Pack light. Trips, especially by airplane, are so much easier if you can do it with all carry-ons. Checking baggage slows everything down and just makes everything more difficult. If you can manage to get all of your necessities into a carry-on size bag your trip will become much easier. The other thing you need to remember is to check the weather before you pack. I have a couple easy tips that will help your adventure glide along much more smoothly.
- Pack outfits by day. While you are laying out all the clothes you will need make them into outfits. Everything will suddenly become much more organized. Also while you are planning out outfits your baggage size may mysteriously shrink as you realize, “Hey! I can wear these shorts with both of these shirts instead of packing three pairs!”
- If you are flying with someone else, try to combine your clothes into one large carry-on bag, and then have both of you carry some sort of purse or briefcase to keep iPods, kindles, books, etc. in.
- Keep all liquids under three ounces — and if you wear contacts you will have to find a package of cleanser that is three ounces or less, because if you pour some into a smaller container it will not be allowed on the plane. Trust me, it has happened to me before. Since they don’t know exactly what it is, they won’t allow is on.
- NEVER pack perfume that isn’t in a plastic container. My step-mom made that mistake once … all of her clothes smelled like Euphoria by Calvin Klein for about a year, and they were all overwhelmingly strong scented.
- Only pack one hairbrush. They are so large and obtrusive that you will quickly run out of space in your designated face and hair area.
- Designate certain parts of your suitcase for certain things. Have a hair and face area where you will keep makeup, styling gel, combs/brushes, toothbrush, etc. Obviously a clothing area is needed, but you can break it down even more than that. Have day clothing in one spot, pajamas in another, and swimwear next to that. Lastly put shoes all the way to the edge. If you have a soft suitcase you can even line it with your foot apparel to keep it from caving in on itself and being squished.
- Lastly, put your clothes into your suitcase in time order. Plan out which outfits you will wear on which days and put them into your luggage in reverse order. First put in the outfit you will wear the day you leave, then the day before, and then the day before that, and so on and so forth.
With these simply and easy tips packing will be a breeze and your vacation will become much less frantic, giving you more time to relax!