Adults
You'd think you'd be good at packing by now. Maybe you are... maybe your bags are packed neatly by the door a few days before your trip. But maybe you run around frantically, leaving for the airport 15 minutes late because it always takes longer than you estimate to pack. Maybe you spend hours awake the night before the trip, urging your brain to remember the important thing you forgot to pack.
My dad was a pilot, and I've traveled to more than 40 countries. My biggest recommendation is to developing a packing list. It’s helpful for every single trip to incrementally add to, for packing peace of mind. This has saved my sanity in racking my brain about what I might be forgetting. If you're on a trip and you forgot to bring something, add it to the list. After the first few trips, I found I never needed to add any more items. As long as I went through the list, I could relax and know everything was packed.
Here's my list to help you kickstart yours.
Process
Before you start packing, consider:
- Using packing cubes. They can corral everything of one type (e.g., all socks) easily, so you don't have to dig through your suitcase anytime you need something. Or perhaps, you can put everything you need for a given day/event in a single cube.
- Putting everything on a table / bed until you have everything you need in that place. Then actually pack the things in your bags; otherwise, you may forget whether you packed something.
- Walking around with a notepad and a pen as you go through your list. If an item isn't nearby when you get to it on the list, write it on the notepad and then go back through the other areas of your house to gather the things. This reduces time walking around while packing.
- Do all your laundry a few days before you need to pack (I know, I know, it's hard). Don't wear anything you really want to bring on the trip.
- Redundancy in some of the "small stuff". Get an extra cell phone charger, razor, deodorant, toothpaste, and travel toothbrush so you can pack those things the day before while still using your regulars during your last days at home. Reducing the number of things you need to pack day-of reduces stress.
Before starting:
- Check the weather!
- Count how many days you'll be gone.
- Decide if you'll be doing laundry on your trip.
- Figure out what kinds of things will already be there (shampoo? towels?)
Clothing
Pack "enough" of each, based on the weather, number of days, and laundry availability.
- Tops
- Short sleeved? Long sleeved?
- Comfy? Casual? Fancy?
- Bottoms
- Shorts?
- Pants?
- Comfy? Casual? Fancy?
- Pajamas
- Underwear
- Socks
- Swimsuit(s)
- Rash guards? Cover ups?
- I like to bring 2 for a beach vacation - one is almost not quite dry yet...
- Jacket(s)
- Fleece?
- Sweatshirt?
- Windbreaker?
- Something water resistant? Waterproof?
- Shoes
- Walking shoes (probably just wear these when you leave your house)
- Waterproof walking sandals like Chacos
- Flip flops (for pool or shower)
- Fancy shoes?
Toiletries
- Shower
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body Wash
- Face Wash
- Razor
- Teeth
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Floss
- Retainer?
- Hair
- Brush/Comb
- Hair Ties/Bobby Pins/Headband
- Misc
- Lotion
- Deodorant
- Chapstick
- Sunscreen?
- Bug spray?
- Feminine Products?
Misc
More Common
- Water bottle
- Sunglasses
- Hat(s)
- Day trip bag (foldable, or a drawstring bag) - if your regular travel backpack isn't quite the right size or you don't want to have to bring everything in it on day trips
- Travel purse?
- Antibacterial wipes
- Poncho or umbrella?
- Bag for dirty laundry
- Extra plastic bags (grocery and Ziploc)
- Ibuprofen
- Other medicines?
Less Common
- Playing cards/games
- Travel laundry detergent
- Disposable cups/silverware
- Small towel/washcloth to dry things with
- Duct tape
Electronics
- Phone
- Phone charger
- Extra cables (for charging special devices or in car)
- Power Bank
- Music
- iPod? Charger?
- Headphones? Charger?
- Headphone adapter to whatever output your music device has?
- Tablet?
- Laptop?
- If traveling internationally - adapters to other types of outlets
Airplane Comforts
- If sleep is a priority:
- Eyemask
- Inflatable neck pillow
- Tissues
- Pens/pencils/Sharpies
- Things to do (e.g., books)
- Non-perishable snacks (e.g., granola bars)
Going to the beach and/or pool?
- Something to lay on at the beach
- Towel (unless provided by the place you're staying)
- Snorkel?
- Bag to bring everything to the beach/pool (something you don't mind getting sandy/wet)
To Do
- Wallet
- Driver's License
- Take things out of your wallet that you don't need (membership cards, gift cards, etc.)
- Only bring the cards you'll use (especially credit cards with no foreign transaction fees and/or travel perks)
- Make sure you have enough cash ($1 bills for tips)
- Wedding Ring
- I travel with a silicone ring instead of my wedding ring with a diamond. I worry less about it getting damaged or stolen this way.
- Download shows/podcasts
- Copies of important documents available offline (we use Google Drive + make available offline)
- Passports
- Health Insurance Cards
- Birth Certificates for Kids
- If traveling internationally...
- Bring your passport!
- Sometimes you need to tell your credit card provider that you'll be in a different country so they don't decline your "suspicious" purchase. You can often do this online.
- Understand when/how to use your debit card to get cash, and the fees involved
Final Check
Run through any special scenarios in your head...
- Are you going on this trip to attend a special event? Mentally get yourself dressed, from head to toe (shoes, jewelry, hair products, makeup, etc.).
- Any other special places you're going? On a hike? On a boat? To Disney World?
- Will there be inclement weather? If it is likely to rain/snow, will you be sad you didn't pack something to make it smoother?
- Run through your bedtime and morning routine to ensure you didn't miss toiletries or any other nice-to-haves.