneak them, and so that it is easy for me to check and see when my stock is low or if things need to be updated due to expiration dates.
Other Items
In addition to first aid supplies and extra clothing items, there are a few other things that I always like to keep in my adventure bag. I find that I consistently need these items no matter what activity we are doing.
I like to include a few grocery bag sized trash bags. I find these useful for both actual garbage and also to contain wet or dirty clothing items. Wet wipes and hand sanitizer are also handy especially if you are like me and often find yourself adventuring in areas where you do not have access to running water, and I like to keep these well stocked in my adventure bag.
Even in the winter, I always include a beach towel in my adventure bag. I prefer the compact, quick drying style. A towel can come in handy in numerous situations, and I use mine in multiple ways, from wiping snow off sleds before putting them back in the car to actually sitting on at the beach.
A picnic blanket is another important item in my adventure bag all year round because my kids firmly believe that picnics can and should take place in all types of weather. We have a few different styles, from ultra compact and flimsy to thick with a water resistant lining, and I swap them out based on the season.
I recommend adding seasonal items based on your location’s weather. In the winter, I include hand and toe warmers and a packable down blanket. In the summer, I include extra towels and a small bag of sand toys because we often find ourselves headed to the beach.
Remember, the point of keeping a well stocked adventure bag is to make it easier for you, so you should include the things that work for you. Sometimes when I am outside adventuring with my kids, I think of something that I wish I had brought, and I always try to set a reminder in my phone to add it to my bag when I get home.
Road Trip Adventure Bags
Road trips can be great family adventures. Many times with a road trip, we have a specific destination in mind, but getting there can be just as much fun with the proper preparation. As with any family adventure, I always find that the more I can prepare in advance, the more likely I am to want to go and the less stress I have making it happen.
My normal adventure bag is my starting point for my road trip gear. I have some essentials particular to road trips that I have found to be helpful over the years of road trips, and I like to keep those together so I can easily grab them when it is time to hit the road. I also keep a list of the items to add that are not possible or practical to keep in a bag, so I do not have to worry about forgetting something important.
Essential Items
Items From Your General Adventure Bag
My general adventure bag is always my basis for my road trip bag. I find that most of the items that we use on our every day adventures are also useful for road trips. Space tends to be an issue for my family with road trips, so my first step is to remove any items that we will not need.
Some things I always keep in the bag are my first aid kit, trash bags, wipes and sanitizer, a packable towel and picnic blanket, and relevant seasonal items. I pack other food and more snacks for road trips, but I always like to keep my adventure bag snacks in there for emergencies.
Technology
Technology is one category that I add to my road trip adventure bag. In general, my family prefers active pursuits over screen time, but road trips are one time when we bust out all the tablets and game systems. We are all big readers and especially love our Amazon Kindle Kids devices.
We do not pack the devices themselves until right before departure, but I like to keep extra tech related items like charging cords in a smaller bag and add them to the bag when we are preparing for a road trip. It is important to have all the types of charging cords that you need for the devices you will bring, and for travel especially, I like to have a really durable power cord and small power brick. I love the Scosche PowerVolt PD20 USB-C Power Delivery Mini Fast Charger and Scosche StrikeLine Premium Braided USB-C Charge and Sync Cable because they are durable, compact, and charge devices very quickly.
Portable, rechargable battery packs and a backup charging power system are also very useful items. My family loves our smaller backup batteries but even better is our Scosche Portable Power Station which can power up to four devices at once with one AC plug outlet and three USB ports and also has a flashlight function. The incredibly powerful but compact device comes with a durable carrying case, and it has been a constant companion on all the adventure trips I have taken since I got it.
The Scosche Portable Power Station is perfect on a road trip for charging devices in areas of the car that do not have access to cords, or where the cord would get in the way, and to recharge devices when not in use. While adventuring, this power station can power a laptop for a parent working remotely on the go, inflate air mattresses and keep phones charged at a rustic campground, and so many more things. We used to have a device that had a similar function but it was absolutely massive and super heavy, and I am constantly amazed by the power packed into the Scosche Portable Power Station and how I can just toss it in my adventure bag instead of lugging around that huge old thing we used to have that was the size and weight of a small child.
