The Secret to Simple Travel Packing

The best way to pack a suitcase for maximized luggage space

I love to travel. If I had all the money in the world, I would spend my days exploring the beauty around the world. The thought of packing to travel as a family of 6 is another story. How much do you pack? How do you squish it into an amount you can successfully wheel through the airport and fit into the car’s trunk?

So, today, I am sharing my best secrets for simple travel packing so you can get the task of packing taken care of and enjoy your trip!

In the excitement of the anticipated trip, we want to start packing weeks in advance. Not only will all that visual clutter drive you bananas after a while, but you might also still be using a lot of what you will need to pack. You are much more likely to forget something if you pack too soon.

It’s great to think about what things you need to buy ahead and take care of that but I have found it’s a good idea to pack 48 hours before you leave. It gives you time to do last-minute laundry and time to run and grab anything you need at the store.

The Secret to Simple Travel Packing

Don’t Pack Too Soon

It’s great to think about what things you need to buy ahead and take care of that, but I have found it’s a good idea to pack 48 hours before you leave. It gives you time to do last-minute laundry and time to run and grab anything you need at the store.

Check the Weather

Another reason I like to wait to pack is because the longer you wait, the more accurate the weather forecast will be. It’s important to pack based on an accurate weather forecast.

Think Through Your Vacation Activities

What are you doing on vacation? Do you need a nice outfit? Think through what you are doing and make your list accordingly.

Don’t just think of clothing and accessories but items that are specific to where you are going. If you are going to the beach, make sure to pack a collapsible beach bag, sunglasses, a bathing suit, sunscreen, a hat, and goggles for the kids.

Pack Clothing Items as a Capsule Wardrobe

I like to pack a capsule wardrobe, meaning clothing items can be mixed and matched. A sweater can be layered over many different outfits, and pairs of shoes can be paired with multiple clothing items. A pair of jeans can be dressed up or down based on the activity. Try to pack with a color scheme in mine, and then all of your shoes and accessories will easily pair with the items.

We can tend to overpack, but before you start to pack, ask yourself if you have access to laundry! If the answer is yes, you can bring way less. If I have access to a washing machine and I am gone for a week, I usually bring 4 to 5 outfits based on our activities.

If you don’t have access to laundry, bring an outfit for every day and layering pieces, accessories, and shoes that coordinate with those outfits. For example, bring a denim jacket that is a good neutral and pairs with everything and a metallic sandal that can go with anything.

The more you can mix and match, the less you will have to bring. Shoes and layering pieces don’t get “dirty” and can be worn multiple times.

Avoid the Urge to Buy All New

I don’t know about you, but my closet and my kid’s closets have never looked so shabby until I prepare for vacation. Avoid the urge to buy all new clothes. Save your money and spend it on experiences while on vacation. It’s ok if you need a new swimsuit or pair of sandals but avoid the urge to buy a new complete wardrobe. I remind myself I will never see most of those people again, so it doesn’t matter!

road-trip-packing-list-and-road-trip-games-for-kids-and-adults

Make a Packing List

Once you have checked the weather and determined your itinerary, it’s time to make a packing list of everything you need to take on your trip. This will simplify your packing process. We are far less likely to forget when we write items down on a list. Think about what kind of events you will be attending. Do you need a day and night outfit? How many pairs of pants do you need? As you are packing, make a list of things you need at the store or you still need to add in so you don’t forget that. Then, cross things off as you pack!

Layout Your Clothing

One time I forgot underwear, it’s a sad but true story. Since that whoops moment, I lay out all my clothing daily on my bed. I include undergarments, pajamas, shoes, coats, special activity items like a sun hat, sunglasses, a winter hat, gloves or an evening clutch, and jewelry. When you see it all laid out, you can check it off your packing list, and it’s the best way not to forget something important like underwear or socks. We have forgotten socks, too.

Determine the Best Suitcase for Your Trip

What kind of traveler are you? Do you want to be hands-free at the airport? Do you want to minimize the amount of time you are waiting at the airport? How much do you need to take with you? Based on those questions, you will know the right suitcase needed for your next trip.

For domestic flights, weekend trips, or business trips, I usually tend to carry a suitcase. I can avoid the checking process at the journey’s onset, don’t have to linger at the baggage carousel when I want to get on with vacation and have no lost luggage. When I travel with my family, we do tend to use a couple of larger suitcases and check our luggage.

