As you may have noticed I’m a woman with many outfits and the stereotypes on packing for me have been true for me for a long time. Nowadays with each major travel my luggage has gotten smaller and my memories bigger. For a standard week of traveling I would have packed three outfits per a day, with matching purses and shoes. Multiple times I paid extra fines and would worry about lost luggage that had half my life in it. Nowadays not so much! You realize over packing causes anxiety, weighs you down, and limits decision making. Most important it takes away valuable space of souvenirs or other incredible finds. Being mobile and flexible when traveling long distances is an amazing peace of mind. I have found hundreds of articles on packing, and most do not help on giving a person that confidence of less is more. My last trip with my best girlfriend to Mexico for only four days, she had packed for four weeks. She wore maybe 25% of the outfits if so, and she still had a few items she was missing and needed. It’s like over buying fruits and veggies from the store, with good intentions they take up room and you don’t get to eat them because they expire so fast. It’s not as easy at seems, but simple guidelines for a demanding sassy girl like me can help lessen these headaches.
- No cosmetic bags in any shape or form. They take up so much room, are bulky, and it promotes over packing. It’s a bad idea and you mostly end up not using everything. This may sound a little gypsy free spirited, but use a basic grocery shopping bag. It prevents stuff from spilling to damage your clothes, and the bag takes up very little space because it adjusts to what you have.
- Average vacation is 5-7 days, what do I bring? My airport outfit will be always be the most versatile. Be an onion, and have layers. Just don’t be a stinky one lol . Sweat pants, T-shirt, hoodie, and your most comfortable light shoes. Extra pair of socks for the airplane, you never know how cold it will be. For warmer climates I will bring an outfit a day, because when rolled up like a blunt they take little room. For colder climates I will bring 2 pairs of jeans and alternate colored tops. I pick two primary colors and alternate around them. My accessories are neutral either silver, black, or white, and flow with any colors. You want to look like a red carpet outfit without having a five person staff with you.
- “Last squeeze packing” when I pack my toiletries I will only back what i have a few squeezes left. That rolled up toothpaste tube, half bottle of shampoo, and most importantly your personal favorite brands you won’t find in travel size. This allows me to use up at my location and have extra room for traveling back.
- Such a thing as “too efficient” One of the worst tips for packing is to vacuum seal your clothes. This gives you an illusion of space and will over weigh your luggage. It’s the worst tip i read. When you travel back, you do not have the vacuum with you or you had to pack it for the safe you think you saved. Travel light, but not condensed.
- Just like my cosmetics, i put my clothes in plastic grocery bags. They are freeform and adjust to the bag and you have no worries from spills or rain. Yes we have all seen baggage handlers at the airport leave someone’s bag out in rainstorms lol
- New Clothes? save those moisture absorption packets! Retail industry packs them for a reason, it’s a huge profit lose when clothes are damaged. You do not want your clothes ruined with stains or smells. Its great also for sweaty clothes if you do not have a dryer near you and you have to keep moving. Protect the limited clothes you have and keep them in their best condition.
- Things not to pack in your big luggage. There’s always a chance you could lose your big suitcase between airports and hotels. These are important but not priority items. Laptops, camera equipment, money, travel papers, and anything else fragile with glass, should not be put in this bag.
- Pack like a sushi chef. Roll all your clothes into your bags. This not only saves the right kind of space but lets you see everything right away without taking everything out. Origami your clothes, let the Tetris inside you flow