Family Travel Essentials We Pack Every Time

Packing a family of eight for a trip is basically a moving operation, and for years our luggage was a mismatched fleet of hand-me-down bags with one working wheel each. Something always split a zipper at the worst moment, usually in an airport with six kids and a stroller in tow. When it came time to sort the travel essentials we actually rely on, real luggage was overdue.

The bag we now pack every time is the DELSEY PARIS Helium Aero hardside spinner. The hard shell shrugs off the pile-on that happens when everyone’s bags get stacked in the back of the van, the spinner wheels mean even the little ones can roll their own, and the expandable zipper buys us that extra inch for the inevitable overpacking. It is the grown-up suitcase in a fleet that used to be all droopy duffels.

We looked at cheaper soft-sided sets and a few premium brands that cost more than the trip itself, and the DELSEY landed where it made sense. The hardside has survived baggage handlers and a van full of kids without cracking, it wipes clean when something leaks inside, and at around $220 it didn’t require pretending we don’t have five other people to outfit. For luggage that has to survive a big family on the move, it made the packing list for good.