Your suitcase lies empty on the floor, your dresser drawers hang open, and you sit somewhere between the two, panicking, because no matter how often you do it, packing is overwhelming every single time. Fear not! Packing doesn’t have to be the worst part of any journey. Here are a few tips to help you get through those rough one-on-one moments with your suitcase.
1. Make a list.
Every trip is different, but there are some things you’re going to need every time. Contacts. Toothpaste. Deodorant. That stuffed puppy you can’t sleep without (yes, this is me). So make a master list that you can whip out for any trip. Start checking off the essentials that you need no matter what. It’s an easy way to get your toes wet in the packing pool without doing a cannonball into the deep end.
2. Be prepared.
Keep ziplock bags and travel bottles in your suitcase when you’re not using it. You know you’re going to need a few of those quart-sized baggies and a handful of hotel-sized shampoo bottles every single time, so you might as well keep them all in one place. That way, when you go to pack, you don’t have to wonder where you put all those useful things that you haven’t seen since your last trip. They’re waiting for you already when you unzip the suitcase, ready to make your next adventure a little easier.
3. Mix and match.
Probably 75 percent of your suitcase will be filled with clothes, which might not leave room for souvenirs and certainly makes finding things harder. How are you supposed to organize anything in there when your collection of cardigans buries the rest? Bring versatile clothes that you can wear more than once—tops and bottoms that all match so you have options, a sweatshirt that goes with all your outfits, accessories that turn casual clothes formal. Adding a scarf or jacket can change the entire tone of an ensemble.
4. Roll away.
Folding your clothes makes them bulkier and usually results in oddly-placed wrinkles. Don’t want that crease down the center of your t-shirts? Roll them instead of folding them. Pack them in like sushi, and they’ll fit easily and come out nicely.
5. Remember your laundry.
Sure, everything is fresh right now, but if you throw your dirty clothes back in your suitcase, it’ll only be a few hours before all your clothes smell bad. Get a laundry bag you can cram in the corner of your suitcase and bring baby powder or dryer sheets to keep the dirty laundry smells from spreading to your clean clothes.
6. Keep essentials together.
Nothing is worse than trying to think through all those tiny items you might need—but might not. Needle and thread, a few safety pins, a small flashlight, lip balm, ibuprofen… The list goes on and on; they’re all small, you probably keep them in a dozen different places in your house, and they’re a pain to remember. Create an essentials kit that you can leave in your suitcase or closet between trips. Then, instead of trying to remember everything you might need as you’re rushing through last-minute prep, you can stick the whole kit and caboodle in the corner of your suitcase and be done with it.
Packing doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Even if it doesn’t become second nature, at least you can get through it without hassle and focus on the more important part: the actual adventure of traveling. Check your zippers, grab your passport and don’t forget to lock the door behind you. You’re off!
