Master Packing List and Travel Tips
As a follow-up to my article "On the Road Organization", I wanted to share with you how I pack for travel, to make things as simplistic as possible. Last year, I created a Master Packing List, it was a Trello card with four checklists inside: Makeup, Clothes, Food and Miscellaneous items (eg. phone chargers etc).
For each trip, I would make a copy of the master list and adapt and change the items based on whether it was a business or pleasure trip, or remove items based on the time of year and/or weather forecast.
It made my travel so efficient as I never forgot anything, and didn't have to keep creating new lists from scratch every time I traveled. Here's a preview of my list:
Also, I found originally I was always packing and unpacking my toiletry bag and it would take me the most time, so I decided to keep it packed all the time and this has saved me so much time and energy. Instead of listing all the items on the packing list, I just listed "travel roll-up pack" as everything was already packed. Just grab and go. I had small bottles for everything and would just refill them when I got home so that they were ready for my next trip.
Here are some great tips I learned throughout my travels, and a few I learned from people I met on planes that traveled the majority of their time:
-Pack vitamin c, ginger-tabs and probiotics that you can take while travelling and a few days before and after.
-use disinfectant wipes to wipe down surfaces on plane or train (although they may appear clean they could still carry germs that you don't want to be exposed to).
-use hand sanitizer often and don't touch your eyes, nose, mouth or ears (that is the secret that a doctor once told me on why they rarely get sick while seeing sick people all day long).
-bring your water bottle and/or reusable coffee mug to fill up at airports and hotels (also saves the planet from single use plastic), if the water isn't filtered get a bottle with a brita filter built in.
-roll your clothes (instead of folding) to maximize your space, and always (as much as possible) travel with carry-on luggage to avoid lost luggage and delays etc.
-if you are on an extended trip with a carry on bag you can invest in the vacuum seal bags, that take all of the air out of your clothes (so you can pack even more).
-invest in a portable steamer for your clothes if you need them to be wrinkle-free.
-you can get your laundry done at hotel if you stay for 2 consecutive days, aim to stay at the same hotel for 2 days in middle of trip - which enables you to use a carry on bag for a 2-3 week trip.
Those are the tips that I found most useful for my recent 7 weeks on the road. Would love to hear if you have other tips that work for you. Please share in the comments below.
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