As someone who loves traveling as well as organization, it's a no-brainer that I find packing to be such a thrilling exercise. Finding the perfect packing cubes, the best toiletry bags, the hardiest shoe bags... Just all of it- I can't get enough of it!
My gear consists of carefully curated items that I have mindfully sourced over the past decade or so: many of the some form of leopard or cheetah print 😜.
Here are some of the most important take-aways as you prepare for upcoming trips:
1. Keep a separate dry vs wet toiletries bag. My 'wet' toiletry bag includes my body sponge, shower cap and soaps. This means that when I pack up these items on the last day, only that bag gets wet and the other toiletries do not.
2. Take time to plan your full outfits ahead of time. You can certainly plan activity-dependent options for each day, but if you dump a bunch of clothes in your suitcase you will likely be too overwhelmed and time constrained to begin working through outfits at that time. My secret sauce is creating Trip Lookbooks and taking photos of what I plan to wear.
3. Start by deciding if you plan to check a bag or do carry on only. Your entire packing strategy should depend on which option you are choosing. Undecided? Well, do you have dodgy/tight connections and multiple legs to your trip? then plan on carry-on. Do you have a ton you simply need to bring? then plan on checking a bag. Both? then check the details of your travels and select the option that makes the most sense. Personally, because I get 2 free checked bags with American, I nearly always check a suitcase- even for a long weekend getaway. But, if my flight gets in very late, or I am traveling through an airport with very short connection window, I err on the side of carry-on. However, I have to admit, I prefer to check a bag and then use the time upon arrival to get my bearings before I pick up my luggage.
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