Call us crazy, but we love packing. There's something about preparing to go on a trip, paring down and living out of a suitcase that makes us feel footloose and fancy-free. But we've got a high bar for our packing. We've got to be able to carry it on and it has to be able to meet any of the situations we might say yes to while we're traveling -- from a trip to the beach to a black tie dinner. Our packing tips after the jump...
Escapes: Packing for a Trip
- Start by sketching out a quick itinerary of what you'll be doing: Are there are any specific clothing needs (A dress for a black tie dinner? A bathing suit for the hotel pool?). We always include what we'll wear on the plane, in the car or on the train. We fill in what we can.
- Determine a color scheme and start to fill in the blank days: what goes with what we're wearing? We have a basic formula: 3 bottoms for 1 week’s vacation with 3 tops per bottom. For two weeks, five bottoms with 3 tops per bottom (women should deduct a top and a bottom for each dress). If you do it right, everything should go with everything else so you can mix and match with ease.
- Lay everything out on the bed for one last quick look: Here's when we figure out accessories and shoes and edit, eliminating unnecessary pieces with the thought that we can always pick up stuff while we're away.
- Bundle: Following Gregory's advice, we now use the bundle method when packing. Our clothes goes in neat, stay unwrinkled and we've got plenty of room for souvenirs!
- Luggage: Pick up something that makes you smile. After too many experiences wondering if we'd picked up the correct black rolling bag, we donated it and went with a bright silver bag. Much easier to spot on a luggage carousel!
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[Image: via jek in the box's Flickr, with a Creative Commons License]
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omg, tell me where I can get some of those citrus pillows.
view Piri's profile
Those are really cute. I guess they are sachets?...
don't forget lots of socks and underwear, in case your mom didn't tell you.
view whytephoenix's profile
This is a great list, but what strikes me is how much stuff you are bringing. 9 tops for a week?
I travel constantly, often doing many different types of activities back-to-back (for instance, I leave this evening for a 3 week trip that involves a formal work event, a wedding, visiting art museums, and a wilderness camping excursion). I dare say (drumroll please) that you should bring 1 outfit for each type of activity you are doing, with some flexibility if you will do the same thing a lot of times. Woolite and sink washing does wonders, and anyone you love/loves you wont care if you wear the same thing twice. The freedom of not having to lug a huge suitcase around is worth it's weight in gold....er, tops.
view jennb's profile
I agree with Jennb - you pack a lot of clothing. 15 tops for 2 weeks - is a lot. You have to recycle those tops!
view alexis's profile
It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I make a spreadsheet of each kind of activity: travel day, family get together, dinner in restaurant, day hike, sightseeing etc. Then, I plan an outfit for each. I plot out a warm weather and a cool weather variations (eg. adding tights, a camisole, a jacket or sweater, to make a warm weather outfit work in cold weather). I choose neutral colors, so everything 'goes' with everything, but with a few bright colored tops and jewelry just for fun.
I never travel with jewelry I care about, because I always lose something.
I wash stuff out in the hotel sink every night, therefore I take things that will dry overnight. Silk and light cottons dry well.
I always take more shoes than I think I should. But I always wear them all. It's the one area I wish I could pare down more.
I use a bright colored strap around my suitcase so I can pick it out at a glance.
view Dulcibella's profile