PACKING TIPS: Things you think you need but don’t and things you never knew you would need…
We’ve all been there… packing is probably everyone’s least favorite part about traveling. Personally, I strongly dislike unpacking but that’s a story for another day. (It’s probably why I am 100% ok to live out of a suitcase lol)
I’ve always appreciated the challenge when it comes to squeezing a month’s worth of clothes into a carry-on bag or being able to plan outfits that can mix and match to make it seem like I have more than I actually packed.
This is Court writing by the way 🙂
No matter what you do when you pack though, we tend to find that we have left items at home that we could have used or worse, we look into the bag on day 27 of traveling and see that there are a pair of shoes that I haven’t worn once that are simply clunky and took up space in our luggage.
Now, again I want to preface that I am not some professional packer and what works for me/us will not always work for you BUT here we go… here is how we pack and how we eliminate items in the process. Also, stay tuned to the bottom where I divulge on the items that we have needed at most sometimes and not had on hand.
The Rolling Technique:
Roll your clothes and stuff your tank tops or bathing suits into your sneakers! You will be able to fit more and you will be able to take something out of the bag and wear it right away – no wrinkles! My dad recently did this when we went to my brother’s college graduation and he was so impressed that when he pulled his khaki’s out of his bag that they were not wrinkled and instead of ironing, he could enjoy a beer with me while we waited for my mom to finish getting ready!
Packing Cubes:
Honestly I thought these were a gimmick and just another way for people to spend money on something that is not needed BUT after our experience in security in an airport in a country I won’t mention, I highly recommend these. It’s a nice way to either organize your outfits based on days or types of clothes into one space. This way when you have to grab something out of your bag because TSA is asking to check it, your GoPro won’t fall out get stolen because it was placed neatly in one of your cubes. You can get the ones we NOW use here.
The “Do I Really Need This” Check:
This is my favorite. When I start to pack, I grab way too many items. I then place them on my bed and start creating outfits. I count how many days, what the weather will be, and what we plan to do. If we’re going to a beach, I basically need bathing suits, dresses and a few workout items. If were going to a snowy destination, I need layers but I need layers that can be repurposed.
So once I sort through that, I then look at the items in the way of “do I really need this/will I actually put this to use”? If the answer is no, and it probably is – it get’s placed on the floor and future Courtney can clean up that mess. If I think there is a slight possibility that I will need that item, I place it to the side and come back to it at the very end.
It’s important to remember that when you are traveling, you will repeat your outfits. You might not even have the chance to wear some of them because things happen. What is important is that you have the basics of what you need and maybe 1 additional outfit just incase.
Carry-on vs Checked Bags:
We love to carry-on our bags because we are in control of ensuring they get to our destinations. Sometimes we do need to check bags however so when packing we prioritize what goes where. Things we can afford to have not arrive right away or be lost forever vs things we need on us at all times.
Carry-on: At least a few outfits for both of us, our camera equipment and all other electronics, and of course books and papers needed for the plane ride/arriving in a new country. It is very important that we have some clothes for both of us in this bag. It wouldn’t be the best situation if we arrived to Mexico or Aruba and all we had were my bikinis and a few dresses… Gabe would be in the same outfit all week and I’m pretty sure no one wants to see him rocking one of my bathing suits! 😉
Checked Bags: Really, everything else we need but don’t need to have on our person the entire time. Oh and that bottle of wine (or 3) we brought home from California because we obviously can’t get that through security!
Finally — Items We Never Knew We Needed & Wished We Had Packed:
Oh this is a fun one. You never knew you needed this until your in a foreign country and there isn’t a convince store on every corner you can just run and grab items from. To make this one easier, I am going to list them out for you and keep adding to this article as we keep realizing more items we needed on our travels!
- First Aid Kit/Medicine (I never knew how badly I needed Pepto Bismol until I thought I was having a heart attack in Jamaica… just some very BAD heart burn)
- Extra Cash (hidden spending money for emergencies)
- Additional Cell Phone Charger/Portable Charger(s)
- Extra Undies because your mom would be proud you’re an adult!
- Crystal Light Pure Energy Packets for when there is no where to get some caffeine
- Rain Coat
- … and we will add more when we forget something we need! 🙂
I hope this article helps you and others out there on your travels! This was a recommended topic to us by one of our readers and we hope it is able to help more out there too!
Please feel free to comment below any advice you have on your travel adventures or other topics you would like us to cover!
Thanks and happy travels!
