The top 6 things to think about to make packing a breeze and get to enjoying your holiday quicker.
We’ve put together the Ultimate Guide to help you pack for your next holiday. The excitement of a holiday can often be dampened by the tortuous chore of packing; starting from trying to decide on necessities to simply trying fit everything in your luggage. Shake off the packing blues with this guide that will ensure you have an enjoyable bus-trip and arrive at your destination with everything you need.
1. Create a List and Don’t Take Everything you Own
It may seem like the simplest and most likely thing you will do but so many people forget to do it as they are rushing to pack hours before they leave. At the beginning of the fortnight before you leave, create a list and add to it every day. To get you started, we’ve created a guide to start your help you create your holiday packing list.
- Clothing
- How many days are we/I going away for?
- Will I wear an item more than once?
- Are there washing facilities?
- Will I purchase clothing whilst I’m away?
- Bathroom Essentials
- What are the essential items I need?
- Can I purchase disposable products on my trip?
- Can I purchase smaller sized items?
- Medication & Health
- What necessary medications will we/I need?
- What quantity will we need based on the number of days that we are away?
- Leisure
- Based on our itinerary, how many days will we need to have items for leisure time?
- Can we purchase items on our holiday? E.g. Books, Board games etc.
- Carryon Luggage
- Are their restrictions on carry-on luggage?
- What will I need to take for comfort and necessities during the travel?
- Electronics
- What technology will I/we need?
- What chargers do I/we need to bring?
Using this simple template will ensure that you have all bases covered and you won’t leave anything at home. Adding to the list each day will ensure you don’t become overwhelmed and you won’t forget any items as packing will always be in the back of your mind so you can fill in any gaps where something could be missed. Once you have created a list, use it as an incentive to not over pack and only pack the necessities. You’ve extensively planned out what you need over an extended time period so if it’s not on the list, you don’t need it – you are just becoming clouded by the panic that comes with packing before a holiday.
2. Packing Your Clothing
So you’ve made your list and you still require an extensive amount of clothing… Don’t stress as there are ways to fit more in your bag without taking less. To create more room in your luggage, roll your clothing, don’t fold them. Rolling your clothing will take up less surface space and ensure that you have more room than you need to pack all your extra necessities without having to worry about needing additional luggage. A great way to further increase the space in your bag is using Vacuum Packing Bags; this will remove all of the unnecessary space whilst ensuring your clothing doesn’t unroll.
Extra Tip: Roll your white and light coloured clothing underneath a dark item. In the case that something leaks, this will ensure that your light clothes are protected and unlikely to get stained.
3. Choose your Luggage Carefully
Depending on your holiday, choose luggage that is ideal for your time away. If you are going to be doing a lot of travelling, ensure that you take luggage that is made from lightweight durable material so your bag is as light as possible – there is nothing worse than having a heavy bag initially and adding another essential 10kg to it. Not only will it make it hard to lug around, but no one enjoys having additional costs when your luggage is overweight.
Alongside this, take luggage that is easy to manage. If you know that you will be in crowded places and need to transport it yourself, use luggage that is easily transportable. Look for luggage that has 4 wheels so it has universal features to wheel it and look for luggage that has an easy to grip and functional handle.
4. Use Cling Wrap to Avoid Leakage
There’s nothing worse than opening your bag to start your well-earned holiday and you realise something has leaked all over your clothing. Be proactive and wrap anything that has the ability to leak with layers of Cling Wrap. This will ensure that if there is a leakage, it can be stopped or at least managed to decrease the damage that it does.
5. Swap Heavy Items Using Technology
When you’re on your holidays, you don’t want to carry around items that weigh you down significantly. Assess all your items that you have added to your list and decide whether they could be swapped for something smaller or accessed by technology. A couple of examples are:
- Books – Swap heavy books that take up extensive amounts of room and weight for e-books that you can be read on your kindle or tablet.
- Maps – Do you really need to take a map or a paperback book? Technology on smartphones now gives us the ability to use high quality digital maps. If it’s accessible to you, use it!
Extra Tip: Google Maps has released an offline function where you have the ability to download areas and use the maps without needing to be connected to the internet.
6. What can you buy when you are on holidays?
This is an important question to ask yourself, what is really necessary to pack? This extends from bathroom items through to leisurely activities. Below is a list of suggestions to consider purchasing on holiday;
- Bathroom Items – Most companies produce travel sized, disposable bathroom items. Instead of taking large items from home, purchase disposable items that can be thrown away the end of your trip. This will also minimise the risk of leakages throughout your luggage.
- Leisure Activities – If you are planning on having a board game night, read a book or draw, why not purchase this whilst you are away? Have fun at your board game night with a game you’ve never played and take it home and add to your collection – This will also be a great memoir of your trip and every time you play, you will think of that wonderful holiday you went on.
- Clothing – Are you travelling somewhere with a different climate or have been looking to refresh your wardrobe? Use your holiday as an opportunity to do this. Take clothing that are necessary and purchase other wardrobe items whilst you’re away. Try to minimise large items of clothing and instead purchase these during your travels.
By following this simple guide, you can ensure that you won’t be overtaken by the stresses of packing and will have a peaceful start to your new holiday. The number one tip is; ensure that you only back necessities – pack light and only take things you know you will actually need.