Mum’s ‘mothership suitcase’ packing tip takes the pain out of family holidays

PACKING for a family holiday is tough, especially if it's taking place in a tent.

So one Aussie mum's solution of lumping items together by days, instead of by person, has the power to take a big headache out of travelling.

Bree Neesham's "mothership bag" isn't only useful to campers though - the simple idea is just as useful for anyone heading on a hotel break, especially if you're the kind of person who likes to live out of a bag.

Writing for , she revealed: "It’s a personal choice how you organise your bags but a few small tweaks can be a game changer.

"We have the ‘Mothership Bag’. This one bag contains all essential items for the whole family for a few days (PJs, couple of sets of clothes, toiletries, first-aid kit, nappies, and so on).

"In another bag we store extra clothes, linen, shoes and other items not needed right away. This way, when you arrive at your destination everything you need is in one bag."

Bree continued: "Once clothes are dirty, put them into a laundry bag and rotate with clean clothes.

"Within the ‘Mothership Bag,’ separate clothes for different family members into smaller bags (cloth or zip-lock bags).

"This keeps everything organised and allows you to see what each person has available.

"Some items are worth grouping together. Going swimming? Grab the swim bag with everyone’s bathers and goggles.

"Starting to get a bit cold? Grab the bag with all the jumpers in it.

"If one person is going swimming or getting cold, it’s likely everyone will be too."

Meanwhile, if you've run out of fuel for a campfire - another useful tip is to use a can of tuna.