It’s almost time for your long-awaited and long-anticipated vacation, but there’s one little thing standing between you and your destination.
Packing.
While not the most fun part of a trip, in many ways it’s one of the most important. Under-pack and you risk not having something you really need – and then spending vacation souvenir money on an overpriced item that you could have brought from home for free. Over-pack and you could end up paying more for luggage fees on your plane – and end up not using half the stuff you brought.
The goal here is to bring what you need and leave behind what you don’t.
Here are a few tips to help you do that.
Start With a List. I’ve always been a list maker, and when it comes to packing, a list is one of the most important things you can have. Start days (bonus points for a few weeks) before you leave and write down everything you’ll need to bring. Then go through it a second time, and consider if you truly *need* it or not. Medications? Yes, need. Stiletto dress shoes? Probably not. If there are things you aren’t sure of, make that a separate list and bring them only *if* you have room. Think you’ll need something and you don’t have it? Buy it at home, you’ll pay a lot less for it than you will on vacation.
Keep Your Destination in Mind. What you decide to pack will greatly be determined by your destination. If you’re visiting the Caribbean for example, you’ll want to have clothing appropriate for warm temperatures as well as swim suits. If you’re heading somewhere colder, be sure to have a jacket or coat, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts packed. Most importantly, be sure to check the weather for your destination before you pack, and don’t assume you know what the temperatures will be like. You may be surprised (ask folks who visit Florida in January for example).
Also, keep in mind any activities you’ll be doing on your cruise. If you’ll be enjoying a day at the beach, be sure to bring your beach gear, and even some water shoes. If you’re going out hiking, be sure to have sturdy and comfortable shoes. A poncho or travel umbrella is also a good idea for destinations or seasons that typically have rain.
Wear and Pack Layers. As you start to plan for the clothes you’ll need, a great way to be prepared for different types of weather while still keeping room in your suitcase is to pack layers. Have some items that you can layer over other outfits when if it gets chilly, which can happen in the evening, even in the Caribbean – or sometimes you just need something warmer if the air conditioning feels chilly. A great way to also maximize your suitcase space is to bring clothing items that you can mix and match throughout your trip, so that you can use items multiple times rather than filling up your suitcase with different whole outfits for each day. Picking one or two related colors for your clothes will help you mix and match clothing easily throughout your trip.
Now these packing tips apply whether you’re flying or driving, and there’s no doubt that driving does give you a lot more flexibility as to packing, because let’s face it, as long as there’s room in the car, it’s going in. Still, the more you bring, the more you have to lug into your hotel/resort – and back into the house again at the end of your trip. So being sensible about what you bring, even on a road trip, does have it’s benefits.
But, when you’re flying on your vacation, you absolutely need to pack smart. Here are some additional tips to help you do that.
Roll Your Clothes. The best way to prevent creases and make the most of your space is to use the roll method. To do this, lay tops facedown, fold in the sleeves and roll from the bottom up. For pants, put the legs together and roll from the waist down. Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to pack your suitcase. To do this…
Place Heavy Items at the Base. Put any weightier things like shoes and books by the wheeled end of your suitcase. This placement helps your bag stay stable when upright and stops other items from getting smushed. Have any small items like socks or other items? Put them inside your shoes. Then place the rolled clothing items in your suitcase, followed by things like accessories and any other oddly shaped items.
Be Careful About Over or Under-packing. While you don’t want to stuff your suitcase until it barely closes (a surefire way to create crease marks, or weigh too much for a checked bag), you also don’t want to leave space (for souvenirs, right?) because the extra room means items can shift and crumple or break. Instead, fill empty spaces with dry cleaner bags (or a foldable backpack or bag – see below) which you can later fill with souvenirs from your trip.
You Get a Personal Item. Use It Wisely. Most airlines permit each traveler to bring one carry-on bag and one personal item onboard planes. While your personal item is subject to specific size requirements – which vary by airline – typically things like a purse, laptop bag, or backpack are acceptable. So this is not the time to travel with a cute and tiny purse! Bring a larger tote bag that will give you extra storage space for the things you’ll want to have on hand during the flight.
Never Check Valuable and Essential Items. It goes without saying – but I’ll say it anyway – that you should always keep your valuable and essential belongings in your carry-on bag, not in your checked luggage. Your passport, identification, money, credit cards, jewelry, electronics, and other valuables should always be brought onto the plane with you and not packed in your checked bag. That being said, you may want to go one step further and keep any important medication in your purse or personal item. Even if you have a carry-on bag, there’s always a chance you could have to check it at the gate if, for example, the overhead bin space fills up and there’s no room for yours. (It happens.) If you have your medication with your personally, then you know you’ll have what you need, no matter what.
Don’t Forget These Items in Your Carry-On. Think you’ve remembered everything you need to have in your carry-on? The following are things that you should always make sure you have with you *just in case*:
- Portable charger. Don’t go in search of power outlets at the airport when you can have portable power with you wherever you are – even for your tablet on the plane.
- Antibacterial wipes. Before anyone ever heard of COVID, these went with me whenever I traveled. And not only just for disinfecting on the plane and other places – they are handy for all kinds of times when a quick clean up is needed.
- Change of clothes and basic toiletries. If you’re checking a bag and it ends up someplace where you aren’t, you’ll be glad to be able to at least change clothes and brush your teeth.
- Foldable backpack. Remember planning for souvenirs? These are so great and really come in handy throughout your trip when you need to be able to carry stuff with you. And yes, you’ll need room for all of your souvenir without increasing your checked bag weight. (You can totally put this in your checked bag if you want – but just bring one, it’s a very handy thing to have!)
- An empty water bottle. It’s crazy but buying water on your trip can really get expensive in a hurry! Why not save some money (and the environment) and bring an empty bottle through security and fill it on the other side.
So there you have it – some great packing tips for your next vacation. Happy packing and happy travels!
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