7 tips on how to pack more successfully

Here is a brief overview on the process of how to pack more successfully for all the travellers out there from what to pack to how to pack. Like most of my advice related posts, this will have an occasional sort of ‘dummies guide’ feel through out. This is simply because sometimes you are so busy focusing on all the detail that you forget the obvious things like mobiles! (Yes this happened to me – facepalm – leaving for 6 weeks in Spain and I managed to forget my phone!). So read on to discover travel packing tips and tricks.

1. Weather check –

You may think – ‘why bother? Where I’m going, it’s always hot’. Well remember, although the climate may be typically warm in certain areas, some places are prone to monsoon seasons or cooler seasons etc. So look up what the weather is likely to be at that particular time of year. Do not just base what you pack on your general knowledge of the area. Also, make sure you look up the exact area and not just the country in general. For example, although Thailand is typically hot, it is rainy and colder at different times in the North and the South.

Also, remember, if you are flying to the other side of the world then it will likely be a completely different season from your home country! For places which can be very temperamental like Scotland, to pack more successfully a tip is to pack something for all seasons. As mentioned in my Highland road trip post, we sometimes experience all four seasons in one day so both shorts and a thick jumper are strongly recommended! Last night we had the fire on and today it was 30 degrees Celsius!

2. Culture check –

It is hugely important to be culturally aware about what is deemed appropriate dress wear. For example, when my sister was in South East Asia, she would not have been permitted into temples with uncovered shoulders. A sarong or light scarf is handy for this! There are culturally related rules like these world wide and to not be aware of these or worse – to intentionally not follow them is very ignorant and impolite. A simple 2 minute google search is all you need to do. You will be a respected tourist by respecting their local culture.

3. Comfort over style –

Now that your google search has provided you with all the facts on what you should and should not wear, decide on suitable clothing. One thing I strongly recommend is comfortable footwear. Again and again , I notice travellers continuously opting for fashion over comfort. For example, a girl I was with in Amsterdam planned on going to the Ice bar in a pair of high heels – ‘eye-roll emoji’ – try and at least be slightly sensible. You won’t regret it, trust me! What you will regret, however, is sore blistered feet. So pack more successfully and leave the heels at home!

The same goes for clothing, comfort over style. Crease free is also the way to go! Dressing sensibly and comfortably does not mean looking boring, I still manage to look perfectly fine while being comfortable (I think!). A favourite travel outfit of mine is my silky feeling long ‘dress shirt’. It is super light, wrinkle free, can be dressed up or down and best of all it is extremely comfortable. I may not be a fashion icon but as unbelievable as this may sound, dressing well can in fact go hand in hand with comfort. I try to live as sustainable a life as possible so I want to briefly mention here that I would advise buying sustainable fashion where possible and to stay away from fast fashion.

4. Must haves for any area –

For me this is especially important because my blood sugar can drop very suddenly. It is always handy to have snacks in your carry on luggage in case of emergencies! For some unknown reason you may be running late at the airport with no time for that ‘enjoying a meal while waiting for flight’ moment (I think most people find it humanly impossible not to post this on fb). Anyway, so you will be forever grateful for that snack you packed! Something like a simple chocolate bar for a quick boost is small and not easily damaged like crisps or fruit. If you have ‘hold luggage’, then I would chuck in some treats that remind you of home. When I went to America I packed some Tetley tea bags!

There is more to packing than just clothing, footwear and food though! First things first, of course, now it is vital to pack hand sanitiser and a mask so make sure you have a few of these! I would suggest putting together a small first aid kit with various sized plasters and bandages. In here I also put ibuprofen and paracetamol alongside any other medication I might need. Remember to order your prescription with enough time for it to be processed! Also, even if you do not use antihistamines, I would pack them anyway because your body reacts differently in different climates. And earplugs! I throw these in too because hostels can be noisy! A nice idea for long travels is to bring a comforting item from home. I usually carry a photo of my family and a photo of my old dog Rolo with me which is now ironically a bit ‘dog eared’.

To truly pack more successfully remember vital items. These usually include passport, any visas, another form of id, booking printout, itineraries, boarding passes, bank card (preferably a travel one such as revolut) and cash. Also, gather together a list of numbers of people you can contact in emergencies or even useful contacts such as local taxis.

5. Be minimalistic and organised –

An important way to be able to pack more successfully is to pack as lightly as possible. Adopt an organised and minimalist approach to life. This will save space for things bought while travelling and will also make it easier to find everything. This is particularly important for hostel stays. Scrabbling around the bottom of my case looking for something in the pitch dark is not fun. I tend to go to sleep early and get up early where as many travellers go out and sleep during the day (the horror – choosing a night club over an early morning rise as the local bakery opens yum) so yeah, my point is that I can’t put the light on. I’m there with my little torch trying to be as quick and quiet as possible. Having everything organised in a certain place and as few items as possible makes this situation far more bearable.

As I mentioned above, you will pick up things along the way so remember to leave room for random knick-knacks. A tip I have here is to buy a shot glass in every country or city you visit. They are small, cheap and then can be presented nicely on a shelf once back home. This provides the perfect lead in to talking about your adventures!

Following on from above, after a long journey the last thing you want to do is lug around a big heavy bag or suitcase or several of them! A rookie mistake I once made was deciding to bring a bigger suitcase than I’d planned because I was going to be using trains rather than planes so there was no weight limit. Do not do this because I was so fed up of the extra weight that I was lugging around. It can really change your mood. Also, the day you arrive or leave when you have time to explore but have luggage – well this extra weight ruins that for you so always pack light. Also, remember that different airlines have different cabin baggage allowance. And don’t forget about the 100ml liquids rule!

6. How to pack –

To pack more successfully use as much of the available space as possible. For example, put socks in shoes and adopt the ‘jeans layering and roll’ approach. This way you can easily see all of your clothes and you know that the jeans are at the bottom. Rolling clothes saves space so this is a very effective travel packing tip. For bigger cases you can always repeat layers. Look at a photo below for examples of this. While on my semester abroad, I managed to pack for a month long trip using the 14″ suitcase below along with my handbag which is roughly 30cm by 20cm. So minimalism is possible! Unfortunately on the first day of the trip I had to return to Scotland instead of heading to LA because of the virus. However, as disheartening as these things are, remember that travelling will always be there so just start re-planning for the future!

7. Make a packing checklist –

As you are packing I would keep checking items of on a list. This prevents those moments of ‘oh no did I pack such and such’ and then having to constantly unpack and repack. Although, after packing I would still go through the list and check that everything is there. Look below for an example packing list to help you pack more successfully. I colour the items I have packed blue and the the items I am not taking in grey. I don’t remove these items of the list completely because they may be used in future travels so this way I can reuse my list for all trips. Not all items you will need are necessarily here, this is just a random example to show you the layout.

Packing tips summary –

1. Before packing check the weather.

2. Become culturally aware about the area you are travelling to.

3. Choose comofrtable footwear and clothing.

4. Aswell as clothes and footwear, make sure to pack snacks, a mask, hand sanitiser, a first aid kit, vital documents and something homely.

5. Pack as minimally as possible using the ‘jeans layering and roll’ approach.

6. Make a packing checklist.

Make sure to pin this post for your future travels!