Are you having trouble on what to pack for your holiday? Let's be honest, packing has many complications. Sometimes you over bring things, sometimes you are short of some items. It is advisable to take some time to plan on what to bring and what you need to buy before heading off to your holiday. Here's a list of tips I would like to share and to help you organise yourself.
TIP #1: MAKE A LIST OF THE THINGS YOU NEED
It is important to list down the things you need for your holiday. The reason for this is that you can avoid forgetting something and you foresee whether you may be bringing too much or too less. Making a list is a must when you are traveling for more than 2 weeks to help and organise yourself. This can also help you know what items you are missing such as, your shampoo is almost running out or your waterproof bag is still with your friend. Making a list of things to bring need to be done 2-3 weeks before your initial trip. It may sound too advance but trust me, it is better to plan early than too late.
Sample of "Things to bring" for your holiday. This sample list is good for 1-2 weeks of travel time.
TIP #2: TAKE SOME TIME TO BUY THE THINGS YOU ARE MISSING FOR YOUR TRIP
When you finish listing down the things you need to bring, take some time to buy the missing items that you need. For example, shampoo, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, cologne, perfume, clothing, sunblock lotion, maps and many others.
TIP #3: PICK THE RIGHT LUGGAGE
You must make sure to pick the right luggage. This is where you are going to place all your belongings and picking the unsuitable luggage may cause you to hassle for re-packing or having to carry 1-2 more extra bags. I would suggest you pick the largest luggage you have and in case you do not have any large luggage, try borrowing from your family members, friends or simply buy your own luggage (Only if you have the spare budget for that). Please also note that you need to check how many KG you are allowed to bring to the plane, this will make it easier for you to know what kind of luggage you should bring
TIP #4: START ORGANISING THE THINGS YOU NEED
Before packing your belongings, I would reckon you to organise your belongings separately in a large shopping bags. You may separate it to 5 shopping bags - Tops/ Dresses, Bottoms, Shoes, Amenities and Others (chargers, camera, equipments, books, etc). You may randomly pick the clothing you wish to bring and you can decide later when you are packing whether you need it to not.
Sample on organising your belongings by separating them to different shopping bags
TIP #5: FIND THE RIGHT TIME TO PACK YOUR BELONGINGS
Findling the right time to pack is also important. Normally you may need to pack 2-3 times. The first is when you compile all the belongings that are ready to be place in your luggage, the second is when you place all your newly washed clothes and the third is when you will place your "last minute" things such as, amenities, snacks, chargers and other necessities.
TIP #6: HOW TO PACK YOUR BELONGINGS LIKE A PRO
This is the part where it may became challenging for you. Packing is like trying to complete a puzzle. You must try your best to fill in the things inside the luggage and find a spot to place your remaining belongings. There are many techniques on how to pack and fit all your belongings in your luggage.
A. Roll all your clothes, DO NOT FOLD!
Rolling your clothes and pile it up in vertical or horizontal lines will make your life easier as it consume space and easier for you to see what you have. You may squeeze as many clothes as long as it can still fit.
Roll them all
B. Bras, Socks and Underwear
These are the clothing that you cannot fold. However, you may squeeze your underwear in the tiny remaining spots. You may fold your bra into half and place them on the side of your luggage. You may place your socks into your sneakers to save space, you may place at least 2 pairs in 1 shoe.
C. Place all your amenities in a big pouch
Since most of your amenities could be liquid, it is best if you place them in a separate bag with zipper to avoid any leakage. 1 medium or big pouch should be enough to store all your amenities. That is possible as long as you place all your liquid things such as, shampoo, bath soap, toothpaste, lotion, cologne, perfume and facial wash in a small plastic containers. You can find these containers in Health & Beauty stores or Supermarket such as, Watsons, Mannings, Japan Home and many more.
D. Place all your non-clothing belongings on the front side of the luggage
It is wise to separate your clothing and your other belongings such as, shoes, bags, amenities and other things. It will be easier for you to look for your belongings.
TIP #7: DO A LAST MINUTE CHECK OF YOUR BELONGINGS
Before locking your luggage, make sure that you do your final checklist of your belongings. You must check if have missed anything important or you might have place something that you may not need and it is taking up spaces. Remember that once you reach the Airport, you may not be able to catch back home to pick up the things that you have forgotten to bring.
TIP #8: WEIGHT YOUR LUGGAGE, USE LUGGAGE PROTECTOR AND TAGS
Before leaving your home, make sure to weight your luggage, whether you can on the right KG or you have exceeded to your KG limit. The advantage of checking your luggage weight is that you have time to remove some belongings that it is heavy or something that you do not really need to bring. I would also highly recommend you to use a luggage protector to secure your luggage and a tag in case of lost & found for your luggage.
Always remember not to over bring your belongings, simply bring the things that you really need for your trip. Best of luck in packing your luggage
Yours Truly,
Michelle Chan