Ensure you do not place important items like travel documents and fragile items in a checked bag. It’s also a good rule of thumb to pack a change of clothes and an extra layer of clothing in your personal item you carry on.

A general rule of thumb for most airline carriers is that suitcases must weigh less than 50 pounds. For discount airline carriers, it’s often 40 pounds, so be sure to grab a luggage scale and check beforehand so you aren’t doing the suitcase shuffle of shame at the airport (I have been there and had to carry heavier items in my personal item, not ideal).

When shopping for luggage, remember two keys. Make sure it is lightweight and not too big. Too large bags will exceed the weight limit before you fill them. Airline carriers are hard on luggage, so you don’t need to spend much money on a bag. We get our bags at TJ Maxx.

Use Packing Cubes

To be honest, I didn’t see the importance of using the packing cube packing method until I went to China and needed to find the most efficient way to pack for 18 days for a family of 6. Packing cubes maximized our luggage space, plus it’s an easy way to pack with no clothing wrinkles.

Place clothes in a packing cube and then zip them closed. We have a couple of different colors, so sometimes I will pack each person in a different color, or you can also pack by day. This works especially well for road trips where you can pack one suitcase for a few days and then store it in the car.

If you travel to different places on different days, you might organize your packing cube by day instead of person. Then, assign a suitcase on specific days so you only have to open up the one you need. When I get to the hotel, I pull out the cubes and place each person’s cube into their own assigned drawer, avoiding a suitcase explosion. Then, we use the suitcase as a laundry bag to collect dirty laundry in the hotel room.

If you don’t have packing cubes, you can also use vacuum bags or ziplock plastic bags for the same effect to test out this packing method.

Pro Tip: On the way home, I use the packing cubes as a laundry bag and stuff all the dirty clothes in selected packing cubes while keeping clean clothes in other packing cubes. Once you get home, you can easily put your dirty items in the washing machine. I like to unpack right away, how about you?

Time to Pack Your Toiletry Bag

I like to pack my toiletry bag while I prepare the day before. As I use an item, I just lay it on my counter. I am less likely to forget something using this method. I like to use smaller bags in my toiletry bag to divide things like makeup, liquids, toothbrushes, contacts, and hair accessories. Don’t forget to grab anything you might use at night as well.

Rather than taking full-size bottles of your favorite products either by travel size products by the company or invest in small clear 3.4 oz bottles. 3.4 oz is the amount you can carry on, so you can easily switch it out if you change your mind and want to take something on board. For easy access to airport security, I pack my liquid toiletries on top of my carry-on luggage with the zipper of the luggage on top.

Often, hotels also have travel toiletries, things like shampoo, and a shower cap. We like to keep these travel toiletries in our linen closet to reuse them on future trips or set them out for when guests come to enjoy them at our home.

Packing Your Bag

Once you have your toiletries and packing cubes packed, it’s time to place them all in the suitcase. I usually start with the bulky items and add the packing cubes first. Then, around the bag’s perimeter, I add shoes and smaller items not contained in the packing cubes. The last thing I pack is a clear bag of liquids, and I try to make sure you can easily access that if you are carrying your suitcase.

Don’t forget to pack for when you arrive. If you get to your hotel before check-in time, they usually hold your bags for you. You can often enjoy the hotel’s amenities, like the pool, so pack items you might need when you arrive on top so you can quickly grab them.

If you do not use packing cubes, the best way to pack clothing is the rolling method. Rolling clothes up like a tortilla maximizes the storage space, and for some reason, rolling clothes take up less space while reducing wrinkling. I prefer packing cubes, though, just sayin’.

packing list and checked bag packing ideas

Packing Your Carry-on Personal Item

Check out this post for essential must-have items for your carry-on. I like to keep things like travel documents, electronic devices, and an extra layer of clothing in my carry-on. Plus, any medicines, and an empty water bottle (you can fill it once thru security).

I like to take a bag that’s easy to carry or easily sits on top of my rolling suitcase that also doubles as a bag I can use on the trip, like a beach or pool bag, to save extra space in my suitcase for other things.

Just Remember…

So there you have it, my best packing tips. When I pack, I always aim to bring what I need to enjoy my trip without many unnecessary items. The best thing to remember is this is your trip and your vacation. What might work for others might not work for you. Pack what you want so that you can enjoy your trip or vacation fully.

Ask your family and friends for product recommendations of travel accessories they love and remember what type of traveler you are will determine how and what you pack. With these packing tips on the day of travel, you should be ready to enjoy your trip!