I dislike packing so much, that I am not enjoying writing the topic very much either. Wait. Don’t go anywhere. Just because the topic of packing makes me a bit grouchy, doesn’t mean it’s not an important one to discuss. Behind every other travel tale I’ve ever written about on this blog, is a well-packed suitcase. Or two.
I was never good at packing before I became a mom, and my shortcomings were only aggravated when my little travel companion (along with all his kiddie stuff) came into the picture. But I had to rise above my inability to make a packing list, carry small suitcases, and bring enough pairs of socks. It has been a learning process, but I’m just becoming more of a packing ace with every trip we take.
I haven’t packed a suitcase bigger than a carry-on for each of us for the last few years, even for trips longer than 2 weeks. I know some of you are not impressed by this, since you can travel the world for years with nothing but a backpack. But for the rest of you who haven’t stopped reading this post yet, I’m going to offer up some of my expertise.
Here’s how I pack it up.
1. I’m addicted to packing cubes. Initially, I bought packing cubes because I was looking for an alternative to disposable plastic bags. They have turned out to be a great investment. I just roll (this step is key) the clothes, fill the cubes, and easily stuff them into the suitcase. I like that I can separate items of clothing for my son and that I have different colors for his and mine. As an added bonus, the packing cubes easily come out of a suitcase and into the dresser drawer of a hotel room.
2. I choose the outfits wisely. I am not a fashionista when I’m at home, so I don’t pretend that I’m going to be one while on my trip. I pick a few basic colors for my clothes, take few shoes, and try to choose clothes that will wash easily. Luckily, my son would wear his favorite shirt every day if I let him, so he doesn’t have a hard time limiting the outfits he packs.
3. I prepare for the inevitable laundry. There is no way to pack light, travel for a lengthy period, and get away with not doing laundry. If you know of a way, please do share. I can’t afford to have the hotel do the laundry for me, so it usually means a lot of Woolite and hanging clothes to dry in the hotel bathroom. If the hotel has a washing machine on the premises (or even better, in your room) then you’ve got it made. The keys to washing clothes by hand are: to take clothes made out of materials that will dry quickly and to use a travel towel to wring them out. I love my travel towel so much, I could write a whole post about it. Stay tuned, I know you’re eagerly anticipating that post.
4. Seriously, we don’t have to take every toy we own. This rule goes for both me and my son. I realized I could live without my bulky laptop and he doesn’t have to take his baseball bat (although it may have come in handy while we were in the subways of NYC this summer). When my son was younger, I would pack up too many of his playthings for fear that he would get antsy and whiny. He never played with more than a few things, since we were always too busy on our travels. Besides, I found that it’s better to save room in his backpack for a few souvenirs.
5. If I didn’t pack it, I can always buy it when I get there. This mantra was the hardest one for me to learn and follow. I came to the realization that there were very few things that I absolutely couldn’t leave my home without (medications, documents, and my phone), everything else I could do without or just buy when I got there. I learned the hard way, that I don’t have to take enough cotton balls to fill half my suitcase.
Feel free to share any of your packing tips in the comments below. I’m always looking to improve my skills.
Linking up to Trekaroo’s Spotlight Thursday.
Thanks for some great tips. I never thought about using a travel towel with me for wringing out laundry!
I still take a few zipper-lock plastic bags with me. We use the 2-gallon size as a quickie protective pouch if we get caught in a downpour or go on a boat ride with our good cameras.
Using the travel towel to speed along the drying process, I learned from my sister. As well as most things regarding organizing and efficiency
And I do still take empty Ziplock bags with me, you never know when you’re going to need one.
These are great tips! My number one packing tip is to always pack a couple of full size garbage bags when we travel. As we move around, all our dirty clothes go into the garbage bag and the garbage bag gets packed in our suitcase until we get home or to a place where we do laundry. After we get home, we usually reuse the garbage bag for its actual purpose (if it survives the trip!).
Great tips! I don’t have the travel cube but from your picture I might want to try to invest in one. Love the idea of easy packing and unpacking at the hotel.
I agree about the toys. The more we travel, the less toys we need for travel. Most of the time, they hardly play with the toys or books we brought with us. They just enjoyed looking out the window and enjoying the ride.
Great post! I also love the packing cubes, but would love to color coordinate, so thanks for that advice. I try to pre-pack outfits together, too, so it’s a quick grab-and-go when getting dressed.
I just had to come back and tell you that after seeing this post and your picture, I had to order some packing cubes…I can’t wait for them to get here for our next trip!
Good call. I think they’re especially perfect for kid’s clothes. I should have mentioned that I got mine at the Container Store, but they’re at a lot of different places online as well.
Nice post on keeping it simple! Now how about moseying on over here for the next coffee date and applying this to my life!
Caroline,
I want to unzip your pictured packing cubes to see outfits rolled so compactly in there. Were they shirts with shorts, or did I misunderstand. I also get bogged down in thinking if I pack enough food, it will save me from going out so much since my kids like to graze anyhow. Now I am carting oversized cereal boxes and crackers. What are your tricks for this?
@Lora, I usually just roll and cram as best I can. But generally, the smaller cubes are for underwear/socks, then I get the bigger ones for t-shirts and shorts. Jeans fit too, but of course take more room. Packing for cold weather is a whole other art form.
I like to carry food too, but that’s easier for road trips. Even when we fly in and then road trip we buy food and disposable plates/cups to haul with us during the trip. We get a lot of take-out and take it back to hotel room and just share, so we need plates/utensils with us to make it easier. Depending on length of trip, I usually buy a few days worth of food at a time. I like the cereals in the pre-packaged bowls because I can just get some milk and be done with it.
i want to try the cubes – we need to invest in some. everyone that has them loves them. we usually rent a place when we travel, so we have laundry and a fridge. critical!
OH MY GOSH! I need those cubes! I am the worst packer and I am a travel writer who travels like 20 times a year! You would think I could do it by now. Part of my problem is I don’t want to wear the same outfit more than once because I am a wanna be fashionista with a Target budget. LOL. Okay. I am gonna try it your way. Must. Buy. Travel Cubes.
PS- If you ever want to do a guest post on Trekaroo about your fabulous packing skills, we would LOVE to have you. I think our readers would love the info!
I have never seen packing cubes, but they look like a great space saver!
I am envious of your packing. Is that picture for real?! You are a packing goddess! (Also going to order some cubes right now.)
Very nice. I need these tips so badly. Maybe I am the worst packers in the world and I just learned a lot from your article. Actually, I feel ashamed right now because you just made me realize how unorganized I am.