Usually on a daily adventure, I do not worry much about technology devices, but that changes on a road trip, where tech items are always important to my standard packing list. I keep things like charging cables in my road trip adventure bag and always add in my Scosche Portable Power Station before setting out on a trip.
Other Items
For overnight trips, I find it helpful to have a mini toiletry go bag always ready with travel sized products and spare toothbrushes for everyone. I keep this stocked so it is one less thing to worry about when there are so many other things to remember and prepare when packing. I use a clear, quart sized zipper bag that also works for airplane travel, and I store this with a cloth laundry bag so I remember to bring that as well.
My road trip adventure bag also includes some technology free activities to keep kids busy in the car and occupied while waiting at restaurants and in hotel rooms or at campsites. A standard item I always have ready to go is a small zipper bag for each kid with age appropriate art supplies with some type of writing utensil and paper plus stickers. Another great item to include is a card game or two that the whole family enjoys playing.
Especially on longer drives, I find that our travel time goes smoother if we plan for some active break time outside the car. Any time we stop for the bathroom or to charge the car, I make a point to get everyone out and moving. Some items that we find help make these breaks fun that are easy to include in an adventure bag are a frisbee, a ball, and bubbles.
To encourage your family to take active breaks from the car, one tool I love that is easy to keep in an adventure bag is a set of cards that make moving around for a short time into a game. My kids love these Yoga Pretzels cards, and an easy way to use them on a road trip is to let everyone pick a card while you are driving and then all do the activities when you arrive at your break spot. Another great card deck to encourage moving around is the Snap Match Move Kids Action Cards.
Tips for Success
Your basic adventure bag is a good starting point for creating a road trip adventure bag. Some additional things to consider adding are supplies for keeping busy in the car and things you need for overnight stays. Any item that you use consistently while on road trips is a potential candidate to be included in your road trip adventure bag to help you get out on the road.
While I am on a road trip, I like to make notes about what I brought that was useful and what I wish I had brought. I keep packing lists on Google Docs and edit those while on the road as needed, and if I forget something, I try to set a reminder to add the item to my bag when we get home. The more you do an activity, the more you will be able to streamline your bag and make it work best for your family.
Being prepared helps my family have successful road trips, and having some of the packing already done by keeping a prepared road trip adventure bag, I am more likely to want to go and to enjoy the adventure. The TMM team has a lot of advice about how to have a successful road trip. Make sure to check our road trip hacks for kids and things to do on a long car ride posts before you take your next trip.
Air Travel Adventure Bags
If your family takes airplane trips often, you may want to have supplies prepared for that type of travel as well. Depending on multiple factors, air travel may be the best, or only, option for some adventure trips. My family tends to fly at least a couple of times each year, so I have some items I keep together that we use when we travel via airplane.
Essential Items
Items From Your Other Bags
As with my road trip adventure bag, my air travel adventure bag starts from my general adventure bag, and many of the items are the same. The main thing to consider when creating an air travel adventure bag is to make sure that all items fit within luggage constrains and are in alignment with airline regulations. For example, you will need to remove all liquids over 3 ounces for carry-on luggage, and some food items from your snack stash may not be permitted if you are traveling across international borders.
I always include a basic first aid kit in all my adventure bags. If I will be flying somewhere, I make sure to include any medicines my family commonly uses that I am not sure I will be able to find at my destination. Hand sanitizer or cleaning wipes are another item I never leave behind. For air travel, I modify my snacks based on what is permitted to be brought to my destination, but I always make sure to have food with us.
Snacks
Over time, I have streamlined my snack adventure bag for air travel. Here is what I pack, per person: one protein bar per meal in case the airline food does not go over well, one lollipop, and one small bag of something like fruit snacks or Skittles. I put these items in a quart size, clear zipper bag in case they need to be removed during the security process and also bring one refillable water bottle per person.
Depending on the availability of resources at the destination and during the planned trip, sometimes I create a second set of snack bags with the same formula to have as a backup during the adventure and for the return flight. It is important to make sure that any food you bring with you is allowed to be brought in to your destination, and you can generally find that information with a quick Google search. My kids are still relatively young, so up until now, the adults have been the keepers of the snacks, but you should always do what works best for your family.
