I try to pack as little as possible. Of the items I do pack, I bring travel-specific clothing - very lightweight, packable, quick-drying. Mostly clothing meant for ultralight backpackers. I put one change of clothing and my toiletries in a relatively small backpack to carry-on, and check a bag. I also wear a cross-body bag as my personal item, containing my noise-cancelling earbuds, sunglasses, and travel paperwork. If I anticipate needing heavier waterproof shoes or hiking boots, I wear them on the plane so as to not weigh down my luggage with them.

Many European airports don't use jet bridges, and you have to haul your carry-on luggage down/up rolling stairs pushed up to the aircraft - not as easy as just rolling a bag across a jet bridge.

If I'm going to be moving around from place to place, carry on only. Agree with packing a capsule wardrobe, with one base color and everything coordinates with everything else. A lot of people like black, but I prefer navy blue. This saves room in clothes but also helps limit the number of shoes you need to take. Pack comfy walking shoes and one dressier pair. If you need something like hiking boots, wear them on the plane. I only take natural fibers, since performance fabrics hold odors and are harder to rewear. The light merino wool t-shirts are great for travel. Unless I'm going somewhere I know I will have scheduled formal events, I've learned that I really don't need more than one dress. Usually, dark pants with a sweater and/or scarf is sufficient.

Limit the size and number of things that need to go in your "wet" bag. I use contact lens cases for creams like foundation, face cream, lip balm, etc. They'll easily hold enough for a week. For travel, I use toothpaste tablets. Neutrogena makes tiny little squares that are water activated facial soap that I really like.umku

I take a Ziploc bag with laundry detergent sheets in my suitcase . Half of one is enough to do laundry in a sink, and it's handy to have detergent if you need to use a laundromat. They take up very little space and also make my suitcase smell nice. I also take a small microfiber towel that is handy for many things, including rolling up and squeezing moisture out of sink laundry. I also take a small bottle of the Downy wrinkle releaser/freshening spray for when I don't have time to do laundry.

I keep a toiletry kit packed at all times. I refill it when I return from a trip. There were so many times I’d pack at the last minute and forget tweezers or something and not realize it until the morning when I was running to a morning meeting on my work trip. I keep the toiletry bag hanging in the closet at home.

I pack empty bags for laundry in my suitcase. I also keep lavender sachets in my suitcase.

For short work trips (with just a carry on), I pack an entire outfit in a packing cube. So one packing cube will have a dress, 1 bra, tights, everything I’d wear with it. Another cube will have one pair of pants, shirt, 1 bra, 1 pair of socks, etc. It makes it easier to get dressed quickly to have it all in one place and not dig through the suitcase looking for things.

But for long vacations I only use packing cubes for socks and underwear. When I have a large checked bag, I like to be able to see everything at once. Packing cubes make that too hard especially when I rewear things and mix and match over the course of several days. My large suitcase of choice is a trunk style. I like to fold everything kind of standing up (Marie Kondo style) so when I open the trunk I can see everything. This may not work for a lot of folks though.

I don't unpack my ziplock bags with the small containers for liquid toiletries and non-liquid toiletries purchased in travel size like combs, mirrors, spare shower caps, soap, toothbrush and floss etc.. When I start to pack for another trip, I just go through and refill items as needed. Never forget anything this way. I also permanently store things like my travel size hairdryer and shower shoes in the carry on. I also have baggies labelled for chargers by equipment and medications in that carry on.

If you’re a personal-only kind of traveler, try to find a Global Travel Clothing jacket:

https://poshmark.com/listing/THEJOEY-Travel-Coat-Lots-of-Zip-POCKETS-Red-Jacket-w-Hood-Lined-in-Black-67d3995b1df6363b43c96d98

Put fluffy things in the jacket packets.

Put your heavy things in the personal item bag.

If you are flying, pack light and don't pack anything you'd hate to lose.

Anonymous wrote:I pre-pack in laundry baskets for up to a week before the trip. If I know I want to wear or bring something, it goes in the basket. That way, when I’m ready ti actually pack, it’s all gathered in one place.

I do this too, but include a basket for non-clothes like umbrella, gifts, etc.

I know OP said no lists but for me the way I know I have everything is that the list is categorized toiletries (which I do keep packed), other non-clothes, clothes by person, baby gear when had a baby, stuff my husband can't forget, things you can do in advance (gather medication, etc.), things to do in the morning (like change heat setting), things you have to pack or make sure you still have day of (things you use in the morning, IDs, cash, tickets), and the last category is all the separate items that go in the car so each suitcase or bag or water bottle listed.

