Not your average "Pack Like a Pro" post.

January 31, 2019Theo Pace

I have never been the best packer, I always pack a little too much. I often come home with some items that I didn’t wear. But, really, what’s so bad about that? If I can still fit it all in a carry on for short trips and keep it under the weight limit for longer ones why do I obsess over “packing light?”

But 3 trips in 3 months... a family vacation to Utah, a drive up North to visit family and friends, and a fun “work” getaway to Europe with my husband…forced me to look at how and what I was packing. And it led to a big realization….I love my clothes and I want to wear them. I want to “dress” (when I am away) the way I would “dress” when I am at home. I am not interested in having the same 2 pairs of pants take me through a week. I LIKE OPTIONS! It was such a relief when I finally came to terms with this!

How did I finally arrive here? I took the time to really think about my travels.

Not the answer you were looking for? I know. I didn’t think I’d be writing a post like this either.

It would be easy for me to offer up a capsule of 3 bottoms and 3 tops and tell you that you had to wear each item 3 times. Then I could show you how to mix and match them. But, the chances of you having those 3 types of items in your wardrobe wouldn’t be that great and, you might not even like that particular look! I could also give you lots of ideas for different kinds of vacations and different lengths of stays. And, at some point I will probably offer up these types of posts. However, if you struggle with packing and always find yourself procrastinating until the night before a trip I do have some ideas to help make this process less daunting.

I was always finding packing so stressful. I was determined to find a method to take the stress out of it. Vacations are supposed to be about relaxing and having fun, right? Why not start de-stressing before you leave?

My Hard-earned tips for better packing:

1 Don’t procrastinate!!! Start thinking about your trip as soon as you know it’s going to happen! Taking the time to think about things in advance really helps!

2 Pack yourself first. I would always pack myself last….this is something I don’t do any more. I find it much easier to pack for my kids and if I pack them first I am almost always pushing my own packing to the night before. BIG MISTAKE! I now think of it like the oxygen on the plane. Pack yourself first!

3 Create a list of staples to bring. I keep a list of cosmetics and a list of staple clothing items that I take on every trip. I always keep one in google docs-that way I can refer back to it without having to write it all over again for the next trip. Everything should be on this list from toothbrush to underwear. I offer a copy of this list at the end of this post! Packing for more people than yourself? Start lists for them too.

Now create a list of things specific to this trip!

1 Keep an eye on what the weather is going to be like at your destination. Will it be a rainy/cool season? Will you need a jacket? Keep a running list of these items that you need to bring.

2 Jot down your itinerary. Will you have a “formal” event? Do you need something dressy? Will you be hiking? Will you need hiking shoes or will sneakers suffice? If you aren’t committed to activities or tours what types of things do you see yourself doing? Do you have outfits in mind that you’d be comfortable doing them in? Add these items to the “need” list.

Now create a list of things “you’d like to have with you”

3 Are there items in your wardrobe now that you’d really like to take with you? These types of items tend to be my “go to” pieces at home. They are the pieces I am most comfortable in and I can easily coordinate with lots of other items. For instance, I have a favorite pair of jeans, a layering tank, a basic tee and some sort of sweater/topper that I always build outfits around. These items inevitably wind up being my plane outfit. Add these items to the “would like to have with me” list.

4 Speaking of plane outfits...plan that too.

5 Decide on the luggage. If the trip is for a week or less and you can do laundry, a carry-on should do it! A couple of weeks away and I will check my bag. Even if I can do laundry-I don’t want to, and really don’t want to rely on having to!

6 A couple of weeks before you head out... Set aside some space, maybe in a spare bedroom, and pack the cosmetics. Lay out all the “staple,” “need,” and “would like to have with me” items. I like to use a small clothing rack, it helps me to see everything hung with coordinating shoes and accessories.

7 Now here’s the really important part! Pull out the matching shoes and accessories. Start coordinating ways to mix and match items with other pieces in your closet. One great rule of thumb is 3 tops to a bottom! You won’t necessarily take everything you lay out. You will find, as you go along, that you can take out pieces because some items will go with more than one outfit. Take the time to do this in advance and I promise you, you will not overpack.

When all the outfits are ready and you can actually start putting them in the suitcase you can decide if the couple of extra items that you’d really like to take will fit in, or, you can just leave a little room in that suitcase for some “vacation finds.” ;)

Want help with your carry-on packing? Check out my list of “Carry-on Musts”, available below. In it, you’ll find my list of the things I pack to bring on every flight…things you won’t want to forget or leave at home!

I have included some of my more detailed carry-on packing ideas. You’ll find clothing I like to travel in, packing accessories that maximize organization, and ideas that will get you through security with more ease!