As my regular readers will know, my husband and I are off on a week’s holiday later in the month. Before we go on any trip, whether it’s a weekend away, a mid week trip or a longer holiday, without fail, I create a packing list in my bullet journal which includes absolutely everything that I plan to take no matter how obvious the items are – I’ll even list the contents of my handbag even though the stuff is already inside. Today, I’m going to share with you my three reasons for making the aforementioned list and why I believe is an essential part of holiday preparation.
It helps you avoid under or over-packing
Before starting my packing list, I spend time thinking carefully about the length of our holiday and how many days worth of clothing I will need. I’ll also think about whether I will need more than one outfit for any of the days or if it’s likely we will be going out for the day and then coming back in the evening and staying in. Finally, I’ll consider whether any items will be re-worn or if, for example, they might have become sweaty if it’s really hot weather. The same process will be applied to my underwear items so I know I have just the right amount of stuff. This helps me avoid over or under packing and usually means that I have the perfect amount of clothing. After careful consideration I will work on my clothing list, writing down exactly how many of items were I need multiples e.g. 15 pairs of socks, 5 bras etc.
It ensures you don’t forget any essentials
There are always a number of items which you absolutely must take on your holiday. For me, this is things like my medication, mobile phone, debit cards and cash, hairbrush and for somewhere hot, sunscreen, a cap and my sunglasses. These would go on my essentials list and are written down first when I create by bullet journal spread. Doing this ensures you don’t forget any essentials – or at least it does if you run through your list before you set off and tick off all of the items!
You can pack methodically in a (relatively) stress free way
In the past, I’ve found packing my bags for departure extremely stressful, even to the point of inducing tears. Creating a packing list makes things much easier and a hell of a lot calmer. By going down your list for each category, you can get each item folded (or rolled) and ready in a collection so all that remains is to decide where it will go in your suitcase or bag.
As part of my list, I also add a ‘last minute’ list which includes things which will be in use at home before travel e.g. my toothbrush, hairbrush and make up, and tasks which need completing before setting off e.g. emptying the kitchen bin, watering our pots in the front and back garden etc.
You can keep your lists to help you next time
As all of my packing lists are written in my bullet journals, I can flick back and find a similar holiday list to help me get started. So, for example, if we’re going down to visit my parents in the summer time, I can look back at last years list and re-write it with some tweaks such as adding new items of clothing, removing bits and pieces that I no longer own etc. This makes things super quick and easy and again contributes to packing being a less stressful event!
It stops you stressing over forgotten items
My husband always says to me in the car to the airport or on our way to our destination “have you remembered anything that you’ve forgotten yet?”. Invariably, my answer is no, unless I forgot to do my last minute check through like I did when we went to my mum and dad’s house last and I forgot my hairdryer as it was in use prior to setting off. In the past, for my husband, the answer was quite regularly “yes” when I replied “have you?” until he realised a list on his phone might be of great help!
As well as preventing you forgetting things (at least minimising the potential), it also means that you don’t have to then go searching for replacements at your destination. This is particularly helpful if you’re going somewhere remote with limited access to shops, if you prefer particular products (e.g. I only use vegan cosmetics and toiletries) or if you’re going abroad somewhere (especially if you don’t speak the language). It might not be the end of the world if you forget non-essential items but it often causes some form of inconvenience at least.
My packing list for this month’s holiday
There are lots of packing lists examples available online and you can even purchase PDF versions, but personally, I prefer writing my own from scratch for each holiday. This means it’s completely personal to me and relevant to the particular destination, season and length of time I’m away for. I also take my list with me in my bullet journal when I go so that I can do a quick whizz through before we go home so I can check I’ve repacked everything. Below is my packing list for our holiday to Wales. It’s still a work in progress as we’re not heading off yet and I like to take my time with it.
Final words…
I hope you’ve found today’s blog post useful and can see how creating a packing list, for me, is an essential before travel task which is great for making me much more relaxed and better organised. Drawing up your own personalised list can lead to you feel less stressed and better prepared and I promise you will realise what a worthwhile activity it is. I’d love to know where you think would be the best place to write your list (analogue or digital?) and if you can see the benefits of keeping them in a safe place until your next holiday.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. Some of my readers have messaged me via email and have expressed an interest in dropping a comment or asking a question after reading a particular blog post. Unfortunately, this involves setting up a WordPress account but, luckily, it doesn’t take long and, once created, you can leave comments on any blog posts (from bloggers who use WordPress) which spark your interest. Also, you don’t need to be a blogger to set up account either. I hope this helps! I plan to paste this into each of my posts in future but have put it in post script so my regular readers and fellow bloggers can ignore!
Keeping it creative 