Packing for a long journey is an art that oh so often goes wrong and haunts you for your whole trip. The tips below are our learned lessons, mistakes we’ve made on short and long holidays and how we have learnt to rectify them. Planning ahead is a must with packing – I tend to put bits and bobs into my bag weeks/months before the trip so I don’t forget anything. Pack well and right and your trip will be a lot smoother.
- Pack light – this is an important one, not only will you pick up items along the way which will add to your weight, but baggage limits fluctuate amongst airlines, by packing light you avoid any additional baggage fees later in the trip.
- Pack items that you don’t mind getting rid of at a later date – this includes anything from old clothes to cosmetics to shoes etc etc, obviously items you aim to use, but won’t be too heartbroken about throwing/giving away if you need to strip some bag weight.
- Reduce the weight of the bag in the hold by putting liquids up to 100ml in hand luggage e.g. 50ml heavy glass perfume bottle – if your bag is too heavy, maximise on the 100ml liquids hand luggage rule when flying.
- Always try and leave a bit of space in the bag – it will help you in the long run!
- Check weather/climate in countries before you go – this is paramount and easy to forget. Packing clothes for the wrong climate can be a costly and cold mistake to make. As you can see in the photo, I really didn’t pack the right clothes to go trekking in a snowy Yosemite, denim jackets are definitely not waterproof.
- Roll clothes instead of folding – Not only is this a space saver but it also and most importantly keeps the crinkles out of your clothes.
- Get a good quality bag – the last thing you want when you are away is your bag breaking – spend a bit of money on one, it is your companion throughout the whole journey! Bags with both wheels and a rucksack are perfect! Osprey and Caribee are two popular brands.
Have you got any packing tips? Comment below and share them with other future travellers, together we can all make packing more of a joy and less than a chore.
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