Travelling is all fun and games especially when you are visiting a new location. You get these tiny vibrations on your body that translate into a giggly sensation as your travel dates draw closer. Then it hits you! Your trip is like 24 hours away and you haven’t packed a single item. Now it is just about not having packed but you don’t even know where to start…if you have ever felt this way, I put together these packing tips to help you pack effectively for your next trip.
Packing Tips
1. Research your destination
It is always a good idea to check up your destination a few days to your trip. A very important thing to check is the weather condition as this would inform the type of clothing to take along. You don’t need a winter jacket in Dubai?. This can help you pack effectively.
2. Have a checklist
This should be a small list of things you absolutely need on your trip and you should crosscheck this list once you are done packing to be sure you’ve got everything covered. One of my favourite travel bloggers @theufuoma put together a list of essential travel apps which features a packing app called Packpoint. You can check it out the full blogpost at www.theufuoma.com. This leads us to the next tip…
3. Know your essentials
All the things on your checklist should be the first to go in your travel bag/suitcase. If you are going to a cold location, a warm jacket is an absolute necessity. If you are going to a sunny region, tank tops will be your best bet. You get the drift right? So always pack essentials first!
4. Don’t fold…Roll!
Folding your clothes will take up too much space in your backpack. A more effective way is to roll up your clothes. You will be amazed how much more space this tiny trick will save you.
5. Pack only what you need!
I am a huge advocate for travelling light so I always attempt to travel with just one medium-sized backpack and small traveller’s bag. This forces me to pack only what I need. An example of what I took on my last trip were shorts, sleeveless tops, a pair of sneakers & flip flops each, laptop, phone (of course), cap. All of these went into my backpack.
My small traveller’s bag contained my passport, health card and other travel documents. The idea behind putting my travel documents in the small bag is just for any reason that my backpack gets stolen or misplaced, I can carry myself jeje to the airport and go back to my country in one piece. You don’t want to “misplace” your GREEN passport in a foreign country!
Bonus Tip
I recently found a great travel site that allows you compare various accommodation options all in one place. The name of this site is AllTheRooms. The amazing thing about this site is that it combines results from 400+ booking sites with one search and it is perfect for finding the best accommodation for your next trip. One search gives you ALL THE ROOMS?. Do check it out!
I definitely hope you find these tips useful as you prepare for your next trip/adventure. Got any interesting tips/tactics you employ on your trip preparation? Do share in the comment section. Keep being a journey rockstar!