Good planning=Good Execution

Laid out and ready to be filled, my luggage is the ultimate puzzle and brain game challenge of careful preparation and skill. Starting days before takeoff, my packing routine involves meticulous consideration for outfit planning, shoe selection, and accessory decisions to make for the easiest trip. This is absolutely required to execute the most perfect travel packing. Reduce, reuse, and reuse?

Planning for a trip is the most tiring, stressful, exciting, and exhausting task one must complete prior to a trip or vacation. Everyone packs different. Toss it in and zip it up. Fold once, twice, and again to neatly place your items for easy access. However, for me, it all begins with the list. No phones necessary. Rewind, because we’re going back to good old-fashioned pen and paper. I am in no way an expert, but I have mastered the perfect routine, for myself.

Start off with your list. We’re going to categorize the contents of our luggage. Here is an example list for what I might consider packing for a weekend getaway to Vancouver.

1.       Clothing

a.       Pants (jeans/ripped, linen)

b.       Shirts (Flowy top, Aritzia tube top…)

c.       Shorts (linen)

d.       Dresses

2.       Intimates

a.       Pjs

b.       Undies

c.       Socks

3.       Accessories

a.       Hair care (Brush, curling iron, hair ties)

b.       Jewelry

c.       Bags (crossbody/shoulder)

4.       Shoes

a.       Runners (Fila and Sambas)

b.       Flats (Floral slip-ons)

c.       Heels (White espadrilles)

5.       Toiletries

a.       Toothbrush and toothpaste

b.       Skin cream

c.       Makeup

d.       Menstrual products

e.       Retainer

6.       Tech

a.       Phone charger

b.       Air pods

c.       iPad

This is not an exhaustive list. I may include more, not pack certain things, or stray so far from the origin of the list, but as a guide, it helps me to limit what I’m packing, and pack strategically.

Let’s start with clothing.  Hot tip #1 is to throw on a little fashion show for you and your reflection. Try on everything you plan on packing for the trip. It’s important to keep in mind the activities you’re doing, places you’re going, or the restaurants you’re going to when selecting your wardrobe for the trip. Can you wear the summer floral dress more than once? Maybe you’ll pack it. Maybe you pack a pair of jean shorts because you may want to wear them. Can you make an outfit out of them? Maybe you’ll pack it. I think what’s helped me in the past is creating outfits based on the things I will be doing on my trip. If I can re-wear items in a different way to make a completely different outfit, then it’s something that I will consider packing.

Shoes. The clunkiest thing to pack. Start off with your airport shoes. This is a great way to include shoes on your trip that won’t take up space in your luggage. A classic pair of sneakers always wins. There’s your first pair.

You’re going to a fancy dinner so maybe you want to pack a pair of heels. Will you wear them multiple times? Or just for that one dinner. Maybe you will pack a pair of flats that can be used for a fancy dinner, and for walking down the shoreside in a sundress. There’s pair number two. I find that shoes are so interchangeable. They can be dressed up or dressed down. Pack accordingly. Adidas Sambas are a great example of a shoe that can be dressed up and down. Two pairs in one.

Once the basics are in, it’s easy to fill in the gaps in your luggage. Stick your brush in between there, throw your makeup bag under there etc. (Tip: put socks and undies in a small dust bag or packing cube to keep them contained in one place)

Now, what’s hard is timing your packing to when you zip and stand up your luggage to head to the airport. You want to make sure laundry day lines up with the day you want to start packing because the last thing you want is your favourite pair of jeans buried at the bottom of a dirty pile the day you leave.

The list will rest on the top of my open luggage, and as my packing unveils, items are checked off my list. Some are added, some are taken off. You also want to be cautious of what you’re packing, and if you’re expecting to purchase anything on your trip. If you’re flying with a carry-on luggage, the luggage might not allow any extra items to fit before it doesn’t close, or it’s too heavy.

On the day of takeoff, the very last items to make it into my bag are the products I will use morning of: makeup, toothbrush and toothpaste, hairbrush, face cream etc. Phone cords and headphones carefully placed into my personal bag, and before I zip, I take a pic.

It’s just about time to go. We’ve skillfully placed all our items in perfect order in our luggage. The last thing we need is to rummage through it during our trip to find out that we have no idea how we packed it to begin with. So, with your luggage laying flat, take a picture of how you packed it exactly for reference when you’re ready to depart. This will ensure quick and easy packing for when you’re ready to return home.

Bon Voyage!

P.S. I'm going to Montreal in a few weeks so I'll add a packing pic before I zip and go :)