Packing Tips: the Basics
Travel isn’t happening the way it used to (and for good reason: be safe, please), but it is the season to think about it, to dream about it, to make tentative plans. As such, I have a small series of posts planned around packing tips. This post is about general tips that apply to most, if not all, trips.
Future posts will be about specific kinds of trips: shorter, longer, different occasions, weather contingencies, things like that. Those posts will include theoretical itineraries and capsules to illustrate what I mean with my tips.
So let’s get started with the basics!
Make a list!
Whatever way you make lists, do it for this. That could be general (x number of tops, bottoms, shoes), specific (itemized by outfit), or anywhere in between. A checklist for everything you need to pack is helpful.
In case you were wondering, I generally itemize my outfit for myself, and by category for my husband.
I made a master list that I copy for each trip and edit as need be. This habit keeps me from forgetting deodorant more often than not.
Consider writing about your itinerary and expected weather on said list, to help you keep those things in mind.
I recommend check out The Anna Edit's packing list tips (via her travel posts) and her master list as a starting point.
When planning…
Start from the bottom: plan your outfits around your shoes.
Shoes are likely to be the heaviest and biggest pieces to pack, so minimize the number and pack only versatile shoes that you love. Choose your favorites, the ones that you know wear well and are comfortable, nothing that needs breaking in (or add blister block and bandaids to your packing list).
Pack more tops than bottoms.
In my experience, it is easier to rewear bottoms (jeans, pants, shorts, skirts) than tops (more likely to get sweaty/dirty).
Pick your most comfortable and versatile bottoms.
And plenty of underwear and socks.
These are items you do not want to run out of!
Make note if any of your clothes need specific intimates (like a strapless bra or seamless underwear) and be sure to grab them.
Use packing cubes.
I can’t recommend packing cubes enough. For any length of trip, they’re great for organizing your clothes, and being efficient with space. You can really cram clothes into them if need be, and it’s much easier than trying to do that in a big duffle or suitcase.
I have these, but there are a bunch out there with different sizes. I don’t know if any particular brand is better than another. I think it’s better to see what sizes are available and pick the ones that might work best for you.
We use two sets in different colors, which I use to differentiate between my husband’s clothes and mine within our baggage.
When packing your cubes, it’s handy to organize your items by category or by complete outfit. It’s even easier if you roll or fold your clothes so they stack next to each other rather than on top. This makes it easier to find what you’re looking for (x top or y outfit) and nothing gets hidden in the bottom of the pile.
Next, I’m going to plan for a hypothetical weekend away.