Packing Tips  

I am going to change direction just a little for this story.  I have had someone ask me for packing tips, so I thought I would share some of my packing experiences and tips.  I have been researching and practicing minimalist packing for the last couple of years.  I still don’t have it completely mastered, but I am getting better with each trip I take.  These are some things I have learned so far.

Tip #1: 

Decide what kind of suitcase you want to take.

These tips are about minimalist packing.  If you want to check a big bag, you can probably take whatever you want.  If that is the way you travel, then you probably don’t need these tips. Or if you’re going on a trip that you will need extra gear, like a camping/hiking trip, you will have to check a bag. But if you want to avoid checking a bag, and you want to travel light, then you may get some ideas from my mistakes and what I have found helpful.  My goal in packing light is to take only a backpack that is light enough, that even if I can’t check into my lodging right away, I can carry it comfortably while I am exploring. I have not accomplished this yet, but I get closer every time I travel. 

I have traveled with a small, rolling, carry on suitcase.

The advantage to this is you have a little more room. There are disadvantages, though.  If you buy the cheap seats on the plane, which I do most of the time, then you are often the last to board.  This means no room left in the overhead bins and they make you check your bag.  If you have a connecting flight, they will check it through to your final destination, meaning you still run the risk of your luggage not making it there when you do.  Then there is the time it takes you to go to baggage claim to get it, which cuts into your vacation time. But I do sometimes take a rolling bag if I know I’m going to be able to check into my lodging right away, or if arrangements have been made for pick up at the airport and someone else will be worrying about my luggage.

Another advantage of a rolling suitcase is that you can carry a small backpack as well. 

It’s hard to carry both a big pack with all of your things, and a smaller backpack.  I find this particularly useful if I need to work during the trip. Working on a vacation is not advised, but if I’m traveling for a conference or if I have a long plane trip and want to use the time to get work done, I will bring my computer and some files, so bringing a smaller backpack to keep with me on the plane is useful. I can also use the backpack to carry other things that I want to be easily accessible on the plane-a book, snacks, ear buds, etc.

I have traveled with a travel pack.  Mine is from Cotopaxi.  I really like it. 

I still had to check mine one time when the flight attendants would not make the passengers get their coats and small backpacks out of the overhead bins so that there was more room for larger luggage.  My daughter was carrying the same bag.  She refused to check her bag, stuffing it under the seat in front of her as far as it would go, and then propping her feet on it. Her body posture and the look on her face deterred the flight attendants from repeating their directive to check her bag.  I wish I would have done that, because my backpack ended up being burned and torn up in the cargo hold. 

The first time I used the travel pack was not very successful, however.  I managed to get everything in it, but I packed it too full.  It was so heavy, if I stood up straight, I ran the risk of falling backward.  I had to walk stooped over the entire trip. I looked like a turtle. I have taken it on more trips after this one, and I have managed to pack it lighter so that it is more manageable. 

Packing cubes are sometimes helpful. They work really well, but I only use them in my rolling suitcase. I tend to use them if I’m going some place where I need more clothes, such as a conference. I don’t use them with my travel bag because they make it too heavy. They can be used to pack down clothes so you can fit more in your suitcase. They are also good to organize things in your suitcase.

Tip #2:

Pack clothes that you can wear more than once.  I have really struggled with this, so I understand how this can be a stretch for a lot of people. Let me explain. I have worked with children during my entire career.  Now, children are great, but they do weird, and sometimes gross, stuff.  For example, they will pick their nose. And if you’re not fast enough, whatever treasure they find will become a part of your outfit.  Then there are the biters, spitters, pukers, and occasional lickers.  I am not wearing those clothes a second time without washing them. 

If you typically throw all your clothes in the laundry at the end of the day, wearing your clothes a second time without washing them could be difficult for you.  But on vacation, hopefully no one should be spitting on you, wiping boogers on you, or licking you.  If these things have happened on your vacations, you may want to get some help planning your next trip. Here are some ideas for making it more possible to pack fewer clothes.

