We as a couple are truly passionate about travelling, and we often come across other couples who also love travelling. When we start discussing our trips, one thing that comes up is packing, and on many occasions, there are couples who complain how they packed all the extra stuff and now they are stuck carrying it around.
Packing can be confusing for many. They cannot decide what to pack and what to leave behind. Take it from experts, most of the items that you feel the need to take with you on the trip will just be extra stuff that you will be stuck with.
Make a list
Travelling light is the mantra to a successful trip. The best way to get about doing your packing is by making a list of things you feel you need to pack for your trip, and then take a good look at your list and scratch off all the non-essential items. This is how you first filter your list and draw up a final list. We are often so consumed by the bigger items that we forget to pack the little but essential stuff like toothbrush, your glasses, or your earphones, for instance. Hence, drawing up a list that has all the necessary items is the first step.
Choose a bag
Next, you decide on the type of bag. If your bag itself is heavy, it is going to add to the weight of your baggage and you cannot carry much stuff as airports have a baggage limit, or you end up paying extra. Hence it is important that the bag is lightweight yet durable.
Now to start with the packing. While packing you need to utilize every inch that is there in the bag, and to make the most of it, compression is the way to go. Vacuum compression bags are easily available nowadays and this will save you a lot of space. The added advantage is that these bags help prevent creases on your clothes.
Clothes
Opting clothes for travelling can be tricky, we suggest permutation and combination. Denim jeans are not supposed to be washed after every wear, hence they are perfect travel partners. With just two pairs of jeans, you can have several looks by opting for different lightweight tops and t-shirts. Ladies can pack one black dress for any special occasion and gents a blazer that will go well with jeans for a smart casual look. Neutrals, black, and white go with almost anything, so they are the best option for mix and match. This is the basic. The other clothing will depend on the place where you are travelling to. The weather of your destination, occasion, etc. it is a whole new topic which we will discuss another time.
To complete the ensemble you need footwear. We say limit it to max 3 pairs; a comfort pair, a casual pair, and a dress pair. The hollow space of shoes can be filled with smaller items like socks, undergarments, or any other little item. Place these items in a plastic cover, roll it, and pack it inside the shoes. The footwear should be packed with soles towards the side of the case and placing them around the case with the middle portion left for your vacuum packed clothing.
Keep in handy Ziploc bags as they are going to help you sort out all your miscellaneous items like travel documents, jewellery, toiletries, headphones, medication, gadget accessories like phone and camera charger, etc. By keeping them in separate Ziploc bags, it becomes easier to access things easily and quickly. Also, carry a roll of large garbage bags, you never know when they come handy. In fact, we always keep a ready to grab toiletries and emergency medication kit, so that we do not have to worry about it at the last minute. They will be constantly updated by removing the expired stuff. Also, a great idea is to grab samples of shampoos and conditioners and other creams whenever possible, which you can add to your toiletries kit and trust us, these babies are great for travelling as they will be sealed and no chance of an explosion on the go.
Gadgets
Adding too many gadgets to your luggage is not a good idea. Instead amp up the storage space of your smartphone to hold enough movies, music, and space for photos and pair it with a great set of headphones. Flight essentials like wallet, smartphone, headphone, etc. can be packed in a separate pouch which you can access easily inside the flight without disturbing other passengers.
These are the basic tips on how to pack for travel. There is so much more we can talk about packing in detail, and we will be doing it shortly by elaborating on each of the topics from the basic packing tips. Stay tuned for more!
Watch video How to Pack Clothes for Traveling
Martin Wynn
