Use Ziploc Bags for every family vacation

Ziploc bags are right up there with duct tape for solving problems when traveling with the family – and traveling in general, so use Ziploc bags!

No, I don’t own stock in the Ziploc company, but think I might need to consider buying some with that next lottery windfall!

(Who am I kidding! If I have a lottery windfall I’m buying ticket to somewhere exotic! LOL)

9 reasons you need to take Ziploc Bags on your next vacation

1 – Use Ziploc Bags instead of packing cubes

I love using Ziploc bags more than any packing cube I’ve come across.

I love they are clear so I can see the contents without having to dig through them.

I love that I can write on them (Kids names, event or day of the week if needed) and I love that little hands can open them.

Another great feature is you can zip them almost all the way closed and then squeeze the air out which leaves more room in the suitcase for bringing back souvenirs!

2 – Use Ziploc Bags for snacks

Since Ziploc bags come in all sizes, you can get the appropriately named ‘snack’ sized baggies and go to town making snack sized treats for everyone.

I put some in my carry on, each kid’s carry on, and in the suitcase for good measure. A few goldfish when someone is starving can go a long way to making your traveling family happy.

3 – Use Ziploc Bags to prepare for rain

If caught in the rain you might want to put your phone in a baggie. Once I was so prepared with a jacket for myself that I completely forgot that my backpack would be out in the rain for the entire walk to the train stop.

When we arrived at our destination my backpack was pretty soggy. Thankfully that was in the days before cell phones (Boy, that makes me sound old!) …after that I tossed in a Ziploc bag for good measure. I’ve heard you can use your phone in the rain through a Ziploc baggie…have not tried, but  it’s an interesting idea.

Even the kids travel with phones and electronics these days. Protect them with plastic!

4 – Use Ziploc Bags as a doggie bag

Take those leftovers from your meal with you. Even if you don’t have a way to heat it up later it could make a good snack – even if it is not perfect, a left-over snack can make everyone happier if their tummy is empty and the snack machine won’t work and the cafe closed 15 minutes ago.

Think cold pizza in college. It still works and you can get the kids prepared for college that way. Right? LOL!

5 – Use Ziploc Bags to keep things dry

There are some things that just should not touch — like shampoo leaking on your nightgown while in the suitcase, right? Sweaty tennis shoes and…well, anything!

Ziploc bags were tested by NASA with astronauts and found to be awesome for travel.

OK, I made that up…LOL!

But, even better than being tested by NASA astronauts, is being field tested by MOMS, right? Put all those potentially leaky bottles in Ziploc bags and arrive high and dry at your destination. No soggy PJs here!

6 – Use Ziploc Bags for the gross stuff

Kids and bodily fluids. “Nuff said. Contain all the grossness in a Ziploc bag. It will save you other clothes and your nose.

Thank me later.

7 – Use Ziploc Bags to save money

Buy the big container of shampoo/lotion/conditioner and make your own ‘travel sized’ containers!

Think about bringing hand sanitizer wipes, facial makeup remover cloths, and toilet tissue.

Give everyone their own toilet tissue to carry. Never get caught without TP or a tissue. Be      prepared without breaking the bank!

Go here for coupons on Ziploc Bags!

Don’t forget to put some makeup remover in your Ziploc bag. Sometimes even the kids need it!

8 – Use Ziploc Bags to keep it all clean

I should say ‘keep it all smelling good’! Put the kids’ smelly, dirty clothes in their own bag to keep the rest of the stuff in the suitcase smelling sweet.

Put teenagers’ dirty shoes in their own bags to keep the dirt where it belongs and NOT all over your white shirt.

Traveling socks smell extra…..yech…after miles and miles and miles of walking each day. Keep that smell from taking over the rest of your clothes by keeping socks in a Ziploc bag until you can wash.

Put the swimsuits that didn’t dry after last night’s dip in the hotel pool in a Ziploc so everything else stays dry.

I like to buy spices when we travel abroad and I put them in their own Ziploc bag in addition to the original packaging.

Then, when I get home the ‘Turkish Salad Spice’ is all in one place where I can use it and not sprinkled:  All. Over. Everything.

(Don’t ask me how I know to do that. It isn’t a pretty story. LOL!)

9 – Use Ziploc Bags for Ice

Ice is hard to come by in some places but IF it is available putting some in a Ziploc will help soothe injuries. Lower back aches? Ouchy overworked feet? Did someone fall on uneven cobblestones?

Ice in a Ziploc baggie can help recover for the next day’s adventure! I’ve used ice in a Ziplock bag for every one of those injuries.

Happy Travels with your family,

Natalie, The Educational Tourist