How to Pack for a Trip

I travel quite frequently for fun and occasionally for work. I like to think I have gotten packing down to a science, and today I shall share that scientific wisdom with you.

Make a list

I use a spreadsheet because I love spreadsheets. You don’t need to use a spreadsheet, but you should write down in some form or fashion what you plan to bring and then check off items as you pack them to ensure you don’t forget something essential. Because I’m very type A and legitimately have OCD, I get quite nervous about forgetting something essential and/or not having the right things for any possible situation I might encounter.

To deal with this, I’ve created a universal packing list. This packing list is a many-tabbed Google sheet monstrosity with a tab for every single trip I’ve been on in the past few years as well as some generic templates for different types of trips.

For example, I have a generic “city” packing list, “northern Minnesota” packing list, “international” packing list, “beach” packing list, and “work” packing list. Each of these lists has the general things I need for those settings - for example, I need my croakies and dive gear for a beach trip and I need a pen for those stupid customs forms on an international trip. Using this list, I can delete things I don’t need rather than thinking of all the things I do need for each trip, which reduces the likelihood of forgetting something important.

Conquer the toiletries

Toiletries are also very important. To me, packing toiletries is the most troublesome part of packing for a trip. I hate trying to fill stupid travel containers and I hate figuring out how strict an international airport will be about my liquids while I’m flying home (not an issue flying domestically thanks to TSA Precheck). I also have very high maintenance curly hair, which means I need to bring a ton of special hair products if I want to look vaguely presentable with my hair down while traveling.

Toiletry Tip 1: Keep a second set of all your toiletries specifically for traveling. This means you can basically keep it all packed and ready to go and don’t have to pack your daily items - and the real bonus is that when you come home, you don’t need to unpack your toiletries in order to take an everything shower and do your skincare routine.

Toiletry Tip 2: Turn liquids into solids. Instead of bringing a bottle of eye makeup remover and cotton rounds, pre-soak the cotton rounds in eye makeup remover and put them in a small tupperware or ziploc. I also do this with dish soap, which makes hotel sink laundry and stain removal a breeze.

Bring these things on every trip

Things that always come in handy:

• Ziploc bags - for a wet umbrella in your purse, for snacks, for toiletries, for a wet swimsuit, etc.

• The dish soap-soaked cotton rounds mentioned above + Tide to go pen

• Reusable tote bags - can be used for dirty laundry and/or at stores in places where shopping bags cost money

Keep a storage bin things that you only need for travel

This way, you don't need to look around your house to gather trip-specific items. Examples of these things include:

• Gear for things you only use on a trip (for example, my scuba dive gear)

• Transit cards for cities you visit frequently - when I get a transit card in a new city, I keep it so I can re-use it next time I visit that city.

• Airplane supplies, like a foot hammock or neck pillow

• International outlet adaptors

Packing cubes

These allow you to fit about twice as much clothing into your bag AND keep everything organized in your suitcase. Need I say more?

I like the packing cubes from Away ($45 for 4) and the two-sided ones from Muji ($13.90-$15.90 each).

Carry-on vs. checked luggage

I’m sure you’ve seen those stupid travel influencer videos talking about how they pack for two weeks in Europe in just a carry-on and show their packing. Do you want to know the true secret to packing for two weeks in Europe with just a carry-on? Traveling with your partner who is either checking a large suitcase because they don’t have lost luggage anxiety and/or bringing a third checked suitcase with a bunch of stuff that isn’t essential but is rather important.

Consider this: when have you ever seen an influencer fit all their filming equipment into their tiny little carry on? They’re checking luggage, my friends.

When packing, fill your carry-on with things you will absolutely need on your trip as well as anything that could not be easily replaced - your favorite clothes, toiletries, jewelry, etc. as well as medications and other essentials. Then use a checked bag for things that will be nice to have but won’t ruin your trip if they get lost - a clothes steamer, extra pair of shoes, alternate outfits, space for stuff you’ll buy to bring back.

You might be saying, “But Clare, checking luggage costs money! I don’t want to pay.” Suck it up and get the Delta Amex Gold card. It’s a $150 annual fee and includes a free checked bag for every flight. This pays for itself after about four flights. You’re welcome. I probably have a referral link that will give you bonus miles too. Hit me up. (If you don’t fly Delta I’m sure your preferred airline also has a credit card.)

Bring an empty suitcase

If you are going to a place where you know you’ll be shopping, bring a whole empty suitcase. We use the packable Patagonia Black Hole duffel backpack bags - we have one smaller one and one larger one. The larger one gets checked and has all of our non-essential items as well as the smaller one inside it (it folds up into its pocket and gets very compact).

These bags are also really handy when you’re doing train or car traveling once you get to your destination - rather than having to neatly pack up everything back into your suitcases, you can use the additional duffel for odds and ends. On the way home, we usually put dirty clothes into the duffel bags and check them and then put anything fragile and valuable in the hard-side carry-on bags, which we also sometimes check. They are also surprisingly comfortable to carry as backpacks.