I had this all typed out in a spreadsheet and would print it each time. It has some white space to add items, but I also kept a separate tab with all the special occasion items. Then a week before, I would read that tab and move anything I need to the main list, print it, cross out typical things I don't need this time. Then you can start gathering items throughout the week.

By having it organized in those groupings, it allows it to be culled down as you go. It always annoyed me that I'd have travel shampoo but not some other toiletries that I'd use in the morning, so I organized the list to split those up. So I can make sure I have all the ones I don't need to use all week already packed but I don't forget the others. To me the list is my visualization.

I only carry on, so when the suitcase is full, you’re done!

I read once to think of what you wear on a Saturday while running errands, and that’s your ideal travel outfit. Pack for comfort, despite your maybe-lofty inclinations.

My solution is black for about 90% of everything: pants, tops, bras .. And 10% for color, like a blouse or a dress.

Shoes take up the most space, so try to limit them. I start with shoes at the bottom of my carryon and work up from there, with lighter/more delicate items at the top of the bag.

I take what I want and check my bag. Keep essentials in my personal bag. No carryon for me.

Anonymous wrote:Lay everything on the bed. Make outfits so everything goes with everything. I stick with 2 colors and an accent. I pack for 5 days always.(unless shorter trip). I can wash if it's a longer trip.
I don't always pack favorite clothes, I pack favorite travel clothes. At this point there is a set 2-3 outfit combinations I always wear for a warmer weather trip so I just pull those. Add whatever special outfit I need (swimsuits or wedding dresses).
I learned that for ski trips I need ski stuff and like 1 go to dinner outfit. The rest is travel clothes and a pair of yoga pants for inside hotel. Easy.
For beach 3 swim suits, 2 loose dresses, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pants (wear on plane) and 3 tshirts max and a long sleeve something. Always a light or heavier scarf/pareo depending on weather.

This.

I also make lists for kids so they prepare their own clothes stuff (when they were younger, I asked them only if all on the bed and then we went through it and I helped them pack it either in a large suitcase or a small carry on.

I also lay most of stuff on the bed and then pack it.

For longer trip where I visit family and need to pack gifts, and take several suitcases, I usually have the suitcases out and open and start packing gifts and things I don’t use as I get them.

Then for our clothes, do like pp did.

I also use bags (shopping or laundry bags that hotels have) also different sizes of ziplocs. So pack underwear in a ziploc, beach stuff in a different ziploc, toiletries and so on. Then when I get to destinations I just take out and put in drawer or closet. I guess these are the predecessors and simplified packing cubes but I still prefer them to packing cubes.

I also travel often, so have pre-packed toiletry bag, so just throw it in.

Also, usually throw in either a lightweight backpack (those that can be made very compact) or canvas shopping bag. Find them useful at destination or if need an extra bag.

I pre-pack in laundry baskets for up to a week before the trip. If I know I want to wear or bring something, it goes in the basket. That way, when I’m ready ti actually pack, it’s all gathered in one place.

If it’s a big trip and the sort where you can’t easily acquire things you have forgotten, then the best tip I have is to do a dry-run of each day, “packing” everything as you run through the day. I do this by laying everything out on our guest bed.

Lay everything on the bed. Make outfits so everything goes with everything. I stick with 2 colors and an accent. I pack for 5 days always.(unless shorter trip). I can wash if it's a longer trip.
I don't always pack favorite clothes, I pack favorite travel clothes. At this point there is a set 2-3 outfit combinations I always wear for a warmer weather trip so I just pull those. Add whatever special outfit I need (swimsuits or wedding dresses).
I learned that for ski trips I need ski stuff and like 1 go to dinner outfit. The rest is travel clothes and a pair of yoga pants for inside hotel. Easy.
For beach 3 swim suits, 2 loose dresses, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pants (wear on plane) and 3 tshirts max and a long sleeve something. Always a light or heavier scarf/pareo depending on weather.

Something other than “make lists”.

I have been making lists, but now I need to compile things and visualize what I have, what I need, and how I’m going to pack everything. I want to see what I have and what I still need. I guess one option is to lay everything out on a bed or something, but maybe you have a better idea?

What are your best packing tips? Walk me through what the week before a big trip looks like for you!