Think about pants that you can wear to explore or hike, that will also look appropriate to wear to a nicer restaurant if paired with a dressier shirt. 

Consider clothes made of merino wool.  You can wear this fabric multiple times without washing and it does not smell bad.  I know wool sounds like a winter thing, but you can wear merino wool in the summer.  It is lightweight, moisture wicking, odor resistant, and quick drying.  It has natural UV protection, and it can adapt to your body temperature, keeping you cool when it is warm and warm when it is cold. 

Pack one dressy shirt/dress to wear anytime you need to dress up a little.  No one will know that you have worn that shirt to multiple events.  And if anyone notices, who cares? 

Limit the number of pairs of shoes you pack.  For most types of vacations, you can take one pair of comfortable shoes for when you’re exploring, and one pair of dressier shoes, if needed. Wear your biggest pair of shoes on the plane. You may not be the most fashionable person on the plane, but it’s easier to wear them than it is to carry them.  Of course, depending on the type of vacation, you may need specific shoes, so you may need more than just the two pair. But still try to wear the biggest shoes on the plane. For example, my daughters and I wore our hiking boots on the plane when we were going on a big hiking trip.  Not the best look, but they would have taken up a lot of room in our carry on suitcases.

I will also try to wear some of my bulkiest clothes on the plane.  For example, if I’m taking a pair of jeans, I will usually wear the jeans on the plane to save room in my suitcase.

I tend to wear a lot of leggings and/or athletic pants on trips.  They pack really small, and they can be worn with a variety of styles of shirts, sweaters or dresses.

If you are traveling someplace warm, pack one sweater/jacket/sweatshirt that you can use anytime you get cold. Actually, this item rarely makes it in my suitcase/backpack.  I freeze in the airports, on planes, or pretty much anywhere, so I am usually wearing this item of clothing.

Packing for a cold weather trip is a little trickier, but try to pack as few bulky items as possible.  Pack some lighter shirts that you can wear under a bulkier sweater, so you can wear the sweater multiple times.

I learned a lot from reading the book Wander Woman by Beth Santos. I like many of her recommendations. One recommendation she gives is taking a maxi dress. I will probably not take this recommendation. A maxi dress is not a friend of a four foot, ten and a half inch woman. It’s more of a tripping hazard. However, if you are an average sized woman, I think this is a good recommendation. The dress is comfortable and appropriate to wear for most places and events. This is her book if you want to check it out. There is a lot of useful information in this book.

The laundromat is your friend.  If I am not staying in a place with a washer and dryer, I always find the closest laundromat.  Even if you are staying in a hotel with laundry service, they charge by the piece and it is usually very expensive, so you still may want to find a laundromat. If you use a laundromat, you can pack half of the clothes you need, wash them halfway through your trip, and wear them again the second half of your trip. Besides, finding and using a laundromat can be an adventure in itself.

An alternative to the laundromat is a bar of laundry soap, so you can wash out clothes in your hotel room.  I almost always bring one with me (actually, I bring half of one because the one I ordered was really big).  One bar, or half bar, of laundry soap will last several trips.

Tip #3:

Consider minimizing the health and beauty products you bring.

Can you use the shampoo/conditioner at the hotel? 

Will the hotel have body moisturizer and soap you can use?

If you’re staying in a hostel rather than a hotel, you may have to pack more of your own things.  However, I would check out the hostel’s website to see what they offer.  Sometimes they have a body soap dispenser/shampoo and conditioner dispensers available in the shower.  You can often rent a towel from the hostel, which is well worth the couple of dollars you spend rather than having to pack your own and then trying to figure out what to do with the wet towel when you pack up to move or go home. 

Can you reduce the number of facial care products you use, just while you’re on vacation? For example, if you use a different moisturizer for day and night, is there one that would work for both for a week or so?

Do your products come in a sample size that you can use rather than packing the larger size?

