How to change packing into not so bad, not so hard and hopefully successful activity?
When I was supposed to travel somewhere, thinking of what I need to do before, made me sick. I wanted to scream and shout. I was doing everything but not this, procrastinating as much as possible.
Some people treat it as the happy preparation time. Unfortunately, I’m not the lucky one. So many travels, and so many packing. And I still hate it. Happily, during all the battles with packing, I learned few things, that help me overcome it somehow.
1. Make a list.
In the bus, in the queue, during the break at work. You can use every moment to write down the things, that you need to take for your trip. After that, at home, it will be easier for you to not to forget anything, when you follow the list.
2. Check your destination.
There are many places in the world, where items sold in the shops are totally different from the ones, that you can find in your country. There is also handful amount of places, that have products, which are exactly the same, despite the different name or appearance. They are also even cheaper or better from your local ones. Therefore, before travelling, it’s good to check what you can get in your destination country.
For example: when you go to Asia, it’s better to buy all the medicines there, as they are specially made for the local diseases and work better, when you go to USA – there is no point in taking too much clothes and food, but when you travel to Iceland or Norway – then stocking some food can do a job.
3. You don’t need this. Nor this. Or this.
It all depends, how long your trip is and what is your baggage limit. If you travel with your backpack, that you are going to carry around on your back for the whole time (as I usually do), then you definitely don’t want to have anything not important there. You don’t need 5 pairs of jeans, when you go for 2 weeks back-packing trip around Europe. Divide everything into “really needed items” category, “those that you may find helpful”, and “those that you don’t need”. And just take the first ones.
4. Small things, big help.
A piece of rope, few clips, sticky tape, a needle and a thread, few plastic bags – they don’t weigh much, but can save your life in some situations, especially when you plan to travel away from the civilization and you won’t be able to get any of them at the exact time you need them.
5. Washing?
Despite the fact, that every part of the world is so different from each other, most of them already discovered how they can make their clothes clean, without the need of buying the new ones. Even if it means washing them in the river, using environment-friendly soap, or going to the laundry place in USA. You DON’T HAVE to have different item for each day. You can wash them.
6. Small containers, big power.
Wherever I go, if it’s for 2 or 2o days, I always have some mini versions of cosmetics in my luggage. Instead of taking 500 ml of the shampoo, why not to take 50ml, if this is how much you actually need? In place of the heavy perfume bottles – few samples, small cream, mini toothpaste – and you will be surprised how much space you save.
7. Save the space!
Roll your clothes, stuff your shoes with the socks, place heavy items at the bottom, put cosmetics into plastic bags. Use the space in your luggage wisely. You can find thousands of websites in the internet, that will show you what’s the best way of composing your items in the chosen luggage, to save space.
And if you still can’t fit everything…
Wear that thick jacket on, put the boots on your feet, fit the gloves into your pockets. What you wear – doesn’t count as your baggage and if you are a fan of low cost travelling – it’s a good choice (of course, if you don’t mind people staring at you when you wear winter coat in 30 degrees heat ;)).
I still remember when I had some canned food, phone chargers and torch in my jumper pockets on my low-cost trips around Europe.
And here… How really packing looks ;)
Do you have any interesting ideas for making packing more efficient and easier?
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