I get it, packing can be one of those stressful things you try to avoid doing until the last minute. If you’re anything like me, something is always left behind that needs to be packed. After reading about having a “packing guide,” it has truly saved me from procrastinating and so many headaches. Packing mishaps can happen to anyone, but here are some tips to avoid it.
The first step is deciding on the type of bag you need. This is determined by how many days you will be gone or how light the load needs to be. You also need to determine if you are taking a carry on bag or not. For me, I always put the necessities I need in my carry-on bag just incase of a layover or if my luggage goes missing. However, if you do plan to bring a carry on bag on your flight be sure to check online with the carry on bag restrictions. Some flights won’t allow you to bring a carry on bag at all. After this step, this will help you determine how much you need to pack in your bag.
The second step is if you’re going on a longer trip, you need to figure out if you will be able to do laundry on your trip. This will help your luggage be a little lighter and avoid overpacking if you think of this ahead of time. If you are unable to do laundry on your trip, make sure to pack a bag you can put your dirty clothes in. I always pack a trash bag so my clothes I wear throughout the trip can go in there instead of touching my clean clothes.
The third step is to always check the weather before your trip! After a personal experience with this, I cannot stress this step enough. A couple years ago I went to Florida to the beach and I didn’t check the weather thinking it would be warm in the summer and packed only short sleeves and shorts because of this. I ended up really regretting this decision when it was cold and rainy the entire time I was there and I had no warm clothes. I learned my lesson to pack accordingly to the weather no matter where I travel. This will save you from freezing to death or burning up! If you plan on staying on a trip longer than what the weather channels will show you, bring a mixture of both clothes for the warmer days and the cooler ones, just in case!
Another step is when is to roll up your clothes. This will save so much room in your luggage and look a lot neater too! If you have compression sacks or packing cubes those will work great too. This will allow you to pack more without having to use multiple bags and help you stay more organized in the long run.
Lastly, is to make a list of what you need to pack. You can either write your own or use this helpful guide I found from https://www.smartertravel.com/the-ultimate-packing-list/. This is essential to never forgetting what you need to pack. It is so hard to remember absolutely everything, so checking off the list as you go is a must.
I hope you find these tips useful and feel free to comment if you have any more to add. These tips have truly helped my traveling plans less stressful and I hope it does the same to you!
P.s. Click here for a great selection of luggage tags – this will help you be able to tell your luggage apart from everyone else’s.
Travelogy 