If you have to bring your own shampoo or other products, buy some small travel bottles and fill those.  That should be enough for your trip, and you will be able to put them in a carry on and get through security.

If you are flying within the US, consider putting your medications in a daily pill container rather than carrying the individual prescription bottles. TSA does not require the prescription bottles. However, if you are traveling internationally, it is generally recommended to have the medication in the original prescription bottles.

Tip #4:

Bring as little jewelry as possible.  I have brought necklaces, multiple pairs of earrings, and bracelets, and they never make it out of my suitcase.  Now I only bring the jewelry I’m wearing on my body when I board the plane.

Tip #5:

Be sure to leave some room in your suitcase for souvenirs.  There’s nothing worse than buying some great souvenirs and then having difficulty figuring out how you’re going to get them home. 

Choose your souvenirs carefully.  When you go to a place you’ve never been before, I know it is tempting to buy a lot of souvenirs.  But I have learned to really cut down on the number of souvenirs I buy.  I try to buy things that are very meaningful to that area-what that area is known for.  For example, I bought lace in Bruges, Belgium,

and a small tile in Lisbon, Portugal.

Both of these were small and fit easily in my suitcase. A lot of times, if nothing else really impresses me, I will buy a sticker or a magnet that represents the area I’m in. 

If you know there is one type of souvenir you always buy, be sure to plan for that in your packing.  For example, I know I almost always buy a sweatshirt or a t-shirt on a trip, so I leave room in my bag and plan to add the new shirt to my wardrobe for the trip.  Here are a few of the shirts I have collected. 

I wear these all the time.  My husband calls me a walking atlas. 

My family makes fun of me because I tend to pack a lot of books when I travel.  I should really start using a Kindle, but I have always had a very strong attachment to actual books. But if you like to read your books on a Kindle, it saves a ton of room. If you have something that you feel is very important to bring, just make sure you plan for that and cut back in other areas so that you have room.  I love to visit a bookstore wherever we go, so I will bring fewer books from home and I will read my new books during the trip.  But I have to remember to save room in my bag to bring those new books home.  I also like to pack my sketch pad and pencils, so I have to leave room for those as well. As you can see, packing is very much different for each person, so you have to decide what is important for you to bring and then make room for it.

Tip #6:

Keeping your things safe. 

I pack a very small travel purse in my suitcase.  I’ve had this little purse for years.  It has a long strap, so I can wear it across my body, carry it in front, and keep my hand on it when I am out exploring.  It would be very difficult for someone to take this from me or for a pickpocket to get into it. 

You may want to find a small purse that is more fashionable than this one. I’ve had it for over 30 years. I guess I may want to find a small purse that is more fashionable too. A positive to carrying this purse is that no one is going to try to steal it because they want the purse itself.

Having a small purse forces me to carry only a few things with me while out exploring.  If the worst happens and my purse is stolen, I have additional money in the safe at the hotel. 

When the purse is packed in my suitcase, I keep my wallet, passport, driver’s license, etc. in my carry on backpack.  

I have also carried a little bigger travel bag while exploring. It has room for my wallet and a few other things.  It also has a strap that goes across my body and rests in front.  Having a strap that goes across my body and being able to carry your bag on the front of your body is very important when you are in an unfamiliar area.  

Make a copy of your passport and/or license before you leave home.  Put the copy in a different bag than where you are keeping your passport and/or license.  You can also take a picture of your passport and/or license to have on your phone. I do both. I like having that paper copy somewhere other than with me.

If you are bringing cash, consider separating the cash and packing it in different bags.  However, if I am checking a bag, I’m not going to put cash in my checked bag, in case it gets lost or opened by security. Once you get to the hotel, you can put some of your cash in the safe. Same thing goes for credit cards.  If you are going to take more than one, you should consider keeping one in the hotel safe in case your primary one gets stolen. 

I know this blog was not that exciting, but I hope these tips help someone with their packing. I am envious of those who can travel with just a little backpack, and I’m going to continue working on it myself. I may have more tips to share as I learn.

Happy traveling!