Monday, June 27, 2011

Summer 2011 Travel: How To Pack For Over Packers

HOW TO PACK (From the personal experiences of an over packer):

  1. Make a list of everything you are bringing. I promise you this helps. I had my list made by April because making a list last minute leaves room for mistakes. If you make the list before you go away and re-visit the list as you realize what you truly need then your list will have no holes.
  2. Pack only what you need. This is where most people go wrong (including myself, trust me I know how it feels to need to pack your whole life and everything you own into one suitcase for a week, but I've gotten better at it). Start with necessities: undergarments, toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, deodorant, ect (things you cannot live without, that are purely necessities). Then continue by packing clothes.
  3. Consider climate and what you will be doing on your vacation. Will you be hiking in the Alps, or lounging by the pool? Do you really need to bring your uggs with you to California? or can you afford to leave them at home?
  4. Consider the length of your stay. Are you staying for a weekend, or are you staying for a week, or are you staying for a month? 
  5. Consider what you need most/your clothing habits. Is their a clothing item that you use everyday (for me its baggy t-shirts and soffe shorts which I wear as pajamas, I have a weird habit of wearing a new shirt and new soffe shorts everyday, which means I need to pack more of that than other items)
  6. ROLL YOUR CLOTHES, don't fold. Rolling saves a lot of room in your suitcase.
  7. Dont forget the weight policies when you are traveling by plane. For many/most flight companies an overweight suitcase is extra money, I've had to pay 50$ for a suitcase overweight even by 2 pounds.
  8. Try and find a suitcase that isn't very heavy. It is true that the sturdier more reliable suitcases are heavier but there are many suitcases that are lighter which wont compromise the reliability factor. This in the end will help meeting the weight requirements if you are traveling on an airplane.  
  9. Remember that no matter how much you pack you will most likely be missing something. BREATHE. Airports sell almost everything and even on some flights they sell items. If not you can always buy your item at a store in the country, unless you are traveling somewhere remote, or under-developed.




No comments:

Post a Comment