Imagine packing for five different locations, two different climates, six different flights not including connections and four curling events … all before Christmas. WHAT?!
Exactly. Even I, someone who travels a lot, think it’s crazy, but it is my reality for the next month of my life.
But I will be clear, I am not complaining because one of the destinations is a hot getaway that could only be co-ordinated for the end of this month and another destination is Japan. I am simply saying that the logistics of packing for this month-long adventure is a little overwhelming, especially when I am also packing for a three-year-old for part of it.
However, it got me thinking about all the times I have packed and unpacked my suitcase for different trips and some of the things I do and don’t do to make the process a little smoother.
Perhaps you have some Christmas travel planned or a southern destination, so here is some of my travel and packing tips:
When packing….
- Never pack last minute. You always end up taking way more than you need.
- Make a list leading up to your trip of things you need to take and then take a good hard, honest look at that list to determine if you really need everything.
- Going away for a week? You don’t need seven pairs of pants. You don’t even really need four pairs of pants. As long as you are showering at least every other day, your clothes will be clean enough to wear more than twice. You should be able to get away with two pairs of pants if you are trying to pack light, three if you really need more. For tops or shirts, sure, taking four of five of those makes sense.
- Take mix-and-match outfits. If you take two pairs of pants or shorts, make them jeans and black, grey or brown, so you can wear almost anything on top. And if your trip is somewhere cool that will leave you wanting a hot toddy after your day of touring, remember to take long sleeves and layers as they will pack better and you’ll stay warm.
- To pack your clothes, consider rolling them instead of folding them. Often this will cut down on wrinkles (if rolled properly) and can save room.
- Plan to do some shopping on your trip? Remember not to jam-pack your suitcase. If you have a shopping habit, leave some room in your luggage. Othersie, you’ll be wearing half of your new clothes and souvenirs on the way home. You could consider packing a small extra bag just in case you get out of hand a buy a pile of things you just can’t live without. (C’mon, we’ve all done it!)
- For kids, their clothes are generally easy to wash because they are small. Take some powdered laundry detergent in a Ziploc bag or go to a travel store for travel-size laundry soap packs. This way, although kids are likely to get their clothes dirtier, you don’t have to overpack for them either.
Once the travel begins…
- Going overseas? Try to plan your arrival time for after 4 p.m. local time. That way by the time you get your luggage, check into your hotel and get a bite to eat, you will have minimal time to kill before bed. Arriving too early in the day after a long travel adventure will likely leave you walking through the streets like a zombie in another world.
- Consider taking some snacks from home such as trail mix, granola bars and even a small jar or packets of peanut butter. It’s nice to have some tastes of home sometimes. It’s also handy to have them on long days of touring and on the airplane.
- One of the most important things you can do to help combat jet lag is drink water, especially on the long overseas flights. Sure the flight attendants will come around with water, but it happens so infrequently that you would think there is a water shortage. Therefore, buy your own bottles of water before getting on the plane. For short domestic flights, I suggest 500mL to one litre of H2O. For overseas flights, I suggest two litres or more.
- Also for overseas flights: sleep, sleep, sleep. I know it can be exciting to get on the plane and see that they have great movie options on the TV, but watching a flick is only going to cut into your sleep and jet lag prevention time. If you really want to watch the tube, check out one or two of the short sitcoms while waiting for your meal. Once you eat, focus on sleep. Block out as much stimulation as possible by wearing an eye mask, using earplugs and even take some melatonin to help you doze off.
Now, as long as I follow my own advice, my packing process and month-long adventure should go quite smoothly. The only challenges might be what I like to call airport and airplane etiquette. But that’s a whole other blog that you can check out next time.
Jill Officer will appear on the Global Winnipeg Morning News on Wednesday to talk about her adventures.
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