5 STEPS TO PACKING

Sigh. Anything to do with putting clothes in or taking them out of a bag while travelling sucks. Or at least it used to. Here is the steps I follow when packing for a trip.

STEP 1:
THE NECESSITIES
Remember, your passport is your gold. If you don’t have your passport and wallet it really doesn’t matter what else you pack because without these you won’t be going very far. Next up on my most important list is my camera and my phone/tablet/laptop depending on where I’m going. Ask yourself though- Is it really necessary to bring along your ipad, ipad mini, laptop, ipod, phone, tablet and kindle? Be practical- You can live on just one or two devices for the duration of your trip. You should be spending more time out exploring than blogging or instagramming about it anyway. (That part can come later!) It’s a nice idea to pack something to keep you occupied when sitting in transit. Bring along a book you’re reading, an ipad or tablet or small game console- Whatever tickles your fancy.

STEP 2: SELECT A BAG
Are you backpacking around Asia? Are you taking a two week holiday in the South of France? Or are you going on a ski trip in the states? This information is vital when picking a bag. Be sure to check your airline baggage allowance if you’re flying- excess baggage brings heavy fees. For obvious reasons a backpack is more practical especially on trips where you’re lugging around your things for extended periods of time.


STEP 3: DAYS TO OUTFITS RATIO
How long are you going for? Believe it or not the longer the trip the less you’ll need. See if you’re on a trip of decent length you’ll be needing to wash and likely be moving around a lot – therefor wearing the same outfit a bunch of times will not matter (well.. not that much) For shorter trips, if I’m limited with space I try to pack a third worth of outfits from the number of days I’m away for. Say you’re going on a ten day trip.. get out three full outfits. Mixing and matching

each item will create a number of different outfits and be far more practical pushing into a backpack than ten full looks. Unfortunately backpacking and looking fashionable every day is a hard feat to muster. Be practical when choosing items, pick things that are plain and easily mixed and matched. On a side note, you can never have too many nickers or socks. When you’re doing a lot of walking around it’s nice to have fresh socks.

Step 4: TOILETRIES & EXTRAS
This one’s a given and pretty obvious. Try to be practical though. Do you REALLY need an eye shadow in every colour or five lipstick options? Pack the basics first and add in later whatever extras you have room for. If you’re staying in hostels- pack soap. (And if you’re a clean freak like me a pair of flip-flops for the shower) Keep in mind not all hostels offer towels. (You can purchase great quick dry travel towels that fold down next to nothing in your bag)The first things to throw in are toothbrush, toothpaste, deo, comb, travel-pack hair care, moisturizer, basic makeup, razor & nail clippers. (You'd be surprised just how often a set of clippers comes in handy!) Think about where you’re going, will you need a hat, sunglasses, beanie, scarf or beachwear? Pack in the seasonal items you’ll use.

Step 5: CULL
If you’re anything like me, once you feel like you’ve successfully culled down and packed just enough of what you’ll need, take out half. Far too many times I end up re-wearing or buying new items instead of wearing the clothes I couldn’t bear to leave behind. You’re travelling, exploring new places- you don’t need to relocate your entire wardrobe.

For a more in depth look at packing for extended travel, Look out for my upcoming post; Packing for the long haul