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10 Packing Tips Every Traveler Should Know

Are you and your family going on a vacation this holiday season? Packing is a crucial part of every journey. If you don’t pay attention to what you’re taking on your trip, you could leave behind something important, such as prescription medications, essential pieces of clothing, or even important travel documents. Luckily, there’s still time for you to plan and prepare.

Here are 10 packing tips every traveler should know.

Tip 1: Create a packing list. 

With all the hype and excitement circulating your home, it can be easy for anyone to forget to pack their essentials. Listing down everything you need to bring will make it easier for you to remember. 

You can do this on a piece of paper or a note-taking app on your phone. As you pack, you can easily cross-off items and make last-minute changes when it’s necessary. 

Tip 2: Travel light.

You can’t bring your entire wardrobe with you on vacation — not if you want to avoid expensive baggage fees. Traveling light has a myriad of benefits, from reducing transportation and storage costs to making it easier to monitor belongings. If you’re having trouble minimizing your baggage size, try this: 

Make a list of all the clothes, shoes, and accessories you want to bring. Next, cut that list in half, until all you’re left with is the bare essentials. 

For example: 

Instead of bringing several pairs of sunglasses or several bottles of eyedrops to take care of your eyes while traveling, you might consider bringing a single pair of sunglasses that goes well with all the clothes you’ve brought and just one bottle of your preferred eyedrops.

Tip 3: Roll your clothes.

Rolled-up clothes take up far less space than folded clothes. If you’re trying to fit weeks’ worth of clothes into a small carry-on, you should consider rolling your clothes instead of folding them. It will help you maximize the space in your luggage — plus, it’ll reduce the possibility of your clothes getting wrinkled while in transit.

Tip 4: Check the weather and climate.

Is it warm where you’re going? Or will it be chilly most of the time? Knowing the weather and climate in your vacation destination will help you decide what clothes to bring on your trip. Before you start packing, do a quick Google search of your travel destination. If it’s a warm and sunny country like Dubai or Cancun, you might want to pack light-colored and light-fabric clothes. Meanwhile, if you’re visiting Norway, a heavy jacket and thick thermal clothes would be more appropriate.

Tip 5: Weigh bags at home.

Most airlines put a limit on how much stuff passengers can bring in their carry-on. To avoid expensive overweight baggage fees, weigh your bags at home days before your trip. This gives you ample time to make adjustments to your packing list, so you don’t go over the limit. 

Tip 6: Take advantage of hotel amenities.

Nowadays, hotel rooms are equipped with hairdryers, ironing boards, coffee makers, and more. Even cheap inns and motels offer guests nearly the same amenities. So, instead of packing appliances for your trip, look for hotels or motels that offer the amenities you need. It’ll make your journey more relaxing and your luggage much lighter. 

Tip 7: Don’t pack expensive things.

You don’t want to risk losing or damaging expensive items on your trip. The best way to avoid this situation is to leave expensive things at home. For instance, fine jewelry, designer bags, or an expensive watch can easily be lost, taken, or damaged during travel. If you leave these items at home, you face fewer risks of losing your valuables.

Tip 8: Choose e-books over physical books.

Long flights can feel tedious, especially when all there is to do is watch the same five movies in a loop. You’ll want something to entertain you on your flight, and what better entertainment is there than a good book? Instead of packing a physical book, you can lighten your load by packing a small tablet loaded with all your favorite titles in e-book form. You can download the Kindle app on your device and download all the books you want at incredibly affordable prices.

Tip 9: Mark your bags.

Mark your check-in baggage to help those handling it know how to properly transport and store your belongings. For instance, if you’re carrying something breakable, it would be wise to put a “FRAGILE” sticker on your suitcase to inform the airport employees that you have something fragile inside your luggage. This simple step can help you protect your belongings from possible damage or destruction.

Tip 10: Always have important documents in hand.

Always have your IDs, passports, and other important documents with you — especially if you’re traveling to a different country. You never know when a situation might arise where you’ll have to present a form of identification to authorities or institutions in the country you’re vacationing in. Be a safe traveler and always be prepared.

Final Thoughts

Holiday vacations are fun and exciting. Still, without the right preparation and planning, dream trips can easily turn into nightmare vacations in a blink of an eye. Take some time to review the tips we’ve shared above to ensure that you and your family have a seamless and enjoyable holiday vacation this year!