We are leaving for our family vacation in a week and I thought I would share some of my tips on packing a suitcase. Packing for a trip is much easier with a little planning and organization.
1. Make a list on paper of how many days you will be away and how many outfits you will need. We are going to Hawaii. This is a long vacation, so it's almost like packing for two trips. We are visiting three islands in Hawaii, which will mean alot of packing and unpacking. The first thing I create is a list for each member of the family. On our computer we have a list of all of the things that we always bring on vacation (sunscreen, vitamins, cameras etc) and just print it out year after year. Planning exactly what you will need not only keep you from forgetting things, it will also help to avoid you over or under packing.
2. A few days before you leave, lay out the clothes you plan on bringing. I started this process last night and I organize the clothes by outfit, ideally aiming to have two tops for each pair of pants/shorts. I also try to pack outfits that can use the same shoes to limit the amount of shoes as well. Since we have so many nights that will require dinner outfits, I plan on wearing at least a few of the outfits two times. Different islands, different restaurants...no one will know.
3. Now it's time to actually pack the suitcases. I pack the suitcases by outfit for my daughter and myself. For my husband and my son, I pack all of their shorts/pants together and all of their shirts together, since they are less particular about outfits and will just mix and match while we are on vacation.
Folding clothes to fit the suitcase will maximize the amount of items you can fit. For pants, I fold them in thirds and for t-shirts I fold them as shown to fit four columns of clothing.
4. The last thing you want when you get to your destination is to have all of your clothing wrinkled. To help prevent this, I wrap all of my clothing prone to wrinkling in tissue paper.
5. I use freezer bags to protect delicate clothing and to keep items like socks together. I also use socks being packed to stuff into shoes to prevent them from getting crushed during transit.
6. If you follow these simple tips, once you arrive at your destination, you can just pull out the piles as you have them in the suitcase and place them directly in the drawers of your hotel room. It makes unpacking super fast so you can start your vacation quicker and stress-free.
Hope these tips will help you next time you pack for a trip.
-Judy
Good tips, Judy! We are making a trip to visit to NY in just under two weeks and yesterday I started pulling a couple of outfits together. Most of it will be casual wear, but I have my son's graduation and a dinner out with friends while we are there. I also want to keep the shoes I bring to a minimum. I like your sock idea to keep them from getting crushed.
ReplyDeleteI just left a long comment but I got an error message. so i'll just say that it's also a good tip to split up your clothes in case of lost or late luggage.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips!!! Will have to try the tissue paper on the next trip!!
ReplyDeleteTip #1-Have a set of labeled toothbrushes, toothpaste, hairbrush, and travel sized shampoo/soap that stay IN the suitcase. You never arrive without and they don't need to be relocated when you get home. Tip#2-Buy pop-up hampers and store them in your suitcase. When you arrive you have a place for dirty laundry. Tip#3-Children should be packing their suitcases once they're old enough to pick out their clothes. I just just say something like "5 outfits, 1 dress, 7 pairs of undies, 1 pr pajamas" etc. They leave them on their bed in neat piles and I double check before they put them in.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips Judy!! Hope you have a fantastic weekend my friend!
ReplyDeleteVanessa