I Stopped Using Multiple Suitcases, and Started Packing One Rolling Utility Bag Instead

It’s hard to pack when you’re traveling with little kids, whether it’s for a week-long trip or a day at the pool. I can’t just pack clothes — I have to pack diapers, pajamas, swimsuits, pool toys, stuffed animals, shoes, jackets, snacks, toiletries, and enough entertainment to survive a restaurant meal or long car ride or multiple days on the road. Every family trip used to end the same way: I’d finish packing our suitcases, only to realize I still had a dozen loose and necessary items to pack, scattered around the house. One tote bag turned into two, then a backpack, then another reusable shopping bag stuffed with whatever didn’t fit in that first suitcase.

As my family grew, I realized I didn’t need another suitcase — I needed a better packing system. That system ended up being a Hulken rolling utility tote. For the uninitiated, the Hulken bag is a massive rolling tote bag on wheels, and it’s a game-changer.

I first tried using a Hulken on an eight-day cruise to Mexico. At the time, I was skeptical that a rolling utility bag could replace traditional luggage, but I was shocked by how much it held. I packed clothing, shoes, pajamas, swimsuits, toiletries, and everything my husband, two boys, and I needed for eight days into one large Hulken. The only things that we packed separately were our pre-planned beach gear and toys — items we’d intentionally packed for excursions rather than everyday travel. Without those extras, we easily could have traveled with a single Hulken. Since then, my youngest has joined the family, and I can now fit clothes, shoes, pajamas, swimsuits, jackets, toiletries, and other essentials for all five of us for a four-day trip into a single rolling bag that measures 20” by 16” by 26” when open, and can carry up to 66 pounds of goods.

Unlike a traditional suitcase, there aren’t rigid compartments, awkward dividers, or handles eating into valuable packing space. I simply stand the Hulken upright, fold one outfit at a time, and stack everything vertically until it’s full. Shoes go in first, followed by folded clothing, then toiletries and any remaining essentials on top. Diapers, formula, and anything I’ll need immediately stay in a separate diaper bag, but almost everything else fits inside. When I get to a hotel or where we’re staying, I unpack immediately so I’m not rooting around in my bag for anything I need in the meantime, and tuck the Hulken away in a closet or under a hotel bed. The result? I no longer find myself searching the house for random tote bags to hold everything that wouldn’t fit into my luggage. Nor am I juggling multiple bags every time we check into a hotel.

When I’m packing for a vacation, I love having a system. I pack one family member at a time, rolling the Hulken from room to room until everyone is packed. Everything stays contained, organized, and surprisingly accessible. But what I love even more is that the same bag works when I’m not feeling nearly as organized.

For pool days, beach outings, or afternoons at a friend’s house, I don’t fold anything. I simply toss in towels, snacks, sunscreen, extra clothes, pool toys, inflatables, and water bottles. It’s the complete opposite of how I pack for vacations. I just throw everything in, and it can be fully packed within minutes. Even when it’s overflowing and I can’t zip it closed, everything stays contained, stands upright in the trunk of my SUV, and rolls smoothly from the parking lot to the pool.

My favorite feature actually has nothing to do with packing. When it comes to long trips, once I arrive at my hotel I empty the Hulken, fold it flat, and slide it under the bed if I need the extra space. This is especially useful in tiny cruise cabins. On the flip side, I can leave it standing open inside a closet and use it as our laundry hamper throughout the trip.

Dirty clothes, damp towels, pajamas, and swimsuits all get tossed directly into the bag instead of ending up on the hotel room floor. If I’m staying somewhere with a washer and dryer, I simply roll the entire bag to the laundry room and toss everything into a machine. With three young kids, outfit changes are practically guaranteed between messy meals, wet swimsuits, and everyday spills, so having a rolling hamper makes a surprising difference. On our cruise, that meant wheeling it down the hallway instead of carrying armfuls of clothes. If laundry isn’t an option on our trip, the Hulken keeps our dirty clothes off the floor and separated from our clean clothes. Then, when it’s time to head home, I zip it up and roll everything straight into my laundry room.

I originally bought the Hulken to transport items for my small business, and then I used it for one vacation and then another. Now I use it almost every week. Over time, I’ve accumulated several sizes. The large has become my go-to for family travel, the medium lives in my SUV for groceries and everyday hauling, and the small is perfect for transporting food, drinks, and snacks to pool days or weeklong Airbnb stays. I have extras in my linen closet and even use them for cleaning my house. I’ll roll it from room to room, collecting toys, laundry, and random clutter before putting everything away.

It has essentially replaced multiple products I used to own separately: suitcases, oversized tote bags, laundry baskets, and even the giant moving bags I used to use for hauling business supplies. Plus, you can easily wipe it down with a damp sponge to clean it.

There is one downside. Because it’s designed as a utility tote rather than traditional luggage, I can’t check or bring it on flights or hand it off to cruise ship porters. (Hulken does sell a designated Travel Rolling Tote in a carry-on-friendly size.) I prefer keeping it with me, as it isn’t designed to lock like a hard-shell suitcase. That said, for road trips, cruises, beach vacations, hotels, and everyday hauling, I’ve yet to find anything that works better.

The thing that continues to surprise me most isn’t just how much it holds — it’s how much easier it makes traveling with three young kids. I can roll a fully loaded Hulken with one hand while holding a toddler’s hand or carrying my baby with the other. Even when it’s packed to the brim, it rolls surprisingly smoothly. My kids have even taken turns pulling it through hotel lobbies, even though it can get bigger and heavier than they are, because the oversized wheels handle the weight so well. I’ve even overheard people whispering about how ingenious it is while checking into hotels. For me, my collection of Hulken bags didn’t just replace my suitcases, tote bags, grocery bags, and backpacks — it replaced the travel chaos that always seemed to come with them.

Buy: Hulken Rolling Tote, Large, $125