How to Pack Your Suitcase - Travel Guide

Image by Arnel Hasanovic

Do you find packing your luggage a chore? 

While it's exciting and fun that a trip is around the corner, the idea of packing your suitcase can be quite tiring. Packing a suitcase can be a chore, especially if you fly frequently. It's not a complaint, but sometimes, it's hard to remember what are the things that you want to bring. Sometimes, you are requested to fly at the last minute, so packing has to be done in a hurry. While planning on what to put into the luggage, we would still need to be mindful of the weight limit - ranging from 7kg - 35kg. There are so many things at the back of your mind. 

Here's a tip! 

Make a list! It works wonder. 

I used to make a list for whenever I am packing my luggage so that I can remember what I need to put in my luggage. However, it can be really tedious to make a list frequently if you are a frequent flyer. There was a time when I had to pack my luggage every month, alternating between 2 different weather conditions; hot and humid vs cold and windy. It was really draining to make a list then pack the luggage.

One way to save all the trouble is to use Google Docs! You can simply create your own list in Word or Excel. I prefer Excel, so that I do not need to care about the formatting of the table. Cells won't go missing as well as compared to having a table in Word document. 

This is my list!

It's simple and straight to the point. With the list, you just need to decide how many articles of clothing you want to bring on the trip. Everyone has different needs, so the number of apparels would differ from others. Also, if the weight limit of my luggage is 7kg, I would only bring the necessities. For example, I would not necessarily bring my makeup or shoe spray for a beach vacation.

Here's another tip. 

If you frequently travel to countries to different seasons, you can list those the items as well, and colour-code the fields like what I did. I have a section when I am going to somewhere cold or hot. I also have a section for my business trip. It’s easier to focus when you have everything mapped out.

With this list, you can have a bird-eye view of what you need to bring on the trip. So, if you are packing for your family or kids, you can create a separate tab, especially for their items. It's neater this way. Moreover, you could share the list with your family member too so that he/she could help you with the packing. The list has an added advantage to families who are travelling with small kids. Your children can get involved and pack their own luggage. When you return from your trip, you can look through the list in the hotel while packing just so to make sure that your child did not leave anything behind. 

Of course, you can make your list more fanciful by having more colours, include photos for each section and etc. Anything that makes you happy. The ultimate goal of this guide is to save you the time and effort when it comes to packing your luggage.

Hopefully, with this guide, you would now find packing an easier chore and promote more excitement for your next trip. 

x, Esther