The Ultimate Tips and Tricks for Packing for Vacation
Hello, my name is Hannah and I am a travel packing snob here to share with you my ultimate guide of tips and tricks for packing for vacation, work, or even just a weekend getaway.
By the time you are done with today’s post, you will have learned how to:
Pack without getting overwhelmed
Keep from over packing or forgetting key components
Leave without forgetting anything important
Today’s Article: Ultimate Guide for Packing
Today’s article includes:
- Background (aka story time): Why I know I have superior trip packing skills (it’s funny!)
- My Top 5 Tips for Packing for a Trip
- 3 Tricks you probably don’t know to pack with ease
Other Articles you may Enjoy:
How I Know I am the Queen of Packing
Now, you may be wondering … why do I think I have the right to claim such high regard for my packing skills? Let me tell you a little story about when I was 24 (about two years into my corporate career). I wanted to go to St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago with my friend who was living there at the time. Right when I was trying to schedule my flight and figure everything out, my boss came to me and asked if I would be willing to go do a week in the Prague office. I’d fly out Saturday and return Thursday … the same Thursday I was due to start my partying in Chicago.
Wheels started turning, and, true to my forever craft of problem solving, I managed to figure out a way to not only do both Prague AND Chicago, but I also found a (legal!) way to get my company to pay for my Chicago flights. The only caveat to this little plan? There was zero time for layovers coming back. Everything was going to have to go essentially exactly to plan. So what did I do, dear reader?
My Vacay Packing Claim-to-Fame
Here is my claim to fame: your girl packed a week’s worth of office wear and clothing suitable for 65 F / 18 C days in Prague, costume attire (including a fabulous green wig) for the St. Patrick’s Day activities, and a puffy jacket / snow boots to survive in snowy Chicago … all into one very flimsy carry on bag.
The below photos were taken days apart … work hard, play hard, you know?
How did I do it? Some may say luck, others magic … but truthfully, it was all strategic. My brain loves a good puzzle, and that is exactly what that was. Ever since then, I have been the master of vacation packing. I 1000% stress people out with how I do things (before a wedding I went to this past October I started packing 2 hours before departure), but I just have that much faith in my process, and that is the exact process I am going to be sharing with yall today.
My Top 5 TIPS for Packing for Vacation
1 - Plan your outfits out in advance
I typically spend about an hour or so planning out my outfits for trips. This can be done in the notes app on your phone, with a simple pen and paper, or (how I personally do it) by physically pulling items out of your closet and placing them together to make sure everything looks how you think it does!
I typically plan my outfits out in this order:
Assess
Think about what am I doing that day (swimming, going to dinner, etc.) and know that that is the number of outfits I am going to need to plan for that day. This step is done once for every day of the trip. All the other steps (below four) are done for each outfit I plan to wear.
Decide the focus
I pick out the main piece I KNOW I want to wear for each of these outfits (my new fav maxi or colorful sarong) and make that item the focus. Everything else simply revolves around that item.
Use the focus as your guide
Pick out the other items you want to pair with said item. If it’s the sarong I mentioned above, I need to pick out the shoes, swimsuit, and sunglasses I want to wear with said sarong to complete the outfit. If you need help completing an outfit, I have an entire fashion section filled with outfit ideas!
Accessorize
now it is time to glam some things up! Still using the sarong example, this is when I would choose out a fun hat or some bracelets to add to the look making it complete.
Finalize
This is the step I think most people forget, and it is one of the most important!
What other things are needed to complete this look? For the sarong example, there may not be much. For an outfit, consider whether you need special undergarments (nude underwear, a strapless bra, etc) and go ahead and list those with the outfit so you don’t forget them.
Side note: I never bring my nicer lingerie on trips (unless it’s for something black tie) because I would hate to leave them behind! I typically buy highly rated nude items on Amazon (like these nude thongs) that are more affordable and won’t upset me if they get left.
