You spend months and months planning the perfect vacation. You double and triple check all of your hotel and car reservations, and you even make a countdown calendar. But then the time to pack arrives, and all you can do is stare into the abyss of your suitcase wondering 'What am I supposed to pack?!'

That is where I come in. I have done quite a bit of traveling in my life, so I would venture to say that I am an expert when it comes to packing a suitcase. For my most recent trip to Sweden, I did a lot of research on travel websites on what to pack and how to pack it. These are a list of tips that I have compiled which I find the most helpful when packing for a trip:

1. Make a list before you even start. It makes packing a breeze because all you have to do is go down your list and check things off. This will also help if you are like me and tend to forget things. A list will also make it easier to realize if you are missing any important items that you might need.
2. Know what you're doing so you know what special items to pack. Think about your itinerary and if there are any special excursions that require specific items. For example: some extra items I brought with me on my last trip were a bathing suit and an outfit that I could get dirty in.
3. Check the average temperature for the region for that time of year. This is important in knowing what clothing to pack. If I hadn’t done this before my last trip, I would’ve been very cold!
4. Always bring an umbrella or rain jacket. You never know if or when it is going to rain, and it always helps to be prepared.
5. All clothes must do double or triple duty. That means that the article of clothing can be worn two or three different ways with different pants or shirts. This makes it so that you only bring the necessary clothing items, and nix the extra baggage. This rule includes nice or “fancy” clothes as well. For example, if you're bringing a nice dress, make sure you can dress it down with a sweater or a different piece of jewelry.
6. Space Bags are the best things ever. No, this is not a plug for Space Bags or anything, but they are seriously the greatest thing for packing, and I am slightly obsessed about them. They save you so much space in your suitcase, so if you are a frequent traveler, I highly recommend these or something like it.
7. If you are away for a long period of time, check to see how often you can do laundry. I suggest bringing a weeks worth of clothes and then washing them frequently so you can travel lighter. Underwear and socks can be washed in the sink every few nights with some travel sized detergent. You might get tired of the same outfits, but at least you won't have to lug around a heavy suitcase.
8. Stack shirts and roll them. It saves a lot of space.
9. To conserve space, either buy things like sunscreen or shampoo in travel containers, or just buy them when you get there. Handy tip: you can buy travel size bottles from the local drugstore (pictured below) and fill them with shampoo from your big bottle to save money.
10. Invest in a good bag for all of your toiletries and/or cosmetics. This one is really versatile and will keep all of your things organized. Also, you can shape it in different ways so that it fits into your luggage better.
11. Only bring the cosmetics that you need. I know it is tempting to bring your entire collection, but pare it down to the basics.
12. Shoes: always wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane. Wrap the rest of them in plastic shopping bags to avoid getting dirt on your clothes.
13. If you are going on a plane, make sure your carry-on is “TSA ready”. Check before you leave that all of your liquids are following the TSA guidelines and have your electronics in an easily accessible pocket or bag so that you can clear security quickly and get to your gate faster. Not to mention it’s a courtesy to the other travelers.
14. Don’t be afraid to pack lightly; you can always buy another t-shirt or pair of pants while you are traveling, and then they also double as a cute and useful souvenir.
15. If you are traveling out of the country, don’t forget to bring plug adapters. You can usually get them at a local drug store, or even at the airport before you board your plane, but they are more expensive there. I have the one pictured to the right and it is very versatile and useful in most countries.
16. Never leave home with a stuffed suitcase, because then you won’t have room for souvenirs!

Hopefully these are some useful tips for the next time you are planning a journey. Being an efficient traveler means spending less time worrying about overweight or overstuffed baggage, and more time enjoying the sights of your destination. Research is the key to being an efficient traveler, so make sure you put in the work and research as much as you can about where you are going. Next time you are packing, don't waste time staring at your empty suitcase. I wish you all safe travels and happy journeys!