This Viral Spreadsheet Will Make Packing for Your Next Trip So Much Easier

Are you the type of person who packs for a trip and ends up with three pairs of leggings in your personal item, no toothbrush, and a winter coat taking up your entire suitcase despite your trip being to the tropics? If so, then you may want to take notes from TikTok user Luke Scarpino. In a recent video, he shares how he uses a meticulously detailed spreadsheet to organize his bags. Although it’s extremely extra and Type A, it’s a foolproof method that ensures you don’t leave anything behind or take unnecessary items with you.

“Everyone makes fun of me for how I pack, but I think I’m just organized,” Scarpino said in a recent viral TikTok video. “I list out every item that I need to remember to pack, and then I also list the associated bag that the item goes in. I even have ‘on my person’ here because I don’t want to forget my keys or my wallet or something really important the day I’m leaving. And then, as I’m packing, I go through, and I check off each item as I pack it.”

He even has a percentage formula worked into the spreadsheet that lets him know how much of each bag is packed. And because it’s all in a categorized spreadsheet, he can filter the packing list based on which bag he’s working on. “I don’t know,” Scarpino said in the video. “Am I weird for this?”

No, Luke. You’re a genius. And everyone agrees.

“Is it normal? No. Is it the most beautiful thing we’ve ever seen? Yes,” the official Tripadvisor account commented on Scarpino’s post. Another person added, “Monica Geller coded. I love it.”

And someone even pointed out how useful this list would be if your bags got lost in transit. “Also great if the airline loses your bag,” they wrote. “You already have a detailed list for reimbursement.”

Others respect Scarpino’s effort but noted that the spreadsheet may not be for everyone. “My ADHD would spend 3 days making the spreadsheet with conditional formatting but still spend 3-10 mins packing at the last minute and forget the spreadsheet in my panic,” a comment with over 15,000 likes reads.

However, if you think the spreadsheet may solve all your packing problems, Scarpino released a template that you can download and use in Google Drive before your next trip if you want to give his method a try. He’s also working on an Excel version, so stay tuned if you’re not a Google user. 

Sometimes making things more complicated can actually make things simpler in the long run. Test the spreadsheet to see if “weird” method works for you!