My Top 3 Packing Tips + Picks

Have you ever gone on a roadtrip and been the one with THE MOST luggage? Everyone makes fun of you but you can tell they’re also a little annoyed that you’re taking up all the trunk space. It’s the worst right? Well, honey, I am not a light packer. I am perpetually afraid…nay, TERRIFIED that I’m going to forget something. But, over the years, I’ve picked up a couple tricks. Here’s my top 3:

Make a Checklist

I’m a total list person. In fact, sometimes I make lists of things I need to make lists about. Character flaw? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Genius? I choose to believe the latter. When I make my packing lists, I start by making a list of outfits by day. For example, for Vegas, I’ll be getting in Thursday afternoon, staying Friday, Saturday, and road trippin’ home on Sunday. So my outfit list looks like this:

I then use that list to start my OFFICIAL PACKING CHECKLIST which is a big one and therefore needs to be in all caps. I put each item from each outfit into 9 categories: tops, bottoms, underwear, skin, hair, accessories, and other. Colored pens are optional, but obviously make this tedious task a little more exciting. That list looks a little something like this:

Some things on my lists probably wouldn’t make sense to anyone but me, but that’s okay! Their whole purpose is just to give me some peace of mind and ease that nagging “I forgot something” feeling that I inevitably feel anytime we travel. (BTW, Mimi is my security blanket. I’ve had it all my life, and it comes everywhere with me. Not sorry lol.)

Polaroids

Once I’ve got my lists together, it’s time to try on all the outfits. I’m not going to lie. This is my least favorite part and I ALWAYS wait until the last minute. I find that this is an essential step though, because it never fails that there is an outfit that looked way cuter in your head and now you may need to make adjustments. Now, if you don’t already think I’m a crazy organizational freak, get ready… I then take Polaroids of each outfit to use as a reminder of what goes with what. Sometimes these are mirror selfies, sometimes I do little flat lays. I know it seems over the top, but I saw Kimmy K. do it on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and contrary to popular belief…that woman is a genius.

Packing Cubes

I’m married to a military man which comes with a few perks. One of those perks is that the man can pack a damn suitcase. I mean…he’s good. I used to throw everything I wanted to take with me in a big ol’ pile in the middle of our bedroom and just let him pack for me. But, packing cubes make it so much easier. I remember the first time I heard about packing cubes and I thought, “so… bags within a bag? dumb.” but the more I saw other people using them, the more I knew I had to give them a shot and y’all… I am never going back. Packing cubes allow you to organize things by category (my second favorite way to organize things after color coding hahaha) and make getting through security at the airport way easier. Also, if you’re like me and can’t stand living out of a suitcase, they make un-packing at the hotel (or AirBnB, or your mom’s house, or whatever…) a cinch. Just lift your packing cube out and stick it in the drawer and you’re done. Your home away from home is now organized and your clothes are easily accessible.

I got these darling little cactus packing cubes on Amazon for a steal. They’re soft so they conform in my hard-sided luggage nicely and keep everything organized (jeez…how many times have I said the word “organized” in this post?!). You can shop my packing cubes and my luggage below! My luggage set comes in 7 colors- we have the Tiffany Blue and affectionately refer to them as “lil blue” and “big blue”. They’ve held up well through many a connecting flight, rainstorm, and being sat on by an emotional support dog in the PDX airport. My packing cubes come in 24 (yeah…TWENTY FOUR) different prints. The one with the little bears on it is adorable and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t regret not grabbing that set too ;)