As a professional travel writer and parent who flies around with my family, I’m used to the business of packing. And with my daughters being 3 years and 9 months, there is a lot to drive.
Gone are the days when I could walk through the airport with just my carry-on and skip the baggage carousel. My family and I now travel with no less than three checked bags, one Pack ‘n Play, two car seats, two diaper bags and carry-on bags for me and my husband.
But a recent Instagram video gave me hope that packing for traveling with kids could be simpler and more organized.
In the video, which has more than 28 million views and 400,000 likes, influencer Elizabeth Homan individually stuffs a diaper, a pair of pants, and a pair of socks into a baby onesie, folds it all, and slips the little bundle into the pocket of a hanging shoe organizer. She proceeds by stuffing each pocket with this combination of clothes, toiletries, and baby shoes, then folds the entire organizer and puts it in her suitcase. When it arrives at its destination, simply hang it on the door and it’s unpacked, organized and ready.
How I Tried This Shoe Organizer Packing Hack
It seemed easy enough, so I bought this 24 pocket shoe organizer on Amazon for less than $10 and started packing. I replicated the packing style, starting with six long sleeved onesies and it worked well once I figured out how to close the snaps over the bundle. I wondered how it would work with other baby clothes, such as footie pajamas, two-piece sets, and t-shirts, and I packed a few.
But the technique of joining the harness together with the buttons on the shirt is not applicable to PJ shirts with zippers or two-piece outfits. So I just put the diaper on top, rolled it up and put it in my pocket. This made me realize that the button clicking step is optional. This would have helped prevent a bunch of clothes from unraveling in the suitcase, but it wasn’t necessary when it was safely tucked into an individual pouch. I also thought the whole process was taking longer than necessary.
I then filled the organizer with other items, such as a toiletry bag, a wad of baby wipes, shoes, a doll, a sleeping bag, a hooded towel, and two small books. I then folded the whole organizer and put it in my suitcase.
I figured there was no way it would fit in a carry-on, so I opted for my Away Medium suitcase and it took up the entire half. I was pleased to still have a second side for extra items like a white noise machine, Pack ‘n Play sheets or larger books.
Overall, I was impressed with how simple and organized this strategy was, and I loved the idea of arriving somewhere with everything I needed ready, without any clutter.
There were a few things about this approach that still keep me from giving up my dice. My house has an 8 foot tall door. I am 5 feet 7 inches tall and needed a ladder to hang the organizer over my door. I was nervous at the thought of arriving at a hotel or Airbnb where a high door and no chair would quickly render the whole system useless. And when fully packed, the organizer was difficult to lift.
I also wondered if the organizer took up too much precious space in my suitcase. I could have packed more without it. And if I wanted to use this method for my child, I would need another organizer and suitcase to fit those extra items listed above. This meant I was traveling with four checked bags instead of the usual three where my girlfriends share one.
Finally, the hooks kept coming off my organizer, which is more of a criticism of the one I bought rather than this method, but I would recommend buying one with attached hooks to avoid additional frustration.
Still, it’s a great way to stay organized on the road—especially if you’re traveling with one baby. I will be reserving my new shoe organizer for short trips where I can fit enough stuff for both of my girls and stick to the cubes for longer trips. But I plan to start putting clothes in these bundles inside my cubes.
And when I can use this hack on both girls, I definitely will — as long as I can check the height of my destination’s door in advance.