Packing for vacation……uuugghhh!

These 14 packing tips and hacks will help ease your packing stress! 

To be honest, packing used to stress me out.  Every time I would start packing I would say to myself, “I am not going to overpack this time” .  And, without fail, every time I would pack way more than I needed and wear about half of the things I put in my bag.

Vacation/traveling is exciting and it’s important to make sure you have everything you need. However, it is also important to make sure you aren’t so weighed down with luggage that travel days are miserable.  

Our Packing Evolution

When Chris and I left on this long term travel journey, packing was one of the hardest parts for us. We downsized from a house, to a room at my sister and brother-in-laws, to a smaller room at my mom’s apartment, to a giant suitcase and an overstuffed backpack each. 

When we left for the airport we were feeling pretty good about all of the stuff we had gotten rid of. Then reality hit us …as soon as we got to the airport.

At the check-in counter we went to weigh-in our bags and we were WAY overweight. We bought a duffel bag (which was cheaper than paying the overweight fees) and went on our merry way.

For 5 months, we lugged our giant suitcases behind us on cobbled streets from bus station to bus station. Finally, we decided it was time to take a closer look at what was in our bags.

Now, we have one duffel bag and one backpack each!

That is everything we own, and to be honest, I don’t miss any of the things we got rid of.  Travel days have become soooooo much easier and cheaper (with fewer baggage fees).

Instead of worrying about my stuff, I view travel days as just another way to see a city.

Our travels have taught us a lot of hard packing lessons, and I want to share those with you. Hopefully it will help you pack more effectively, efficiently, and save you some stress on those dreaded travel days.

Packing Tip #1: Do Not Allow Yourself To Bring a Giant Suitcase

I think it is one of life’s rules that if you have the space – you will fill it.

That goes for lots of things really,  like a house, a garage, dresser drawers, AND a suitcase. If you don’t have as much space to fill, then you will be more judicious about what you fill it with.

When we downsized from our large suitcases to our duffel bags, it was easier to get rid of stuff, because it just didn’t fit.

 

 

 

Packing Tip #2: No One Cares

Let me explain.  I was always worried that if I wore the same outfit more than once then everyone would notice. This is absolutely not true.  Can you remember what you wore 2 days ago? Me either.

My point is if you can’t remember what you wore, do you think anyone else remembers.  This idea takes time to get used to. If you need some more help coming to grips with the idea that no one is paying attention to you – check out the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson. 

The entire point of his book is to help you focus your energy on things that really matter and not to stress about the stuff that doesn’t.

So how does that relate to packing? Well, you don’t have to have a different outfit for every single day of your trip because…no one cares. 

Travel Hack: Pack things that are multi-purpose and can go with multiple clothing items.  Then you can change your look up without having to pack an insane amount of clothing.

Packing Tip #3: Books, Books, Books – or not?

I LOVE reading on vacation! I also love reading an actual book -I haven’t become a fan of reading on a Kindle yet – because I haven’t had to.

When we left on our trip, I think I had 6 or 7 books in my bag!  I wanted to make sure I had plenty of reading material. Well, one thing I can tell you about books is that they are HEAVY. 

In the 7 months we’ve been traveling I have never had an issue finding a thrift store or a take-a-book-leave-a-book library.  You can find all kinds of books for very cheap or FREE. 

This way of finding books is actually really fun because you often end up finding books and authors that you really like that you wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.

Moral of this story is…..DON’T pack a lot of books when you travel – they take up a ton of space and weigh a lot.

Packing Tip #4: Toiletries Can Be Bought Everywhere

I was nervous about what was in store for us when we left The States. The last thing I wanted was to be without toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, etc. and have no idea where to buy more – so, I stocked up! 

What I quickly learned was that EVERYONE brushes their teeth, washes their hair, wears deodorant, etc.  so toiletries are available in literally every store. (Note: we have been traveling in 1st world countries – this may not be the case in 3rd world countries).

You may not be able to find your favorite brand, but I have always found exactly what I needed without any problems.

Travel Hack: Don’t stock up on toiletries, they take up a lot of room in your luggage and can be found most places you travel.

Packing Tip #5: Use Packing Cubes

I had never used a packing cube before this trip, but I regret all of the packing I ever did without them.  When Chris first brought them up to me as something we should try, I was skeptical.

I didn’t know how they were really going to change the way I packed, but I was wrong.

Packing Cubes make organizing everything so much easier and more compact. There are a lot of different ways to use them.  When we first left, I used one for shirts, one for pants, one for toiletries, etc.

Then we did a weekend trip and I used a separate cube for each day we would be gone to organize my outfit for each day.

There is no right or wrong way to use them, just USE them. If you want to check out the ones we have click here.

Packing Tip #6: Get a Multi-Country Power Adaptor

I definitely underestimated how much we would use these- by underestimated I mean I had no clue we would eventually have 4 that we use every day. Between the two of us we have 2 computers, 2 iPhones, 2 Fitbits, and a camera – all of which need charged. 

The adaptors we have allow us to plug in one item, and has 2 USB ports on the side. So you can charge 3 things at the same time with one adaptor. It’s AMAZING.

The ones we have (click here to check them out) are perfect. It works in Europe, Australia, Asia, South and Central America, and lots of other places. It weighs next to nothing and is very compact.  I really can’t imagine traveling without it.  

Packing Tip #7: Roll Your Clothes

I was a folder of clothes when I packed previously, but then we were trying to fit a lot of stuff in our suitcases, so I did some research. I kept seeing people say “roll your clothes when you pack them” so I thought I would try it……it’s awesome! 

