The thrill of going on a new travel adventure often comes with the stress of packing. Being able to pack smartly is an essential skill that will make your trips more stress-free and enjoyable.
Whether you’re a jet-setting business professional or an intrepid globetrotter, these essential tips will help you take the pre-trip stress out of packing.
1. Creating a Packing List
Creating a well-organized packing list is an essential first step. By researching your destination, weather conditions, and planned activities, you will pack exactly what you need and avoid unnecessary items.
A bit of research and thought will help you to create a comprehensive list that will enable you to stay organized, save time and minimise stress during packing and unpacking. It also reduces the risk of forgetting important items. Create your list to suit your specific travel needs, and remember to include any special requirements that your destination may require.
You can then confidently start your journey, knowing you have everything you need for a smooth trip.
2. Selecting the Right Bag
From optimizing luggage space, start with the right bag. The easiest way to pack less is to give yourself less space. When you travel with a smaller bag you will have no choice but to pack more efficiently and travel light. Consider also the size and material of the bag as those affect the weight of the bag. Hard case bags are generally much heavier than soft case bags.
3. Important and essentials
Keep your important travel documents such as passport, travel itinerary, and travel insurance policy together, so that you can find them easily and will be less likely to misplace them. Do not check-in these items, always carry them with you.
4. Pack the Ëœmust haves”, not the Ëœgood to haves”
It will not be possible for you to pack clothes for every possible occasion. Therefore, you should pack only what you would wear on an average day. To maximize outfit options, opt for clothing that you can mix and match. Shirts, trousers and blazers in neutral colors like black, white, and beige are ideal as they can be styled differently for different occasions.
In some countries, it is necessary to dress modestly. Therefore it makes sense to travel with a scarf that you can use to cover your head or legs with or a thin cardigan that you can quickly put on when you visit religious places like mosques, churches or temples. Some places may not allow entry without the appropriate attire. You can also layer lightweight scarves or cardigans when you need to adapt to changing temperatures. As far as possible, take just one of each. This will help you save luggage space and at the same time ensure that you have appropriate attire for most weather conditions.
5. Roll, don’t fold
Rolling your clothes instead of folding them saves space and helps prevent wrinkles. It keeps your garments neat and compact, and since they are not stacked on top of each other, you can find what you are looking for more easily. You can even fit in more clothes this way than the regular folding method.
6. Downsize your toiletries
Ditch those full-size bottles and pour your toiletries into travel-sized containers. Small containers save space and comply with airline liquid restrictions.
It is also a good idea to opt for solid or multipurpose products, such as shampoo bars, 2-in-1 shower gels, or moisturizers with SPF, to minimize the number of items to pack. This will keep your toiletry bag light!
7.Stay connected
If you are travelling to a different country, you may need to invest in a travel adaptor or converter. Although many countries use the 3-pin plug, many do not. Countries like US, Japan, Thailand and China all use different types of wall sockets, so make sure you pack a travel adaptor in order to always stay connected.
8. Organise cables and electronics
Cable organizers and pouches are useful for keeping electronic accessories to that they don’t tangle or get damaged. Cables, chargers, and gadgets can all be neatly arranged with the help of these aids. You can also label each cable to enable effortless identification when looking for specific cords.
These are just some of the ways to help you pack your travel bag, there are many other ways. You just need to find what is best for you.