If you are going on holiday for a long period of time then you will know how hard it can be to work out how many clothing items you’ll need. After all, you might not be able to plan out the activities you are going to take part in and you may not even know what disasters are going to happen along the way either. This can make the whole thing very frustrating because you’ll constantly feel as though you have forgotten something or you may end up needing something that you just don’t have. If you want to get around that then this ultimate packing guide should help you with everything you need.
Make a List
The first thing that you need to do is make a list of all the essentials you need. This could include your passport, your toothbrush, your sunscreen and anything else you know for a fact you will need. This way, anything you forget after this point won’t be a disaster, it will just be annoying. When making your list, try and write down any medication that you might need, and also write down anything that your partner may need as well. This will help you to really pack well and it also means that you have the essentials covered if nothing else. Remember though, that you will need enough of whatever you pack to last you for the duration of your trip.
Packing Clothes
When you have all of the essentials written down, you can then begin to pack your clothes. The main thing that you have to remember here is that you need to pack your clothes in such a way that they don’t get too dirty, creased or stained. This is because your clothes will have to last for weeks and you may not always get the chance to wash them, so packing them right is essential here. If you want to avoid stains then one thing that you can do is try and make sure that all of your white clothes or even your light-coloured clothes are packed inside out. If you have a shower cap then wrap this around your shoes as well, as this will stop them from getting muck or dust everywhere when you are packing up for your trip. If you are taking equipment such as a full face snorkel mask, it may be worth carrying this separately as well.
Vacuum Packing
When you have your clothing organised, you can then begin to work out how you are going to pack them. The last thing that you need is to arrive at your holiday destination with a ton of ironing to do, so if you want to avoid this then roll your clothes instead of folding them. This will really help you to stop everything from getting creased and the best thing is, that it will help you to save space as well. When you have your clothes all rolled up, you then need to make sure that you vacuum pack them. If you have never done this before then all you have to do is put your rolled-up clothes into the vacuum bag before you attach a vacuum nozzle. This will suck the air out of the bag and it will leave you with tons of room in your suitcase. Of course, when you have done this, you need to take note however that the weight of your bag will be significantly more than it would be normally so it’s a good idea to take a suitcase with wheels on your trip.
Filling Dead Space
So now you have a lot of clothes packed without taking up a ton of space, you can then move on to the other aspects of your packing. When you are going away on a long trip, it is so important that you are able to use up every inch of your suitcase. Roll up your tops, any underwear you have and even the socks as well. This will really help you to fill up every inch that you have and it is also a fantastic way for you to really avoid losing out on too much packing space.
Keep Your Clothes Smelling Great
When you go on a long trip, your clothes are going to be compacted for quite a long time and when you are travelling through different climates this can really take its toll. For this reason, if you want to pack up your clothes properly then it helps to pack some fabric conditioner or even some drawer liners. This will help your clothes to stay fresh and it will also help you to stay on top of everything. Of course, the best thing about this is that the above options don’t take up any extra room and they can really work wonders for your bank balance. The main reason for this is because you won’t need to get everything cleaned and washed by the hotel when you arrive and it can save you a ton of effort if the time does come for you to go out as soon as you arrive.
Ziplock Bags for Gadgets
If you have a ton of gadgets then you may want to get a bag so that you can store them properly. You can easily organise all of your electronics, cables and even those fiddly bits that would normally take you ages to find. If you are going through airport security then it may help you to have all of this in the same bag as well as it will make it much easier for them to go through if they do need to check your bags. You can put things like your camera charger, your phone charger and even any adapters that you need in them and you can even use them to store things like parking tickets, car keys and more. This will really help you out and it can work wonders for your organisation.
Makeup
If you are taking makeup with you on a long trip then you will know how annoying it is when it cracks due to hot weather or even because it doesn’t have an adequate lid. When you are trying to save space however, you may want to leave some of the packaging behind to prevent your eyeshadow or even your pressed powder from cracking, then place a cotton wool pad between the lid and the powder. This can save you a ton of money and it will even keep your makeup in good shape for the entire duration of the trip. This is a great travel hack that you can use just about anywhere, or with anything.
Reading Material
Sometimes, when you go on a long holiday, you may want to take some reading material with you. It doesn’t matter what type of novel you are into or whether you like thrillers, sci-fi or anything else of the sort, because packing a hard copy is always a bad idea. It will add weight to your suitcase and it will also make it much harder for you to fit everything else you need in the bag as well. After all, if you are going for a couple of weeks or more then you will want to prioritise clothes if possible. For this reason, you need to take a device with you that gives you the chance to read books while on the go. When you have one, try and pack it in a waterproof bag or even try and get a case for it. This is especially the case if it is not going in your hand luggage because it will make it much harder for it to get broken when it is being thrown around by the airport staff.
Storing Valuables
If you lose your wallet, your passport or anything else similar then you will know how frustrating this can be. If you are going on a longer holiday then this can be even more worrying because you have to go longer before you can get it sorted out and the truth is that it could be just about anywhere as well. On top of this, there could be thieves around your hotel that are waiting to take their chances with your belongings as well. For that reason, if you want to keep your possessions safe then you have to make sure that you store any valuables in your hotel room. It’s a good idea to wash out a shampoo container and use that to store cash. You can even roll up your notes and store them in your lip balm container if you want, as this is a fantastic way for you to really keep everything super secure.
So there are many things that you can do to try and keep your baggage safe, and when you follow the above tips you can be sure to make the most out of your long vacation. After all, it doesn’t matter where in the world you are going, because packing for a long trip is always going to be different to packing for a shorter trip.
