Your customized packing list – an indispensable tool!

Are you soon off on your holiday/vacation?  How long does it take you to pack?  Do you find that you pack far too many clothes and end up not wearing even half of them but then still forget something?  Do you have a packing list?  If not, I’d highly recommend creating one and using it each time you pack. It saves time in addition to the agonizing stress over what you’ll wear once there.

My first packing list was developed while I lived in the UK because I was travelling Europe and further afield to countries such as South Africa, Korea and China – on my own so no storing any extras in my husband’s bag. Some months it was as much as every week and often I had to pack at the very last minute.  I found that by using my trusty list, I could pack a weeks’ worth of clothes, accessories and toiletries in about 15 minutes.  I kept extra travel sized toiletry and makeup bags ready to go at a moments’ notice. (I still pretty much do this.) I could also get all of this into what would now be considered a “fairly small” carry-on compared to what I’ve seen onboard on recent flights.  One of my ambitious achievements was to pack for a 5-day business event in Europe ending with a black tie dinner and I still managed to get everything, including my evening dress and shoes, into my “carry-on sized” bag.  And of course, this included my universal plugs and phone charger!

Now that I’m “retired” and travel for pleasure, I still have a packing list – it has just evolved into a list of more casual clothes plus it includes other items such as insect repellent and sun screen. My top priority is to co-ordinate my clothes and plan so that I can fit everything that I will need, not what I think I’ll possibly want, when at my destination.  I’ve used my own customized travel list for over twenty years.  By now it’s probably imprinted in my memory but I have it on my computer and print it out and check off the items as I pack them.  This leaves nothing to chance.

My list does vary according to my trips.  If I’m going somewhere tropical, I don’t take my turtlenecks and vice versa, I don’t take a bathing suit to cold climates unless I know there’s an indoor pool. As an example, on our trip to Japan last autumn; I knew that we were going to be at high altitudes a couple of days so I did take two turtle necks along with lighter clothes.  It pays to research the weather before you pack.

I have to warn you that you need to check what the airline regulations are if you are going to use your bag as a carry on.  They are very strict these days with liquids and other articles that you can take onboard.  My advice would be to check the restrictions on-line before packing.  If you are going to an International destination for a long period of time where you can’t get certain items, it will be necessary for you to pack your day-to-day necessities so you’ll have to check your luggage.  Packing your bag will be so much easier if you prepare a customized packing list in advance.

Quick word of advice – don’t throw last minute things into your carry-on bag.  When I was getting ready to leave Madrid, I absent mindedly threw my cork screw into my makeup bag which I was taking onboard. Big mistake – it was confiscated at airport security!

Need help putting together a packing list? I’m sure that there are hundreds, if not thousands of lists on the Internet.  I’m happy to send you my list, just ask! But think about what you use and wear most often on your trips and customize your own!

Do you have packing tips that we could benefit from?  Let us know!