Technology
Airplane trips are another time where my family uses technology more than we do normally, so as with my road trip bag, my air travel adventure bag includes everything we need for our tech devices. I use the same bag with spare power cords and charging devices that I use in my road trip bag. One thing to consider is if your destination uses a different type of plug than your home location, and in that case, you will want to make sure to add in the proper adapters.
Headphones are an important item to have on the plane to make sure other passengers are not inconvenienced by your family’s tech usage. Especially for longer flights, I make sure to have a power source backup for our devices like small backup batteries or the Scosche Portable Power Station. Please remember to check all airline regulations relating to batteries, and it is important to note that while the Scosche Portable Power Station is not permitted in checked luggage, many airlines do allow it in carry-on bags.
Other Items
As with my road trip bag, I like to include a few non-technology based activities in my air travel adventure bag, like my small art kits and a card game or two. These are useful on the plane and also during wait times at airports, restaurants, and more. If we will be traveling somewhere where a different language is spoken, I try to make sure that one of the card games we pack is fairly universal like UNO with little to no reading required in case my kids make some new friends at our destination.
For air travel, there are a few additional items that I like to include in my adventure bag, especially for longer or late night flights to facilitate sleeping and resting. A light blanket or Turkish towel can serve many purposes and is a useful item, and a neck pillow and eye mask can also come in handy. These can also be used at your destination if you are during any further traveling in vehicles.
Tips for Success
Choosing Luggage
Choosing the best luggage for your family can be a daunting task. I have found that there is no perfect solution for every single trip ever, so my goal is to focus on creating a system for the items we commonly use. Important factors to consider are where you are going, how you will transport the luggage throughout your journey, and who will be responsible for carrying everything, but even before considering those things, because I am always thinking about the budget, it is a good idea to check what types of luggage are included with your plane ticket and what additional charges you will incur if you exceed those limits.
When I am planning what type of luggage to pack for a plane trip, I always consider where we are going and what we will be doing there. The weather and planned activities at the destination help me determine if we need a lot of items or a few. If we are going on a warm weather beach vacation, we usually travel with just backpacks, but a winter trip or one where we will be doing lots of different activities will require more stuff.
Another factor to consider is how you will be getting around throughout the duration of the trip. Sometimes we think about how we will get everything to the airport, but it is also important to consider how we will move everything around at the airport and throughout the rest of the trip. You should consider how all the items will fit in a rental car or hotel room, for example, or how you will move everything around if you are taking public transportation.
When traveling with a family, especially with younger kids, it is important to consider who will be responsible for moving all the luggage from place to place. My kids generally love the idea of filling a huge bag with stuffies and other treasures, but their enthusiasm for carrying said bag or pulling a rolling suitcase generally wanes after about three minutes, or less if they are feeling tired, hungry, or overwhelmed. I find that we have the greatest success when we do not overload the kids and the adults have at least one free hand.
Regardless of the trip, a consistent style of luggage for my family is hiking backpacks. Depending on the size, these may be able to count as personal items or carry-on luggage, reducing fees for checked bags, and we also use these for day trips at our destination because they are comfortable for exploring a new city or trail and have great storage capacity. The TMM team has tested out a ton of backpacks and has some amazing recommendations for the Best Hiking Backpacks for Kids and Best Daypacks for Women if you are looking for a new bag.
For younger kids, I have found that a waist bag often works better than a backpack for air travel. Waist bags can be worn in different ways and are big enough to allow the child to carry a couple of small toys and a snack without being too cumbersome or heavy. These bags can easily fit in the plane seat back pocket for use during the flight or attached to an adult backpack if needed, and we love the bright colors and durable construction of the Cotopaxi Fanny Pack.
When choosing what luggage to use for a trip, I always try to pack light and avoid paying more than I need to for baggage fees. It is important to keep in mind that airports often involve walking long distances and going up and down stairs at some point. While walking and moving is good for expending some energy before sitting still on plane, navigating an airport with kids can be stressful if you are overloaded.
Flying with Gear for Kids
If you have young kids or babies, you may need some additional gear for your journey like a car seat, stroller, or hiking carrier. Many airlines allow passengers traveling with young children to bring one or more of these items at no additional cost, but it is important to check with the specific airline you will be using to make sure you know what is included. Also, if you will be flying with more than one different airline, make sure you know the rules for all of the flights you will take.
