We all love to travel but not everyone is excited about packing for the trip. With all the weight limit and TSA requirements, it can be stressful. But hey, packing isn’t that difficult if you take time to plan for it the same way you planned for your vacation. So let me share with you my packing hacks to ensure a smooth and stress-free travel.
1. Make a checklist.
Preparation is the key. Days before your vacation, start a checklist with all the things you would potentially need for your trip. This way, it will help you avoid forgetting essential items and at the same time, remove items that aren’t really necessary for the trip. On the day of packing, tick the items that you have already put inside your luggage to make sure that you’ve packed everything you have on your list.
2. Plan your outfits.
Planning your outfits in advance will save you luggage space and time during your vacation. Know the weather as well as the activities that you will be doing and put that in consideration when choosing your outfits. Choose items of clothing that you can get away with re-wearing and also pick clothing pieces that you can mix and match. (Another tip for the ladies, snap photos of your outfits and save it to your phone so that you won’t be wasting time choosing what to wear while you are on vacation.)
3. Use packing cubes.
Packing cubes are must-haves for travelers. They come in different sizes which help you pack your items together, saving you luggage space and keeping your clothes neat and less wrinkly. Another good thing about packing cubes is that it will help you find the things you need since everything is organized properly. No need to flip through piles of clothing in your suitcase just to find your swim wear!
This 4-piece packing cube set from Amazon comes in small, medium and large which you can use for your socks, undergarments, every day wear and even bulky items such as jackets and jeans. The cubes are also designed with mesh tops for breathability and easy identification of your items.
4. Use space saver bags.
Another option that you can use or pack are space saver bags like this one from Travis Travel Gear where you can compress without vacuum. It will save you up to 3x of space on your luggage. It’s a great way to organize your clothes when packing and separate dirty clothes when traveling back. You simply place the clothes in the bag, close, and roll. Its roll up compression valve will use your own weight for compression.
5. Buy travel-size toiletries or containers.
For your toiletries, you don’t really need a full size shampoo, right? If you’re going to stay on your destination for a long time, you can just buy your toiletries there.
But for packing, put all your toiletries in a secure bag to avoid explosion or a leak in your luggage. You can purchase travel bottle sets like the one from Conair where each bottle already conforms with the TSA guidelines.
6. Separate your most important items and keep it in your smallest bag.
Whether you are traveling through a plane or not, it is important to have a separate small bag that you can keep with you. Make sure that you have your essentials separated like a sweater, your gadgets, wallet, facial tissue, etc. You don’t want to keep on standing in the aisle digging through your carry-on mid-flight, right?
7. Leave some extra space on your luggage.
Chances are, you will be bringing back more than you left with when you go home from your vacation. So make sure you pack lightly to have extra space on your luggage and also to avoid additional costs when traveling back.
