We shared some advice here on how we prepare for a trip, including a little bit about packing, but decided to dedicate a whole post to the topic because we have so many more ideas to share. Can you tell we feel passionately about this? Apologizes for the length of this post…
In addition to having a tab in the spreadsheet to help figure out everything you need, some strategy is involved in deciding what to bring.
Our favorite packing advice
No matter the length of the trip, we stick pretty much to a carry-on bag + personal item. So, part of it is the horror stories about bags being lost, things being stolen or that time someone told us their bag arrived on the carousel open with half their stuff missing *faints*. But we also realize that we have to be able to carry our stuff around cities, up and down stairs and it’s just not practical to have giant bags (usually we do public transportation, but maybe someday we’ll have that private chauffeur…). It’s also great not having to wait for your bag to come out, possibly spend a night in the same clothes waiting for your bag to show up or deal with waiting in line to check it.
The one caveat here is that most carry-on size bags can expand. That way we do have the option of expanding (and checking depending on the size) the bag on our way back #boughttoomanyshoes
Speaking of which, a bit of a mind-trick to force yourself to leave room for souvenirs is to pack things that will get used up on the trip - this works especially well if you’re planning to visit friends/family and bringing gifts! Bringing a few snacks (see below for why) forces us to leave extra room too and all those little things add up.
Packing cubes are such a game-changer
Packing cubes are the best! Cute ones are even better. Amanda got converted to this a few years ago and is still working on getting Isabelle to make the switch, but it’s pretty great. You break down everything into the small cubes and as long as everything can go back in them, it will all fit in your bag. It makes it especially easy if you’re going to move around a few times. Bonus: Amanda likes to use the biggest one to pack clothes on hangers, which turns out to be pretty efficient for space and ease of unpacking when you arrive.
We do love fashion and don’t really want to wear the same t-shirt and khakis every day (we love you Rick Steves, but that time you tried to give travel fashion advice we almost died), so we get creative. It does take some thought, but capsule and travel wardrobes are everywhere now so it’s not hard to get inspiration on how to mix and match a limited set of items to make a variety of outfits.
Things to pack you might not think of
Having a small extra bag with you comes in so handy when you’re out during the day
Power pack: since we use our phones even more when we travel, it’s nice to have one just in case.
A few snacks: guilty pleasures for the plane and some sustenance for when you get to your destination and are hungry, but aren’t sure how to find food yet.
Lightweight market bag: in general it’s great to use less plastic (and in many places you actually need to bring your own shopping bag), but having a small cotton bag is both functional and dare we say cuter than typical shopping bags, like this one.
Compression socks: not just for your grandparents anymore! We might be showing our age just a bit, but it really does make such a difference after a long flight. They even come in lots of cute patterns.
A few ziplock bags: you never know when you need these! Snacks, souvenir jam you don’t want to end up on all your clothes, wet clothes… who knows, but they come in handy.
Hair towel: we love this hair towel (hint: it makes a great gift) and now that we’re addicted, it’s started to come along on trips. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference and doesn’t take up much space.
We hope this was helpful for your next trip and would love to hear about your favorite packing tips!
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