In general, with most airlines, you can check your car seat and stroller at the ticket counter or the gate, and you can count a hiking carrier as a stroller. If you are looking into purchasing a hiking carrier, make sure to check out the TMM Hiking Kid Carrier Comparison for helpful information about some popular brands. Car seats that meet FAA standards and have the sticker to prove it can be taken on the plane and used in a non-emergency row window seat, and strollers that fold into a carry-on dimension can be carried on the plane.
If you do decide to check any of your child items at the ticket counter, I recommend having some kind of storage bag for the items to prevent them from getting damaged or dirty. And again, make sure to check the specific rules for the airline or airlines you will be flying with and be prepared to share that information with any employee who asks for verification.
Flying with Sports Equipment
Many types of sports equipment are allowed on airplanes. Some may need to go in checked luggage, like tents due to the stakes not being allowed in carry-on bags. Other items such as bicycles may need to be packed a certain way in order to be allowed as checked luggage.
If you are flying with items like skis or snowboards, you will likely need a special transport bag that may be considered oversized baggage, which can be subject to additional fees. Oversized baggage may need to be dropped off and picked up in a special area that is separate from the regular baggage claim. Make sure to check the relevant restrictions with your airline if you will be traveling with sports equipment.
Check all Restrictions
Checking all restrictions is extremely important when you are packing for airplane travel. From the size of luggage to the contents of your bags, rules can vary by airline and also by destination. Always make sure to follow all the regulations.
Planning Family Adventures
My family and I love to go on family adventures. We have been all over our home state of Michigan and around different parts of the globe. Wherever our adventures take us, when we are making plans, we start by deciding where, when and how to go new places.
Decide Where to Go
Create a Bucket List
Creating a list of dream destinations is a great place to start planning family adventures. These can be close to home or far away, and if you are in need of inspiration for your bucket list, you can check out some great trip ideas from the TMM team including Anchorage Hikes, Camping on Maui, Easy Hikes in Sedona, and Cabin Camping in Texas and Oklahoma. For even more ideas, check out our travel section.
Create an Anytime List
Dreaming big is fun, but so are local adventures. My family likes to have a list of nearby places that are easy and inexpensive to access, like playgrounds and parks. To save costs, we are frequent visitors to places where we have annual memberships, like our local zoo.
Getting the whole family involved with choosing adventure destinations can help everyone feel included and excited. With younger kids, you can do something simple like writing different local places on pieces of paper that you keep in a jar and pull one out to decide where to go. With older kids and teens, you could have them do some research and create a spreadsheet.
Decide When to Go
Deciding when to go on family adventures is an important step. My family likes to have lots of small, local adventures with longer, further away adventures mixed in throughout the year as our schedules permit. We usually make it out to one of our favorite outdoor adventure places every week, and we do bigger trips a few times every year.
Depending on your family’s schedule, there are likely certain times of year that are easier for you to get away for a longer time. Mapping those out in advance can help you determine the best time to plan a longer trip. Certain activities and destinations may be best suited for a certain season as well.
If you are going on a longer trip, to a further destination, the preparation may take a while, so make sure to give yourself enough time to plan and save money if needed. You may want to check how the cost varies for your preferred destination during different times of the year or different days of the week if your schedule is flexible.
Decide How to Go
Deciding how to get to your destination is another important part of adventure planning. For far away places, the main decision is likely road trip versus air travel. Factors to consider are convenience and cost.
For local destinations, you may have the option to drive, bike, or walk. I always try to rotate different forms of transportation when possible to make the adventure more exciting. If you decide to bike or walk, make sure to consider the stamina required to return home, especially if your kids are young.
Pack and Use Your Adventure Go Bag
Family adventures are a lot easier to plan and carry out when you prepare in advance. An adventure go bag can help your family always be ready to head outside for fun, whether it is in your back yard or across the globe.
Related Links
- Outdoor Gear Bag and Bins and Rux Gear Tote Review
- How to Organize Outdoor Gear
- Adventure Packing Lists for Families
Packing An Adventure Bag
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