6 Ways Packing Like a Pro Can Save Your Vacation
Every time my family would go on vacation, my mom would pack the kitchen sink. I’m serious — I have ever seen anyone pack quite as many things as she does. If we were flying, she would check at least 3 bags, and carry on 3 more (luckily my dad had a frequent flyer’s card, or the baggage fees would have been astronomical!).
She’d make us help carry her things so that she wouldn’t go over the bag limit at security. It was nice because we always had everything we could imagine needing while out and about, but it was quite a bit stressful, and more than half of the things we never used anyway.
Consequently, I learned to pack light. If I was going to lug around a bit of my mom’s baggage, I didn’t want to have to juggle mine as well. I once went to the Caribbean for three weeks with a carry-on and a backpack. Granted, in the Caribbean you don’t need to wear a lot of clothes, but it’s still an accomplishment.
Read on to learn a few of my tips and tricks to help you pack light.
Make a List
I have found that if I just throw things in a suitcase over the course of a few weeks, I end up with way too many of one thing, and not enough of another (I took a 10 day vacation in China once and accidentally packed only 1 shirt.
I’m not sure how I did that, but needless to say, I had to buy a couple of shirts when I got there. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my money). On the other hand, if I make a detailed list and cross things off once they’re in the bag, I end up taking exactly what I need.
Pick a Smaller Bag
If you grab the largest suitcase you can find, you are going to fill it. However, if you pack in a small bag, you will have to pick and choose what you can take with you.
Just make sure that it is large enough to pack everything that you need, or your things might end up a little squished, your suitcase spilling out all over your hotel room, and you won’t have room for souvenirs. I have a perfect carry-on sized bag that has plenty of pockets to keep my things organized, but it’s also small enough to force me to pack light.
Think About What You Can’t Get There
I heard once that you should always pack for the best case scenario, and buy yourself out of any jams. Essentially — only bring things that you can’t get at your destination.
For example, if you are traveling somewhere that the weather is supposed to be quite nice, you shouldn’t pack your umbrella “just in case,” as you can buy one there if the weather changes. If are staying in a hotel, you don’t always need to bring shampoo and conditioner, as they will provide some for you.
You can even get a charger from the lost and found box if you forget yours(although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going without your charger). If you’re going for an extended stay, you don’t need to pack things that you can readily get at a grocery store, such as full-sized toothpaste, toiletries, plastic baggies, etc. If you’re going to a particular hot spot where you need gear (ie snorkeling in Cancun, skiing in Colorado, or mining at the Arkansas Diamond Mine), you can typically rent it there, making it unnecessary to haul it your entire trip.
Take Re-usable Outfits
Instead of packing a unique outfit for every day that you’ll be out, find a way to recycle outfits by adding a jacket, scarf, etc. That way, you can wear the same outfit a few days in a row, and no one will be the wiser — even if they inspect your pictures.
Believe me, layering is your best friend. Of course you should always find out if you will have laundry services at your destination. If you do, you can cut down what clothes you need to pack quite significantly. A quick tip for underwear — wear panti-liners. It lengthens the life of your underwear while still keeping it clean. You can pack your clothes tighter by sealing them in air-tight bags, or even pressing the air out of ziploc bags.
Ditch the Camera (and Other Bulky Electronics)
You don’t need to bring your laptop, ipad, mp3 player, camera, kindle, iphone and camera. Most phones these days have all of these things built in, making it unnecessary to carry all of these electronics. Pick and choose.
The only two I can justify are a smartphone and an ipad or kindle (the second only if you are an avid reader or if you have to do some work). Unless you are a professional photographer, leave your camera at home. I used to use a 12-megapixel camera (quite impressive at the time), but my iphone has a 12-megapixel camera built in, it takes better pictures, and I can edit my photos them with apps right on the spot! If you want some tips and tricks on how to take better photos with your phone, check out this blog.
Leave the Shoes Home
This is the hardest thing for me to do. I love my shoes. I own over 100 pairs, and parting with them, even for a short vacation, can be quite difficult. However, since shoes take up the most space in a suitcase, it is important to limit yourself.
Bring 3 (or 4 if you just can’t help yourself, like me) pairs of shoes: 1 pair of flipflops for the beach and/or shower, 1 pair of sturdy walking shoes (wear these at the airport, as they take up the most room), and 1-2 pairs of sensible flats that you can wear around town, or even to church if you end up going.
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Category: Travel
