There are few better ways to get away from all of the stress that many of us have to deal with than taking a trip away somewhere. Of course, that can be kind of difficult when the act of actually going away can cause such a huge amount of stress by itself! One of the best things you can do to get a good start on your trip is following the packing tips below.
Trying to get you and your family organized, getting to places on time, and having all of the right stuff with you can be a total nightmare, especially when it feels like you’re the only one actually doing anything. Of course, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that you can do to make the whole process just a little bit easier.
One of the best things to do is to make sure that you have your bags properly packed. After all, if you can get everything packed up well in advance, that’s one less thing that you have to worry about when the day before (or of!) the trip actually arrives. With that in mind, here are some ways to make sure that your bags are properly packed for your trip in advance.
2 Best Packing Tips for a Stress-Free Vacation
What do you absolutely need?
This is an important question to ask yourself when packing. All too often, people end up not thinking properly about what they need to pack and just throwing things into their suitcase willy-nilly. Not only does this end up filling your luggage with stuff that you might not use, but it increases the chance that the stuff that you do need is going to get left behind. Ever left behind underwear or a bathing suit?
If you’re taking a long flight; you’ll need to think about the things you need for the flight, not only what you’ll need at your destination.
Think about new things that you need to buy as well as stuff that just needs packing.
Heading off for a ski vacation? Then you’re going to need to buy warm jackets, thermal layers, and any equipment that might be more expensive to get while you’re there.
Taking a trip to the beach? Then, as mentioned, you need some swimwear and plenty of sunscreen! The sun these days is extra intense.
Thinking about skipping the baggage claim and packing only in carry-ons? You’ll have to think about the size of your liquids. The easiest is to pack them all in travel tubes. And you might want to consider getting a luggage organizer set (aka packing cubes), that will make your vacation life easier.
By thinking about the kind of trip that you’re taking then you’re much more likely only to pack the things that you really need.
Lists are your friends
If you want to be sure that you’ve got everything that you need, you need to start writing things down. Never assume that you’re going to be able to remember everything that you need. If you do that, then you’re just going to end up forgetting something obvious. Again, about that underwear or socks. It happens to the best of us.
Make lists of the things that you need, clothes, toiletries, emergency supplies, chargers, airplane/roadtrip snacks, passports and visas etc., then break those lists down even further. By doing that you can make sure that you keep track of everything that you need as well as everything that you’ve already packed.
My favourite list is the last-minute things to pack. These are the things that you want to pack that you’re also going to be using the same day of your trip. Things like your favorite hairbrush, phone + chargers, and glasses.
Of course, this isn’t going to take all of the stress out of taking a trip. You’re still going to have to deal with getting people to certain places on time, frustrating travel times, possible delays, and other unexpected things that come with traveling. But by getting the packing out of the way in advance, at least you can be sure that you’ve got everything you need when you arrive. That way, you can finally start to relax once you and your family have reached your destination.
A New Life Wandering 