It’s a dash to the airport! Pausing in the driveway, you do a last-minute mental rundown of the stuff you should have packed. T-shirts—check. Sandals—check. Shampoo, toothbrush, shaver—check, check, check. And off you go!
Only later you discover you’ve forgotten your camera. An umbrella. And the neck pillow for the plane. Dang! There’s just too much to manage!
Today’s tip ensures you pack everything necessary, every time. No matter how long or short, fancy or modest the journey, you will be ready to go before anyone can say, “Remember socks.”
TRAVEL TIP #3: Make yourself a custom master packing list.
In my computer, I have created a personalized master list of ALL things I might POSSIBLY take on ANY trip. Whenever I am heading out of town, I simply print off a copy and pack whichever items are applicable.
The articles are divided by category. For example, my first category is Documents/Tools/Electronics. The photo to the right shows an excerpt from that section. It’s highly unlikely I would take all those items on any single trip, but by reviewing the options, I am sure to include the things I will need.
My other standard categories are Clothing Items (Shirts/tanks, Sweaters/sweatshirts, Dresses, Pants/shorts, PJ’s, etc.), Toiletries/Medications (Sunscreen/aloe lotion, Vitamins, GSE, Hair dryer, Makeup, etc) and Miscellaneous (TSA bag locks, Backpack/fanny sac, Snacks, Water bottle, etc). I have extra lists with items for going Scuba Diving, Camping or Piloting an Airplane.
One special category I created is called Extra-Light Load. This checklist serves me when I have to travel with naught but the bare essentials.
Whatever time you put into making your own personalized master packing list, it will be readily offset by the time you’ll save packing for future trips. You may even consider laminating a copy and keeping it in a drawer.
Want to take your preparedness a step further? Keep a basic toiletry tote packed, so it’s ready on a moment’s notice.
If you are thinking about traveling to some exotic country, I have a tip that may give you peace of mind. That’s tomorrow…