If you’re not a hardcore traveler with the packing precision of George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air, then getting ready for a trip can be a challenge.
Here are a few hints that I’ve found make it easier for us infrequent flyers.
1. Pack early. Instead of staying up late packing the night before a trip (which I used to always do), I schedule time to start packing 2-3 days ahead of time. This leaves less to do at the last minute, and, hopefully, gives you a little more rest. If you find you’re missing something, you have a chance to run to the store . (Or not – see #5.) Some people pack even earlier, but this is what works for me.
2. When in doubt, try it on. Make sure everything fits and matches as well as you remember and that you have all the accessories you need.
3. If you think of it, act on it. As soon as something crosses your mind that you have to remember to bring or to do before you leave, do it immediately or jot it down. Put the item in or on top of your suitcase or in the purse/wallet you’ll be taking with you if you don’t want to leave without it. The thought may not surface again in your memory until you’re on the road.
4. Stay packed. If there are things you always pack and have extras of, why not keep them packed? I keep travel-sized toiletries, some Q-tips, moleskin (not the journal – the stuff that prevents blisters), sanitary supplies, bobby pins, a compact mirror, and an extra hair band or two in my travel bag all the time. That’s stuff I don’t have to worry about remembering, and it gives me a head start on packing.
5. Don’t overthink it. When I was taking too long to get packed for family road trips as a teenager, my dad would say “There are stores everywhere.” If you forget it, chances are you can buy it (or borrow it) somewhere along the way.
What packing tips work for you?
Glad you included your dad’s advice. I think it’s one of the best tips you’ve passed on to me.
Yeah, it does kind of take the what-if-I-forget-something pressure off!