The last time you went travelling, you lay in the cold, thinking about the fur coat you almost packed, the fur coat that would be pretty perfect for the moment.
You swore you wouldn’t forget the next time. But oh, how to pack a suitcase for these travel trips you love so much?
Don’t worry; we have a few tricks up our sleeve to help you with that!
1. You Know What Helps? Check Lists
No matter how conventional they are, check lists never go out of style. Take a little time out to make one, and it’ll never disappoint you. Make yourself a list of all the nitty-gritties you couldn’t imagine the trip without. Add check boxes and keep striking items off as you pack. A little organisation never hurt anyone!
Famous YouTube vlogger Dulce Candy makes a list of all her skin care products that she actively incorporates in her daily routine and carries just those. Makes sense, doesn’t it? And no, we’re not suggesting you use soap on your face instead of face-wash (God forbid that happens) but if you know your eyeliner will smudge by the end of the day and you won’t have time to redo your application, ditch it. Yes, we know an eyeliner takes barely any space but it’s these little things that really pile up (literally) in your bags.
Image Courtesy: Pixabay
2. Keep It To the Necessities
Stick to the necessities and save space by travelling light. Choose that half-used stick of toothpaste, and grab some paper soap. Take along sachets whenever possible–leave those big bottles behind. If that seems too much for you, most brands have now launched travel kits, which essentially have small quantities of at least your shampoos, conditioners, body lotion and body wash – so you can settle in for a relaxing bath after a long day of travelling, despite travelling light (yes, you can make do without bath salts and bath oils for some time).
You’ll always find towels and umbrellas at hotels or even houses of friends and family if you’re staying with them.
Author, entrepreneur and TV host Rick Steves emphasizes this point by suggesting travelling to your hometown before your actual trip and “practice being a tourist”. If you can enjoy walking down the streets with the luggage you’re carrying and still gasp and drool at all the lovely sights and scents that surround you, you’re good to go. But if it feels like a burden, then it probably is – you’ll need to throw out many, many things that take occupy your bags, big time.
Image Courtesy: Pixabay
3. Stay Careful (and Safe), Mighty Adventurer!
You know medical emergencies? Well, they’ll hit you right when you can’t handle them.
You know how to fight them? Medical kits.
Prepare for yourself a first aid box, and you’ll have a happy trip. Deck it up with all your anti-allergies and antiseptics. Now this might sound like a no-brainer, but make sure you keep all your medicine in a place you’ll actually remember. Take our word for it, when you have blotches that itch all over your body or are sneezing like you want to wash the paint off the walls, you’ll be in no position to throw open your suitcase and hunt for your medicine. This is especially relevant if several medicines do not suit you or you are allergic to particular ingredients commonly used in medicines.
Vlogger Dulce Candy keeps her medication in her make-up bag (which is tucked away into her handbag). We suggest taking a leaf out her book and doing the same.
You have the heart of an explorer, and the lack of medicines shall never deter you!
Image Courtesy: PIXABAY
4. It’s All About the Money, Honey!
Or more like, careless management of money might have you spending the night by the highway, so let’s play it safe. You don’t want to keep all your money in one place. Let’s make things a little harder for those pickpockets, shall we?
You know that little zip at the back end of your airbag? And you remember that secret little pocket inside your jacket? Yep: they are all meant for that money. Split it nicely and distribute it well among all of these guys for a safer trip.
Another great tip would be to not keep your ID cards and money in the same place. If a pickpocket does manage to steal your wallet, at least you still have an identity card (government-issued, please!) with you, especially if you’re travelling abroad.
Base line: keep your bags close to you, and your money closer.
Image Courtesy: Make Money
5. Thou Shalt Understand What is Important
Basically the eleventh commandment, I swear. Prioritise, and prioritise well. The less you take along, the happier you’ll be. There’s nothing that spells freedom like a light backpack, so make sure you avoid taking all the unnecessary additions you could easily do without. Be careful about dividing your things between your suitcase and your handheld luggage, keeping weight, frequency of use, and safety in mind.
Guidebook author and travel TV host Rick Steves advises and we quote,
Don’t pack for the worst-case scenario. Pack for the best-case scenario.
We can’t agree more! While it is important to pack well and stay cautious, you really don’t need to carry those shaving kits and hair-removal creams that will last even in case of a siege of three months. Really, no matter where you’re travelling to, soap is always readily available – at very inexpensive rates. You don’t need to carry 5 bars of it. Please keep that in mind.
Image Courtesy of Pixabay
6. Forget Colour-Coordinating, Comfort Wins the Day!
Choose the most suitable shoes that you feel would work with everything you plan on taking. Think about the most comfortable clothes you have, and the minimum number that shall satisfy your needs. Your travel is an experience – and let it not be defined by your attire!
American Travel guru Rick Steves says that…
…you should not think about how useful something will be, but think more along the lines of whether it’s usefulness will match the level of satisfaction you will get by lugging it halfway across the country (or worse still, the world).
Image Courtesy: Pixabay
7. You So Don’t Want to Forget Me
Identity card, check.
Debit card, check.
I’m going international!
Passport, check.
Visa, check.
Flight tickets? Train tickets?
Check.
Image Courtesy: Pixabay
Honestly, we can’t stress it enough – how dreadful it’d be to be lost somewhere without identification proof, or to land up right on time for the flight at the airport, only to remember your tickets back home on the dining table.
Vlogger Dulce Candy keeps her travel documents in her handbag and her passport and other IDs in her small wallet inside her handbag; it’s easier, safer and much more convenient than hunting for them in your suitcase stuffed with clothes and shoes.
Pack up all documents, folks, we’re going travelling!
8. This Is How I Roll
Lots of things to take and no space to fit?
Why don’t you try rolling those clothes?
Yes, roll up your clothes instead of folding them, and see the magic for yourself as your rolled up clothes make space for the things you couldn’t fit before. An added bonus is that they’ll also stay wrinkle-free; no more frantically looking for an iron when you check in!
Another great tip we learnt from Dulce Candy is to keep a pair of warm socks (all rolled up, baby, because, why not?!) in your handbag which you can put on over the socks you’re wearing when you’re on-board because, face it, you are always freezing by the end of your flight (or your train. Especially the train – anyone who has ever travelled even once in a Shatabdi Express would know).
Image Courtesy of Pixabay
At the end of the day, travelling is an adventure in itself – whether you want to sleep in late in the comfortable bed in your hotel or trek along the path less taken, it’s never the same as staying at home. It goes without fail then that it’s always better to pack well for your travels, so you are equipped with what you need and don’t regret stepping out later!