2 - Find ways to combine or cut down on items that aren’t “the focus”
This section is here to help keep you from overpacking! Find ways to rewear items you don’t consider “the focus”. The EASIEST way to to this is by rewearing the following:
Pairing down on Extras to Cut Your Suitcase Haul Significantly
Shoes – pick one pair of flip flops for the pool (if they’re cheap maybe a backup pair) and one neutral pair for nicer dinners
Purses – pick something neutral that can be worn every day! I typically do a fanny pack or a crossbody. Here are a few I recommend:
Hats – repeat after me: you do not need to bring more than one oversized floppy hat. Swear. If you want to bring a baseball cap, wear it on the plane to optimize storage.
Accessories – my key trick here is to pack scarves that are easy to fold and can be reworn as accessories, to pull your hair back, or as a sarong. Keep jewelry to a minimum. Unless you have a specific thing you want to wear with a particular outfit, keep your jewelry to items that can fit in a single travel jewelry bag. Some of my favorite travel jewelry bags (on a budget) are linked below!
Be Realistic With Your Time
Are you really going to go to the gym while you’re on your trip? If not, do you really need to pack multiple pairs of sneakers? Same thing with swimsuits … if you’re going on a four day beach trip, you don’t need eight bikinis. Pack four and then maybe a one piece in case you get sunburnt.
Discuss bigger items with your group
If you’re not flying solo, chat with your group about what bigger items they are packing. Then, divide and conquer. One person can bring a hairdryer, while another can bring their steamer. Things like that!
3 - Try on clothing items that are new or you haven’t worn recently
Just because you were the same size last summer doesn’t mean that dress you bought then is going to still flatter you now. Bodies change!!!! This is healthy and NORMAL and *my goodness* needs to be talked about more. Nothing is worse than going on a trip and having the dress you were so excited to wear for group photos look absolutely atrocious (we’ve all been there). Talk about a way to make yourself feel bad while you’re supposed to be unwinding. Save yourself the upset and try on items you haven’t worn in a while.
4 - Make note of / take pictures of EVERYTHING you are packing, including your suitcase once it is fully packed
Even if you are a notes / phone list person, that makes sure to include details of everything, I highly recommend doing this. I can’t tell you how many times this has saved me from forgetting something left to dry on a balcony or in a random drawer. Just looking at the picture of my open suitcase that I took before I left my apartment saved me from leaving my entire makeup bag in the hotel bathroom on my last vacay.
5 - Keep your items consolidated and organized while on the trip
I am the most type B person when it comes to most things, which can get me in trouble. Listen to me, fellow neurodivergent and “go with the flow, clothes everywhere” types … the BEST change I ever made for myself on trips was taking the 15 minutes to unpack and put items in drawers, on hangers, etc. Not only did this keep me from having to steam things a million times from being wrinkled in my suitcase, but it also helped me when it came to packing at the end of the trip *this is key*.
My Top 3 TRICKS for Packing for Vacation
Now that we’re past the obvious, here are a few extra packing hacks I utilize to save space when packing that you may not have thought of.
1 - Pack your socks (and underwear) inside of your shoes
Think of how much extra space there is inside of those types of things! I typically will put socks into my sneakers and then tuck my nude undergarments, etc. into my heels.
2 - Fold Your Entire Outfit Into Your Shirt, Skirt, or Dress
I am going to give you a physical example of how to do this using a workout outfit.
- Step 1: place your workout top on the bed, unfolded and face down
- Step 2: place your folded leggings, sports bra, etc. in the middle of the back of the shirt
- Step 3: fold the shirt as you normally would to put it in a drawer
- Step 4: Fold it once more and tuck any loose ends so the shirt is now “burritoed” (nothing will come undone
- Step 5: place it upright in your suitcase. Line other items folded like this up in that same row of your suitcase for easy access, packing, and unpacking
3 - Roll anything that isn’t bundled
This especially helps with work trips where you may be wearing the same pieces over and over. Fold items as you would normally, but before folding them into that final half / thirds as you would to put the item into a drawer, roll the item. Rolled items wrinkle less and are easier to stack and condense. If I’m still worried about room, I’ll stick my rolled items into a gallon bag like this, zip the bag ¾ of the way, compress the bag to get the air out, and then finish zipping to make as much room as possible.
The Ultimate Tips and Tricks for Packing For Vacation
