Organized Travel: Packing Tips
Do you love a vacation but hate the getting there part? Does all of the packing and planning give you a smidge of overwhelm to your already exceedingly long to do list? Whether it’s Spring Break, Summer Vacation, or just a weekend away, you need to pack smart so you can enjoy your time off.
Before you even pull out that suitcase, you need to step back and think about your upcoming trip.
Are you traveling by car? By plane? If so, checking luggage?
Do you want to pack light or have lots of options?
What’s the weather like where you are going?
How many days are you there?
What kind of activities are you enjoying while there?
Any special events?
Planning to do laundry?
Staying in a hotel? With friends? At a rental home?
Staying in one place or staying in many different locations?
You want to have an idea of the kind of vacation you’re getting ready for because we all know that some trips are trips and some are vacations. 😉 What you’re going to pack is based on what kind of trip you’re taking.
Staying organized away from home takes a little planning so here are some proven tips to make your packing more organized and efficient. Once you have a picture of what your trip is going to be like:
Set up a staging area ahead of time. This may mean designating a corner of your bedroom or pulling out the suitcase and leaving it open to accept all of the items you think of to take prior to actually sitting down to pack. If your brain is like a browser with 8,345 windows open, having a place to put those items to be packed when you think of them will relieve some of your packing anxiety.
Of course, making a packing list is the ultimate in organization goals. Use my checklist so you don’t forget anything. It also helps on the return to make sure you’re bringing everything back.
Use an Outfit Planner to map out your days, events, and clothing required. This will prevent overpacking all of those “just in case” items.
Pack expensive or difficult items to replace, like contact lenses or prescriptions, early so you don’t have to think about it again. Expensive items should definitely stay with you in a carry on bag.
If you have more than 2 of a particular piece of clothing you’re packing, consider packing cubes, or compression packing cubes if you’re trying to save as much space as possible. You can use one bag per type of clothing such as tops or bottoms or group items together by outfit. Using cubes allows you to to move things around easily in your suitcase without everything unfolding and scattering. Packing cubes are especially helpful if you are making multiple stops on your trip.
Pack your largest items first which usually means your shoes. Fill them with socks or other small items to take advantage of every square inch. Place them in the bottom crevices of your suitcase and build around them putting in the next largest items until you’re done.
Now is the time to use your sample sized cosmetics and toiletries. Same with brushes and combs.
Pack the vitamins you need in a pill case or zippy bag and leave the bottles at home.
For longer trips, pack a kitchen sized trash bag for dirty clothes. The return trip’s packing tends to be a little sloppier so contain all of the dirty laundry in trash bags you can dump out in the laundry area when you get home.
Pack a pair of flip flops. They can double as slippers if you don’t have room for both or something to slide on quickly to go to the lobby or outside.
Nobody ever regretted having an extra set of underwear in their suitcase. Make it a neutral color so it disappears no matter what you wear.
Bring analog reading materials for the inevitable flight delay or traffic jam. Give your eyes and brain a break from the electronic devices.
I always sneak in a bathing suit. You never know when there will be a spa, pool or beach nearby. This has to be the result of some childhood trauma I suffered from NOT having my swimsuit with me. 😅
If you’re traveling internationally, don’t forget your appropriate converters and apapters. Do a search on what type of plug your visiting country uses. Remember an adapter is not a converter so you may need one for some electronic accessories to work correctly.
More of my travel picks linked here or click photo above
Your advance planning will go a long way in making sure you’ve got what you need to have a smooth, relaxing trip.
Bon voyage and Happy organizing!
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