Favorite Packing Tips for Summer Travel
Summer is here and hopefully you have a getaway or vacation planned in the coming weeks! After a weekend away last month, we thought it would be fun to compile some of our favorite packing tips after our recent travels.
To Check or Not to Check?
This topic always creates a debate! Most people lean into always carrying on, while others find checking bags is easier and makes for a less stressful trip. We say consider your travel companions and the type of trip, weather, duration of your stay, and your boarding group! Find out if the people you are traveling with are carrying on or checking their bags. It might be easier to align with the group. If your trip includes a wide range of activities or temperatures, you may need to pack more or less items. A breezy summer trip fits much better in a carryon than a cold weather hiking trip. And if you know you will board the plane early, chances are there will be plenty of room to stash your carry-on bag.
Art of Packing
When it’s time to pack, we love to utilize packing cubes for our items. Each person in your group can utilize a different color cube to help keep everyone’s stuff organized. To pack efficiently, review the weather for your destination and lay out all of the clothes you plan to bring. Choose a color palette that will stay versatile and allow you to mix and match options. We like to stick to basics that can do double duty or be layered. Now’s the time to wear your most-loved, favorite, comfortable, classic items. Button down shirts, blazers, and tank tops can all easily be dressed up or down. You will likely need less pairs of pants and shorts than you think and can get multiple wears out of them. Once you have your clothing selected, you can roll or fold items to fit snugly in your packing cubes.
If you’re trying to get away with only packing a carry-on, plan to wear your heaviest layers and bulkiest shoes on the plane. Any remaining shoes can go in your suitcase but don’t forget the valuable real estate inside your shoes! Tuck socks and odd-sized items in there to save room in the rest of your suitcase.
Are you a jewelry person? If you’re planning to wear jewelry we recommend keeping it simple and leave your more priceless, sentimental, or expensive items at home. The less you bring, the less likely you’ll be to lose anything. If you keep your jewelry pretty minimal at home, chances are you will keep it minimal while traveling and won’t need much! There are great travel containers for jewelry like roll pouches or small cases. Worth the investment if you travel a lot!
A Few Extras to Improve Any Trip
If you travel a lot we have a few favorite tips to streamline your packing and travel.
1. Keep a pouch or small bag with a set of chargers for all of your most used devices. Instead of packing these up every time, keep a travel set ready to throw in your suitcase without having to search your house for cords. We like these cord labels to keep everything organized.
2. Keep your travel toiletry bag stocked with items you know you will travel with. This might include a travel toothbrush and toothpaste, face wash, moisturizer, deodorant, and hair brush. We also like this little container and keep it stocked with a few tablets of medicine we might need while traveling (vitamins, benadryl, advil, tylenol, dramamine, pepto, imodium, etc). Make a label for each section and simply store in your carry-on. Great for emergencies!
3. A little steamer is the best item to give your clothes a boost when you’re traveling. This one is compact and works like a charm!
4. If you’re a perfume person, consider picking up a special new scent on your trip. It will remind you of your travels every time you wear it.
5. Travel chocolate is a non-negotiable must pack for your trip. You never know when a little square will come in handy to boost everyone’s mood.
6. A blazer and a scarf or poncho are the travel MVPs. Layers for warmth, can be dressed up and down, and easy to pack or drape over your bag.
We hope you have wonderful vacations this summer and arrive with your bags and without delays! And we would love to hear from you. Please share your packing tips and tricks in the comments!