You’ve booked your tickets, taken the pets to the kennel and asked your sister to water your plants. Now, you’re counting down the days to the holiday that you’ve been looking forward to for the last year! However, there’s one small hurdle that you still have to overcome before you can get on the plane and kiss your worries goodbye for the next 10 days. And that is packing your suitcase…
Being at home is easy – you’ve got all of your things at arm’s length. You don’t need to think about what you need as you already have it there. But, when you go on holiday, you have to predict what things you’ll need – clothing, toiletries and otherwise because chances are very good that you won’t find a place to buy these where you are going.
Another challenge is that you can’t overpack your suitcase. If you’re travelling in your own car, the weight of your luggage isn’t too much of a problem. But if you’re travelling by plane, the airlines are very strict about how much you can take with you and will slap you with excess baggage charges if you go over. And while you could stomach paying excess baggage charges on the way back (because you’ve bought too much stuff!) paying them on the way, there is absolutely criminal!
So here’s a guide on how to pack a suitcase properly so that you fit everything is and don’t end up packing too much.
Edit Your Choices
When you’re packing, don’t – at first – think about how little you should be packing as the chances are good that you’ll forget that vital bit of clothing (like a swimsuit to a beach holiday) in your effort to go minimalist. So, rather put out everything that you think that you’ll need and then trim your choices.
Don’t Pack Anything That Wrinkles
When your suitcase or bag is moved around, you could find that your clothes move around quite a bit. And if they are cotton or a similar fabric, they will wrinkle – which will make you look as if you’ve slept in your clothing! So when you pack, rather opt for clothes in fabrics that don’t wrinkle.
Don’t Forget Your Chargers And Electronic Devices
It’s so easy to forget to pack your electronic devices – such as your tablet – or, worse still, the charger for the said device as it’s always plugged in at home!
Make sure that you make a list of everything that you’re going to need to take with you – from clothes and toiletries to chargers. If you’re going to a bit more of a rustic setting, check and see if they’ve got double adapters because most cellphone chargers need a two-prong plug to charge. If you’re travelling internationally, make sure that you get an international adapter so that although you may not be able to use the country’s voice network, you’ll still be able to call family and friends using the hotel’s Wi-Fi network.
