Vacations and adventures can be a wonderful way to spend your leisure time and can shake up the mundanity of your normal life. Not to mention that they can be a great stress reliever. While these can be amazing experiences, they can also be stressful, especially for those who aren’t skilled packers. If you could use some help with packing, here are a few tips from the experts that you need to try.
Understand Your Itinerary
Understanding what is to be expected while you are on your trip can be a powerful tool. By knowing your activity list, the climate and your environment, you can hone your packing skills. Ski lodges, backpacking trips and cruises to mexico will have vastly different packing priorities. By diving into your itinerary and dissecting it, you can have the details you need to know what to pack and ensure that you are ready for anything.
Use a Packing List
Many people get lost in the packing process, forgetting the essentials, losing track of what they want to bring or just getting overwhelmed. While this is common, there are many ways to mitigate this and get more organized. Whether you use an application on your phone or an online resource, consider using a packing list. This can give you a solid foundation to begin your packing. While you may update the final list to reflect your specific needs, this is a great place to start.
Perfect the Art of Packing
Part of packing efficiently is knowing the logistics of how to pack luggage. You can lose out on key suitcase real estate if you aren’t skilled at packing a suitcase. By placing the heaviest items on the bottom, rolling your clothes instead of folding them, using packing cubes and arranging your toiletries and liquid items so that they are carefully stowed away but easily accessible can do wonders for your travel experiences. Not only can this do wonders for your space concerns, but it can also help you arrive with your items in the best shape possible.
Be Careful With Your Carry-on Bags
Carry-on bags are an easy place to make mistakes. It can feel like you are trying to shove far too many things into a bag with limited space. Whether this is a backup for your checked bag or your only one, you need to be careful with how you pack it. Be mindful of space restrictions if you want to avoid unnecessary stress. Additionally, your carry-on bag should only be filled with the essentials. Don’t forget to bring an emergency outfit, medication, charging devices and any other essentials that you cannot go a day without.
Avoid Overpacking
One of the key mistakes that many travelers make when they are packing is overdoing it. While overpacking can ensure that you have everything you need, it can also leave you with weighty luggage to drag around. Shed the additional weight and only pack what you need. Keep in mind that you’ll be the one lugging around this extra weight, and if this sounds unappealing to you, cut back. Consider laying out all of your clothing, shoes, accessories, essentials like a travel first aid kit and toiletries and assessing them before packing. There is a fine balance between overpacking and not packing enough, so be careful to find the balance that works for you.
Make a Plan for Laundry
If you are making multiple stops along your travels, make sure that you have a plan for your laundry. Packing a few laundry bags or reusable shopping bags can help you separate your clean and dirty clothes. This can help everything stay fresh and clean regardless of how many stops you make and how stinky your clothes may be. Not to mention that also bringing an extra tote can ensure that you have a solution for any trinkets or souvenirs you purchase along the way.
Packing can be a source of stress and headaches for many unprepared packers. Don’t spend another day stressing out about packing when all you have to do is use these essential tips to turn around your packing problems.
