The most stressful part of going on vacation is deciding what to pack. Everyone who has gone on at least one vacation in their life knows how stressful packing can be. Whether you're going on a road trip, flying or going on a cruise, you always have to worry about what to bring. When you're packing, you have to decide how many clothes you need, how much is too much, how many suitcases to bring and what items to bring.
Trust me, we've all been there! However, it doesn't have to be stressful. As someone who has gone on a lot of vacations, there are few methods that I have used that help lessen the stress involved with packing. Here are eight packing tips that every traveler should know.
1. Focus on packing any necessities
Often when you pack, you get so focused on what you'll wear during vacation that you forget to save room for any toiletries or necessities that you need during the trip. One big tip I can give is to make sure that you focus on making room for items that you will absolutely need. The last thing that you will want to happen on vacation is to find out that you forgot an item that you need and have to go out and buy it while you're supposed to be having fun. So, make sure that when you are packing you are focused on making room in your suitcase and you are packing the things that you know you will need first.
2. Keep outfits organized in your suitcase
When you are packing your outfits that you will wear during vacation, the one tip that I can give that is helpful is organize your outfits in your suitcase based on what type of clothing you are wearing. For example, when you are packing, you should pack your clothes according to what you will wear for each day so that you can have an easy time choosing an outfit to wear for the day.
You can also pack your clothes in categories according to what type of clothing item it is, like for example, having everyday clothes together in one section and swimsuits in another. Whatever way is the easiest; just make sure that you are keeping your clothes organized in your suitcase so that you don't struggle trying to find a clothing item when you are on vacation.
3. Calculate the number of outfits you'll actually need
The best advice that I can give is to make sure that you calculate the number of outfits you will need to wear before you start packing clothes. For example, if you are going on vacation for a week, you can decide how many outfits you will need to pack. Consider clothes for everyday wear, any formal attire you might need, bathing suits and pajamas.
Decide how many outfits based on what you will need to wear for the day so that you can avoid packing too many clothes. This has always helped me with knowing if I've packed too much or too little for a trip. If you will have a washer and dryer, then decide how many outfits based on how much laundry you are willing to do during vacation.
4. Essential items should go in a separate pouch
When you are packing essential items, you should put them in a separate pouch to avoid having to use Ziploc bags and taking room up inside your luggage. Most suitcases have a separate, usually clear pouch installed inside the suitcase. If there isn't a pouch in the suitcase, you can try putting it in a separate pocket. Just make sure that your essential items are separated from your clothes so that you can avoid having one of the items, such as shampoo, leak and spill on your clothes.
5. Consider travel-size items
One thing that really helps with packing is buying travel-size items for toiletries rather than bring full-size items. There are plenty of different travel-sized toiletries to buy from, whether it's shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste or toothbrushes. Travel-sized items take up less space, which gives you more room to pack other items that you will need. Just make sure that you bring enough travel sized-items if you are going on vacation for a longer length of time.
6. Use aids for packing
There are tons of different aids that are designed to help with packing. For example, there are airlock bags meant for keeping clothes compressed. It's a good idea to consider using any aids that will help you with packing since they can often really make a difference in relieving the stress involved with packing.
7. Put jewelry in Ziploc bags
Jewelry can be a mess to pack in a suitcase. But when you put jewelry in Ziploc bags, it can help prevent your jewelry from turning into a tangled mess! Just make sure to put the jewelry in separate sandwich bags so that they don't become tangled.
8. Don’t bring too many shoes
Shoes can take up a lot of space in suitcases. When you are packing for a trip, it's best to avoid bringing too many shoes. So instead of bringing seven different types of heels and three different types of flip flops, you should instead consider bringing one shoe for each occasion. For example, bring one pair of heels for going out, one pair of flip flops and one pair of tennis shoes (which you should wear the day that you travel). Through this tip, you won't have to worry about having to bring a separate suitcase designated for shoes.
Wherever your summer plans take you, hopefully, these eight tips will help you get there with everything you need!
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