My Last Minute Packing Method
Let’s see if this sounds familiar. You know you have a trip coming up and you’re super excited about it. It’s weeks out and you’re already counting the days, and then, we all know what happens…
“Oh my gosh! (insert expletive here, ha!) How is it already Thursday?! I can’t believe we leave tomorrow! I haven’t even started to pack, let alone think about a packing list!”
We all know know how it works… We don’t pack when we have time the weekend before… We still don’t pack during the week… We forget to do laundry… We don’t have time to make a list… And all of a sudden it’s the night before you leave and you have load after load of laundry running and you’re just trying to figure out where to start with no list and no time. I have become a master at packing under these harsh conditions. Read on to see my secrets to last minute packing!
Step 1: Everyday Items (this is the key!)
The first thing I do is think about everything that I use on a daily basis that, if I had any choice, I wouldn’t choose to live without during my trip. I literally walk myself through a normal day. This should get everything from your toothbrush to your phone charger. I start with what I do
when I wake up, I skip getting dressed (this will evolve into another step later because… well… clothes…), getting showered, taking my meds, doing my makeup and hair, leaving the house, coming back to the house, getting ready for bed and, lastly, I end with getting in bed to go to sleep.
The items you use daily remain pretty much the same but they can change in regards to packing depending on what type of trip I’m taking and on how I’m getting where I’m going. For example, I may choose to bring my pillow with me if I’m driving somewhere (I really like my own pillow) but if I’m flying then it doesn’t quite make sense to take up precious space with my pillow, especially if there will be a pillow where I am staying.
Some of the things that I grab during Step 1 are my water bottle, phone charger, chap stick, glasses, hygiene products, jewelry, medication, hair stuff, makeup, purse, pillow, etc.
Step 2: The Clothes
Don’t let this part intimidate you! Sometimes it can be SO HARD to figure out whether you’ll need tank tops, short sleeves, long sleeves, a sweatshirt, a wrap, a jacket, etc. Do we pack shorts, capris, pants, a skirt, a dress, what!? There’s always the option to check the weather before you
pack but we all know that can change overnight. And we don’t want to over pack by packing some of everything. So here’s what I go by:
- Pack enough tops and underwear for as many days as you’ll be gone + 1, for example, I’m going on a 5 day cruise, I will pack 6 tops and underwear (I’m sure I’ll want to change at least once… ha! or at least have a selection to choose from)
- Pack enough bottoms for as many days as you’ll be gone -2 (let’s get real, we can re-wear bottoms…)
- Pack enough bras to have the right one for each top you are bringing (secret – pick the same types of tops if you can to lessen the number of bras you need!)
- Pack a set of pjs for every 3 nights you’ll be away (I feel like they start to feel yucky after 3 wears…)
- Pack no more than 4 pairs of shoes… you should be able to make that work with some combination of open toed, close toed, active wear, and dress shoes.
- Lastly, pack anything special you need – examples may be wedding attire, a business outfit, or a bathing suit
- PS – don’t worry about the “what if’s”, I’ll cover that in Step 4!
Step 3: Trip Specific
Okay, so we have the essentials, we have the clothes, now it’s time for the trip specific items. For every trip we go on, one of the things we need to think about is if this trip is a specific type of trip: beach, cruise, pool, business, snowboarding/skiing, hiking/camping, mountain biking, etc. For each one of these trips, there are definitely things you will want to pack that are specific to the activities you’ll be doing during your trip. Here are some examples:
- Beach Trip: baby powder (gets the sand off), sunscreen, bathing suit, beach towel, drink holders, clothes pins/towel pins, beach chair, boogie boards, sand toys, beach tent, etc.
- Cruise: dry erase board, door decorations, lanyard, passport (if traveling abroad), towel clips, refillable water bottle (I bring one of those on every trip I go on, it almost always saves me money!)
- Business: Laptop, business cards, extra dress clothes, portfolio, job opening flyers, etc.
- Snowboarding/Skiing: winter coat, snow pants, snowboard/ski’s and boots, hats, gloves, etc.
- Hiking/Camping: hiking boots, hiking pack, mini burner, pot/cup, matches, bug spray, walking stick, etc.
Whatever the trip type may be, think through what it is that you will be doing on the trip outside of a normal day around the house or running errands. This should help make sure you get everything you may need for that type of trip. When in doubt, looking up packing lists for that type of trip online can help!
Step 4: The “What If’s”
So, we’ve got all of our standard stuff… our every day needs, our clothes, our extras specific to this trip. Now you must be asking – “but what if…?” Well, lucky for you, that’s
the last category we are going to look at. Below I’ve listed some of the the “what if’s” that I have planned for. You may not feel you need all of these or you may think you need WAY more. Either way, hopefully this gives you a starting point when you are making your list or doing your packing.
- What if it rains: rain coat, umbrella, rain boots
- What if I get sick/hurt: cold medicine, Tums, Advil, Tylenol, band-aids, Neosporin
- What if my phone dies: battery pack, charger
- What if I get cold: blanket, sweatshirt, close toed shoes, gloves, hat, boots, base layers, jacket, hand warmers
- What if I spill something on my outfit: extra outfit, stain stick, laundry detergent, dryer sheets
- What if I want to workout: work out clothes, sneakers, socks, headphones, armband for phone, headband, running belt
- What if I get bored: book, activity book/pencil, coloring book/crayons/colored pencils, handheld game system/charger, tablet/charger, computer/charger, deck of cards, headphones/dongle
There are plenty of “what if” scenarios. Whatever it is that has you worried, ease your mind by preparing for it. Below you will find additional packing tips that can help you stay on top of packing.
Bonus Tips For Packing
Here are some bonus tips for packing last minute:
- Keep your travel size toiletries filled from your everyday containers for fast packing
- Use packing cubes to organize your suitcase and fit the most possible
- Stick a tile in your bag to keep track of it (especially when traveling by air, you can see if your bag made it on the plane!)
- Find a packing list that works for you and use it as your base each time you travel (there’s one you can download below!)
Download My Packing List!
Want to use this to help when you pack? Download a PDF below organized by Category or by Step.
Extra Tip – Print the PDF and put it in a sheet protector, use a dry erase marker to cross things off as you pack and wipe it clean to keep using it for every trip!
