What rules to follow when packing for a holiday?

Ready for your next vacation? Tickets confirmed and hotels booked? How about packing? Many of us might think packing isn’t a big deal and it can be done in a few hours. No rocket science in it right? But in actual, packing is something that needs to be done very strategically and I bet many of us suck at it. Smart packing is very important; here’s why: your luggage doesn’t have to be overweight; you should travel stress-free; you should have all your essentials and yet be light-weight. Considering these facts, there are some rules that you should always follow no matter where you are traveling for the holiday:

Prepare a packing list

The very first thing you do even before packing your stuff is making a list of what to carry. A list will help you eliminate the unwanted stuff as well as make you remember if you’re missing on something. Without a packing list, you might end up missing the most essential items.

Choose a light-weight, good quality bag

Before getting started with your packing, it is very important that you choose a light-weight, 25 to 27” luggage bag that can be resized too if needed. These days, 360⁰ rotating carry-ons are very common. You need to be very picky while selecting a bag for yourself; check on the handle, the zips, and the wheels since you don’t want to get into a mess while on your travel if one of these gets broken. Luggage bags can be very expensive which means you cannot afford a new bag for every trip. You must buy the best quality bag that can be used for years and therefore here’s a recommendation: buy from a reputable brand. While you are already spending a lot of money on your travel so branded bags can be a bit costly, therefore, you can use coupons while making a purchase. If you make an online purchase, you might be lucky enough to get free shipping on your buying.

Keep it light-weight

Having over-weight luggage is one of the biggest nightmares for travelers. Your holiday can be ruined when you come to know at the airport that your luggage is overweight and you need to empty some part of it. Here’s a tip to avoid that: always weigh your luggage one night prior to leaving for the airport. This way you’ll have enough time to minimize the weight and also, you can think of alternatives too. For example, you can go for a bigger handbag that can carry some stuff from your luggage.

Apply the rolling rule

While packing the clothes, roll them instead of folding them. This saves a lot of space. This is how you can do it; roll a top, shorts and a pair of undies and slide them into a pair of socks. This way your attire for a day is rolled together in a pair of socks. You can easily take it out whenever you need it without the hassle of searching for matching stuff. Also, rolling reduces the need to ironing the clothes as it forms minimum wrinkles on them.

Make use of packing-cubes

This might sound something extra but seriously, packing-cubes really help. Imagine you’ve just arrived at your hotel and you try to open the bag and everything comes popping out? They keep all your belongings organized in your bags as well as when you unpack your bags in the hotel. You can make separate packing-cubes for your clothes, toiletries, etc. In this way, you will easily find what you’re looking for.

Carry minimum shoe pairs

Shoes are very important but they consume a lot of space too. No need to carry shoes for every single purpose e.g. slippers for the beach, formal shoes for the dinner, joggers for jogging and so on. Pick the shoes that are easy to slip on and the ones you can have long walks in. Slip-on athletic shoes are the best choice for your holiday travel. They look formal, they are comfortable and are super easy to slip on and off while at the airport security check. You can wear these for hiking, trekking, traveling in cars and buses and even for dinners.

Don’t forget a small first-aid kit

It’s true that you should carry minimal stuff but that doesn’t mean that you skip on the most essential items such as the first-aid kit. The point here is not to carry the entire white box with a red cross, instead, you must have an antiseptic lotion/cream, a box of Band-Aids, pain killers.

Liquids should be kept in easy reach

Toiletries are the first things you need no matter wherever you go. Try to place all your toiletries on top of your suitcase so that it is easier to get them as soon as you reach your destinations. However, for a long-haul flight, you can keep a small toiletry pouch in your hand-carry to put in your toothbrush, toothpaste, face cleanser, travel wipes, moisturizer, etc.

Some handy packing tips:

• Keep everything such thing in your handbag that you cannot afford to lose.
• Just one handbag is enough. Do not pack a bulky handbag in your luggage as it is going to occupy a lot of space.
• No need to carry books. Go digital instead – download apps and read on your phone or tablet.
• Check on your destination’s weather and slip in an umbrella if there’s a forecast of rain.
• Don’t forget a pair of swimsuit.
• Take snaps of your passport, visas, hotel vouchers and every such document that you’ll need during your travel, and keep them in your phone.
• If you’re traveling with kids, keep some snacks, toys and activity books to keep them busy while air, bus or car travel. For toddlers and infants, don’t forget to pack their baby food. You might get it expensive in your destination country.

So these are tiny but really helpful rules that you should always keep in mind whenever you’re packing your bags. If you want to travel stress-free, you must remember these tips and we promise you’ll have the best travel experiences ever.

EmmaThomas

I’m a part-time digital marketing consultant, part-time travel blogger, and a full-time dreamer. I have three passions in my life, traveling, social media and writing.