Vacations are always so much fun to plan whether it’s a destination trip or a quick weekend away. The past year has been so busy for us travel-wise and through that, I feel like I have gotten my packing routine down to a pretty good system! We all know the struggle of packing for a trip only to feel like the bags are never big enough, and there never seems to be enough space for all of the things that you absolutely ~need~ to have. In today’s post, I wanted to share some of my tried-and-true packing tips to help make things easier for the next time you travel! By no means are these points groundbreaking, but they do serve as good reminders throughout the packing process. I hope you enjoy!
make a packing list
Take some time before your trip to list out everything you need – right down to socks, chargers, a book to read, etc. No item is too small to include! I typically write down each day of the trip, what the plans are for the day, and any specific items that I know I’ll need. For example, if I know we’re heading to the beach on Saturday, I’ll make sure I have a bathing suit, coverup, and sunscreen set aside for that. If we have a dinner reservation made or plans to work out, I’ll make sure I have a sundress and some workout clothes for both of those activities. You get the idea! I like to start here because it helps to prevent over-packing. Instead of standing in my closet and throwing 4 tops, a pair of jeans, and 17 dresses in my bag, I give myself an outline of exactly how many different outfits I’ll need and the types of clothing I need to pack for each day. Aside from clothes, I also like to make sure I write down all of the toiletries, hair tools, and makeup products I’m planning to use so I don’t forget any of those last-minute things the day of.
TIP: Whether you choose to make your list the old fashioned way with pen and paper or on your notes app, I would recommend bringing your list with you to your destination! You can use it as a reference when packing up to leave to ensure you don’t leave anything behind
pack to mix & match
Now that you’ve made your list, you’re ready to start putting outfits together. Knowing exactly how many casual, dressy, and lounge pieces you’ll need helps to narrow things down initially, but let’s take it one step further! If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking “well what if I don’t want to wear the original outfit I chose? I need options in case I change my mind!” I hear you! This is definitely where I tend to struggle while packing. It’s tempting to throw a few extra tops or lounge sets in your bag “just in case” but these often take up much more space than you anticipate, which leaves less room for the essentials that you actually do need! To combat this, I intentionally try to choose pieces that I can mix and match to create multiple different outfits. Think of this as a capsule wardrobe of sorts. If you have a few core pieces of clothing that you love and know you’ll wear, it will be easier to make swaps and change up your look without having to pack multiple different full outfits. For example, I can wear a pair of white linen pants as a beach cover-up, and then dress them up with a tank top and sandals to walk around and explore. A cute top can be paired with jean shorts during the day, and swapped out with white jeans for dinner. How many options you need will largely depend on how long your trip is and any specific events you have to dress for (ex: weddings). However, this is a fool-proof method that truly gives you more options without necessarily having to pack more!
stockpile travel toiletries
One of my favorite travel hacks is to set aside a small container and fill it with any sample sizes or trial sizes of skincare, haircare, and makeup products that you might accumulate throughout the year. Whether it’s your Sephora birthday gift, or a free mini size that came with a purchase, having a stockpile of these products makes it so much easier to pack your toiletries and saves you money! A few dollars here and there for that mini shampoo, toothpaste, and skincare serum isn’t a big deal, but it can definitely start to add up if you’re purchasing your entire routine every time you travel! It’s much more convenient to take inventory of what you already have and replace these products as they run out over time.
bring storage for dirty clothes
One of the most frustrating things about living out of your overnight bag or suitcase for the weekend is having to guess what is clean and dirty towards the end of the trip. I like to bring some sort of bag whether it’s an extra packing cube, a drawstring bag, or grocery bag to throw my dirty clothes in throughout the week. Not only does this help to keep your clean pieces separate, but it also makes it very easy to do laundry when you return!
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I hope you enjoyed these tips and found them helpful! While I still consider myself to be somewhat of an over-packer, these habits have definitely helped to reduce the amount I pack and I will be using all of these for our upcoming anniversary trip to the Outer Banks! If you try any of these tips or have any of your own that you would like to share, feel free to comment on this post or send me a message on Instagram – I would love to connect with you!
Thank you so much for reading!
