Packing is so stressful. It doesn’t matter if I am packing for a 2-day road trip or a 2- week cross-country vacay, I have always struggled when it comes to packing efficiently. Here is how it usually goes: I typically procrastinate until the last second to get started “I leave tomorrow so I’ll pack tomorrow, its fine”, overpack “I know I’m going to the beach, but it might get cold and what if I need this coat?”, and half the time I forget to pack something important “Hello, front desk please… can I purchase a toothbrush?”. Yeah, you could say the struggle is SO real. Due to all of these terrible habits, I have decided to become a more efficient packer & overall traveler which is why I have interviewed those close to me to find out their best packing & traveling tips that they can offer… because a girl could use some help! Read below!

Suitcase Packing Tips

1. Make a list

I know that this is annoying but it will truly save you time in the long run. The key is to start the list a couple weeks in advance, preferably someplace easily accessible (think: notes section on your iPhone, sticky note next to your laptop, etc.). Not only will this help you decide if you need to purchase anything in advance for your trip, it will also keep you in check when you start to get off track and overpack. There are many online resources for pre-made packing checklists that I have found such as this one.

2. Take photos of outfits

I actually learned this tip from watching celebrities such as Lauren Conrad and Kim Kardashian(LOL who do I think I am, right?). No but seriously… If you are taking an extended trip, taking photos of outfits could save you a great deal of time. I can’t tell you how many times I have packed a certain shirt to go with a specific pair of pants and I’ll end up throwing the top together with a different pair of pants which throws off the rest of my outfits for the week! Take photos and leave them on your phone in your camera roll and access them whenever you are getting ready!

3. Research your airlines bag policy

Avoid any surprises at the airport by doing a little research on baggage fees before arrival. For instance, with Southwest Airlines you can check one bag for free as long as it is under the 50lb weight limit.

4. Bring a dirty clothes bag

This can be as simple as a plastic grocery bag or as trendy as this cute bag for small items such as undergarments. Keeping dirty/ clean clothes separate when you are living out of a suitcase is not easy so using baggies can be a game changer.

5. Roll your clothes

You’re probably thinking “what are you talking about?” but trust me, if you struggle with fitting clothing into a small suitcase, this will change your life. Rolling clothes into cylindrical rolls rather than folding them flat will save a great amount of space. This is my dad’s #1 packing tip and I am telling you this man is a pro with all of the traveling he has done in his lifetime. Here’s what rolling your clothing looks like: 

6. Keep liquids in zipped up bags

This is a given. Keep all liquids sealed up because the last thing you want is for your perfume bottle to break during travel and spill onto all of your clothes for the week! This happened to me with lotion once and it wasn’t pretty. Luckily it only hit the clothing items closest to the bottle, but still, not ideal.

7. Wear your heavier items on the plane

My favorite thing to do, not only for packing purposes but also for ease of sprinting through airports is to wear tennis shoes to the airport. Typically I will bring them for the trip anyways, but they are heavy and bulky, so the easiest way to handle this is to wear them straight to the airport. You can also do this with a bulkier jacket. Wear the jacket on the plane (because they’re usually freezing anyways!) and tie it around your waist if you get too warm.

8. Re-think your toiletries!

Do you really need to bring your hairdryer if 99% of hotels supply them for you? Do research before you go obviously, but if the hotel offers them don’t bring your own from home. This will insure it doesn’t get damaged as well as lighten up your baggage quite a bit. Another thing to think about is travel-sized products. Don’t bring full-sized moisturizer, lotion, etc. because you can purchase tiny travel sized ones (like these from amazon!) that will free up mega amounts of space!

9. Medications

Don’t ever leave for a trip without several medications for emergencies! You never know when you’ll need some Advil, Tums, etc. Don’t bring the full sized containers however, opt for tiny pill boxes or ziplock baggies. Just make sure you label so that you know exactly what you are taking! Here is a good organizer.

10. Leave space!

It is likely you will do some sightseeing on your vacay and you will probably want to take some souvenirs or new clothing items home. It is important to leave some space in your suitcase for additional items to be thrown in before your trip back home!

Travel Tips

1. Get to the airport early

I know I probably sound like your dad, and I know this is the worst but its so crucial. My dad’s rule of thumb is to get there 2 hours before your flight takes off. This insures that you can make it through check-in, security, and to your gate on time. Plus not having to sprint through the airport is another plus…

2. Find a charging station ASAP

Even if your phone isn’t on the verge of dying, odds are you will probably be on it quite a bit while you wait for your plane to board + on the flight itself. You will likely need your phone once you land to call an Uber or get directions to your hotel so its so important to keep it charged. I like to sit near a wall socket while I wait + some flights have chargers built into the arm rests so keep your eyes open!

3. Bring something to do on the plane

Flights are usually long and boring so having something to do to keep you entertained is handy. This can be getting some work done, reading a book, taking a nap, or jamming to some tunes. If you opt to listen to music, create a playlist before you go. This will prevent you from unlocking your phone every 5 seconds to switch songs around and killing your phone battery.

4. Passport cases

If you are traveling with many people and are using passports, use passport cases to easily differentiate passports to save time. These are my favs:

5. Skimp on airport purchases

Airports know that you are essentially trapped there and they know you are likely to buy gifts, food, drinks, etc. Grab some breakfast before you enter the airport, pick up a book in advance, and save the souvenir shopping for once you get to your destination. This will help you save some $$.

6. Avoid lines by using self check-in

If you don’t have a bag to check, use the check-in kiosks to print out your boarding passes and streamlining you to go through security. It will save a lot of time and you won’t get stuck behind a million people that don’t know what their doing.

There are many more tips and tricks but these are the top ones that I have heard/ learned so far! What are you packing & travel tips? Leave a comment below! xox