Lessen The Stress Of Lost Luggage With Samantha Brown's Game-Changing Family Packing Hack

Those packing cubes and that perfectly curated travel wardrobe mean nothing if an airline loses your checked luggage. Suddenly, you're in a foreign place without your essentials, leaving you scrambling to find replacements at the local shops. If you're flying with kids, the outcome can be even more dire. You might have onesies, training pants, or a favorite toy to substitute until your luggage is found.

Travel guru and PBS star Samantha Brown knows a thing or two about this conundrum — and how to prevent a disaster if a bag goes missing. Brown is a mother to twins, who she's been taking along on trips since they were just two months old. To make sure no member of the family is stuck without their clothes and other personal items, she employs a genius hack when packing everyone's suitcases. Brown explained to Forbes, "When traveling with my family, I include items for every family member in each bag. If one piece of luggage gets lost, everyone is guaranteed to have some clothing."

The travel expert's strategy beats the typical way of separating each person's belongings, especially if you're checking multiple bags. Chances are the airline won't lose all your pieces of luggage — but it might misplace one. If it does, you'll have back-up clothes for each person within reach.

One of the easiest ways to avoid lost luggage in the first place is by traveling with just one carry-on bag. Unfortunately, this isn't always doable when vacationing with children. As Samantha Brown writes in a blog post on her website, "Trust me, I have two kids; I know I can't travel carry-on only if it's a family trip!"

With that said, carry-on luggage can still be a lifesaver when traveling with family. Pack bulky and restricted items (such as large quantities of liquids) in your checked bags and keep any must-haves in your carry-on. In the post, Brown suggests keeping a few outfits in your cabin bag, a tip that's useful for all members of the family. If your checked luggage goes MIA, you and your children still have pajamas, some fresh underwear, and other important items on hand.

Besides clothing, some things should always be kept in a carry-on bag rather than inside your checked luggage. This includes medication, high-value goods, and your travel documents. For small children, breast milk, formula, juice, and soft food are exceptions to TSA's strict liquids limits and, therefore, can also be kept in a carry-on bag.