The clothes fit a lot better in the cubes when they are rolled and it keeps them from getting as creased and wrinkled.

Packing Tip #8: Get a Quality Backpack… for Real!

We use our backpacks all of the time and if we had cheap ones (by cheap I mean in quality), we would have had to replace them at least once by now. They get a lot of wear and tear being shoved on buses and overhead bins on airplanes. 

Since we work while we are on the road, we wanted something that would protect our computers and have plenty of space for all of our important and valuable things.

After a lot of research, we chose a Tortuga brand backpack and we have no regrets. They have held up extremely well, have plenty of room, and are actually comfortable to wear. 

On travel days, we put all of our valuables in our backpacks (since we have them on us all of the time) and then our clothes go in the duffel bags – just in case something happens to them or they got lost – it is a lot easier to replace clothing. 

Pro-tip: If you are getting on a flight where there is limited overhead space, they rarely make you check your backpack – so if you can have a backpack instead of a roller bag, you will be more likely to be able to keep it with you (which is nice since it contains all of our valuables).

Packing Tip #9: Don’t be Scared of the Fanny

When Chris started wearing the fanny pack every time we went out, I would roll my eyes and shake my head. Let’s just say it isn’t the most fashionable accessory we own, but now I love it.  We can keep all of our important stuff (credit cards, cash, phones, etc) in it – and it is attached to him.

When we were in Barcelona, we had to really watch for pickpockets, and with a fanny pack you don’t have to have anything in your pockets.  Our fanny pack has a clasp on it too so we can lock the zippers.

Bonus:  I don’t have to carry a purse – which is awesome.

We recommend getting one that isn’t flashy (since they are becoming fashionable again) because you don’t want to draw attention to it.  Ours is a plain black one that is very simple – click here if you want to check it out.

Packing Tip #10: Travel Documents – Have Multiples

What to keep on you and what to leave in the room?……good question.

There are a lot of different theories on this, but what we have done works pretty well and keeps me from being worried about whether I will have what I need when I need it. 

We made 3 copies of both of our passports. One copy lives in the fanny pack and one copy of each of ours lives in our backpacks.  I keep a folder of important documents in my backpack as well. This includes our vaccination records, international driver’s permit, passports, back up credit card, insurance cards, etc.

On top of all of that, I took pictures of all of the documents before we left and emailed them to myself, that way I can always access them if something crazy happens.

The documents you take on vacation with you will depend on what type of vacation you are going on, but it is better to be prepared than not.

Packing Tip #11: Don’t Forget to Pack Things to Pass the Time

Sometimes one of the most exhausting parts of traveling is waiting. Waiting in the airport or bus station can be boring, but we have a few tips to help.

-Take a game to play. We had a hard time finding 2-player games that we liked but we have three that we really love – Spite and Malice, Phase 10, and Heads up (phone app that doesn’t require Wifi).

 

-We have a power bank that we keep in Chris’s backpack and it has come in handy more that once – check it out here.    Not every airport/bus station is equipped with outlets, so being able to keep our phones charged is really helpful.

This power bank can even charge my laptop if I need to work on travel days. 

-Pack snacks! Travel days can be long and it isn’t always cheap or easy to grab food while you are waiting.  Granola bars and nuts are our go-to snacks because they pack well, have a long shelf life and are filling.

We always carry an empty water bottle too, so we can fill up before we get on the plane/bus/train. (Double check if you can drink the tap water before you fill up)

Packing Tip #12: Plan on Being Able to Do Laundry

I wasn’t sure what access we would have to laundry when traveling, so I initially overpacked so I wouldn’t run out of clean clothes.  However, the ability to do laundry is not too tricky to find.

A lot of Airbnbs have a washer at least (you may have to hang dry your clothes), or there will be a laundromat close by.

At one of our stays, we bought laundry detergent and Chris did laundry in the sink at the Airbnb and we hung all of our stuff to dry. That isn’t an ideal situation, but my point is that it is almost always possible to clean your clothes.

We have a week – 10 days worth of undergarments, so we don’t have to do laundry every day, but we don’t have a month’s worth of clothes either.

Packing Tip #13: Prescription Eye-Glasses and Medications – Make Sure You Have Plenty

Chris wears glasses all of the time, and they are hard to get while traveling (since they are prescription) so he brought 2 pairs with him.

This turned out to be a really good decision because a very sweet dog at one of our house-sits chewed up one pair, completely ruining them! Good thing he had a back up pair.

This goes for prescription medications as well – be prepared!

If it is an item you have to have every day, it is a good idea to have a backup option, just in case.

I also recommend packing a small medicine kit – you can check out my blog post here on how to pack it. Being sick when traveling is no fun and trying to search for a pharmacy to get what you need when you are sick can be very stressful.

 

Packing Tip #14: Don’t Stress if You Forget Something

That moment when you realize you forgot something can invoke panic! Take a deep breath and remember, chances are you will be able to get whatever you need wherever you are going. People are usually really nice, so just ask around if you need help figuring out where to go to get the item you forgot.

Also, Amazon is a global company – you can order and have shipped whatever you need if you are going to be at a place long enough.

Stuff is not worth stressing over so be prepared as much as possible and just enjoy your vacation.


I really hope this list of packing tips and hacks was helpful.

If you want to take a look at everything in our suitcase – take a look at our Packing List by clicking on the frog below.

Wishing you all safe, happy, and stress-free travels!