🎒 **精简衣物，选择百搭必备单品：** 作者一家专注于打包一周的衣物，并选择易于清洗、不易皱的经典款式，如白色T恤和衬衫。为孩子准备了运动短裤和纯色T恤，并利用可以兼作睡衣的卫衣和运动裤。这种策略确保了衣物可以反复穿着，并易于在旅途中进行清洁和替换，从而大大减轻了行李负担。

🏠 **利用住宿设施，实现轻装上阵：** 预订带洗衣机的民宿是实现轻装旅行的关键。这使得作者一家能够随时清洗衣物，无需携带大量替换衣物，尤其适合长途旅行。这种方式不仅节省了空间，也保证了旅途中的衣物清洁与舒适。

🚶‍♀️ **随身行李的便捷性与灵活性：** 作者强调，只携带随身行李极大地增加了旅行的便捷性和灵活性。避免了在机场等待行李、搬运重物以及应对复杂路况（如楼梯、鹅卵石街道、狭窄的检票口）的麻烦，尤其是在带着孩子旅行时。此外，也无需担心行李丢失的风险，使得整体旅行体验更加顺畅愉快。

🧘 **专注于当下，提升旅行体验：** 轻装出行让作者能够将更多精力从行李的担忧中解放出来，更专注于享受旅行中的“当下”。她得以全身心地体验当地的美食、风景和文化活动，与家人共度有意义的时光，而不是被沉重的行李所困扰。这使得旅行更加充实和愉快。

This summer, my family of four traveled to the UK for a monthlong trip with only carry-ons.I focused on packing light, staple pieces of clothing that we could wash at our Airbnbs.Carry-ons added ease and flexibility to our travel experience, and I never want to check bags again.

As a parent to two young kids, traveling can be exhausting, and lugging around excess baggage is the last thing I want.

So, this summer, my husband and I decided to try only packing carry-ons — three backpacks, two small suitcases, one weekender bag, and one laptop bag — for our family's monthlong vacation to the UK.

We navigated rainstorms in London, cooler nights in Cambridge, heatwaves, and the occasional delayed train, but never once felt as though we underpacked.

Here's how we did it, and why I'll never go back to checked bags again.

Carry-ons offer ease and flexibility

Having taken many trips to the UK over the past four years, I've learned there are just too many stairs, cobblestone roads, narrow ticketing turnstiles, and other variables that can make massive luggage an absolute pain — especially with children.

I also hate waiting in lines more than I have to, and avoiding baggage claim with jetlagged kids is a real bonus of flying exclusively with carry-ons.

Plus, we never have to worry about lost baggage, and we've found that carry-ons are typically easier to transport from one location to the next.

Despite the length of our trip, we focused on packing for a week — not a month

Throughout our trip, we booked Airbnbs with washing machines specifically so we could pack light.

I stuck with a capsule wardrobe complete with staple pieces that were easy to wash and replace (if needed), and less likely to wrinkle, like white T-shirts and button-downs.

Then, for the kids, we packed mostly athletic shorts and plain T-shirts. On the flight, we had them wear sweatshirts and sweatpants that could double as pajamas. I also took advantage of packing shorts that could also be worn when swimming.

Since both of them are still young and their clothing doesn't take up much space, I was able to fit all of my things in the same small suitcase as theirs.

Meanwhile, my husband packed his clothes in a weekender bag, and any remaining items were packed in the other suitcase.

We each had our own personal bags, too: backpacks for each of the kids with a few toys and gaming devices, a backpack for my husband's camera equipment, and a laptop bag for me, filled with our toiletries, a mini first-aid kit, and a smaller purse.

I made sure the laptop bag was water resistant, so it could work great for everything from a day at the beach to a trip to the farmers market.

I never felt like we didn't pack enough, and it made traveling a lot more fun for my whole family

In my experience, packing light also forced me to be more in the moment.

Instead of worrying about what to wear or how to get heavy suitcases from one location to the next, I got to focus on the meaningful moments of our vacation — like eating a crab sandwich at Polzeath Beach with my kids and traveling from Cambridge to Hartest to see a 16th-century reenactment at Kentwell Hall.

I enjoyed being more present, and to be honest, I don't think I'll ever travel with checked bags again.