Travelling can be fun, exciting, but also stressful and exhausting. Here are our top 10 tips for packing for travel, to make your life a bit easier the next time you have a trip coming up.
1. Create a Digital Packing List Before You Leave
Being organised is the key to success when travelling. Creating an itemised list can help you pack the essentials, and avoid bringing any unnecessary items. If items go missing, you will also have a list of everything you had to begin with, which can help when making any lost-luggage claims and repurchasing items. Create your list in the notes app of your phone, or on a tablet, so that it’s easy to access and you won’t risk losing it. We wrote a handy list of business travel essentials which you can use as a starting point.
2. Choose a Purpose-Fit Travel Bag
Henty’s CoPilot is a great travel bag, especially if you need to pack a suit.
Your luggage is arguably the most important item you will travel with. You will want to choose a suitcase that is durable without being unnecessarily heavy and bulky. This way you can fit more items with peace of mind. Cheap suitcases can chip on the outside or may even experience broken wheels which makes them very uncomfortable and difficult to manoeuvre. A good suitcase can last for many years.
Depending on the duration of your trip – if you choose the right carry-on bag and pack smartly, you may be able to avoid the cost of a checked bag and simply bring a carry-on and personal item on your trip. A great option is Henty’s CoPilot, as a suit travel bag, its specifically designed for aeroplane travel. It features a large 20 litre inner bag with enough room for all your travel essentials.
If travelling by train or bus, the Wingman has amazing features (and great style) to support you on your journey. This bag is weatherproof and comes with a 18L inner dry bag, and even has a built-in 15” laptop sleeve.
Both Henty bags are designed to be able to transport a suit – perfect for business travellers or those travelling for a wedding.
3. Ensure Items You Need During Your Trip Are Easily Accessible
Which items will you be using frequently during your travels and once you arrive at your destination? Items such as your passport, wallet, phone, headphones, glasses, etc, are examples of those which you will likely be reaching for often. Make your life easier by keeping these items close to your body and at the top of your carry-on backpack or handbag. This way you will avoid spilling items out of your bag, which sometimes happens when rummaging through belongings to reach something buried at the bottom of a bag.
4. Consider What the Weather Will Be Like at Your Destination
Think about where you’re travelling to – if an international destination, what season is it? Is the climate humid? Is it storm season? These questions will likely play a significant role in the clothing and accessories you choose to pack. Whether you’ll need sunglasses, an umbrella, T Shirts, coats – even a rain poncho, will be dictated by the weather and climate of where you’re travelling too. There’s usually no need to pack your entire wardrobe to be prepared for any conditions. Instead, have a look at the current week and following week’s forecast and base your packing decisions on this information.
5. Consider How Many Batteries & How Much Power You’ll Need While Travelling
If you’re bringing multiple electronic gadgets on your trip, extra batteries or a power bank are must-packs. Some airlines have a limit of up to 20 spare batteries, make sure you read up on your airline’s policy. Power banks are a great device for keeping tablets, portable game devices, laptops, phones, bluetooth headphones and more charged when on the go. Be aware – power banks must be brought on your carry-on, not checked luggage, and generally must be under 160Wh to be allowed on the plane.
6. Invest in High Quality Travel Accessories
Let’s face it – travelling can be uncomfortable. While this can be a minor annoyance for a couple of hours on a train, a long-haul, multi-stop flight can really turn into a nightmare without proper preparation. Some items we’d recommend investing in are good quality noise-cancelling headphones, a carry-on backpack designed for travel (such as the Travel Brief), a neck pillow, comfortable & breathable pyjamas, a portable charger and something for entertainment (so you don’t have to rely solely on in-flight entertainment!) – this could be a Kindle, book/audiobook, tablet or portable console.
7. Keep Medication in Your Carry-on
Luggage goes missing from time to time. Some estimates suggest that 7 out of every 1,000 bags go missing. While this will always be at the very least an inconvenience, it can turn into a really serious problem if important items such as medication are left in a checked bag that has gone missing. Even in the best-case scenario when your bag arrives in a matter of days, being without your medication for any time could be dangerous. Avoid the stress of this situation by always ensuring your medication is close to you, kept within your carry-on bag or personal handbag.
8. Use Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are a game-changer for travel. The first time you try using packing cubes, you’ll be wondering why you hadn’t started using them years earlier! They’re a great way to keep clothes separated from electronic gadgets as well as underwear and socks separated.
9. Roll Your Clothes Tightly
Rolling your clothes instead of folding them in your suitcase helps to compress them, allowing for more space for more belongings. Clothing that easily wrinkles may need to be folded instead, unless you’re willing to set up the ironing board once you arrive at your hotel/Airbnb.
10. Pack Plastic Bags for Dirty Laundry
Having a couple of plastic bags packed away is a great idea. They won’t take up space when empty, and as you wear clothing throughout your trip, you have a place ready to put dirty clothes without stinking up your suitcase and clean clothes. A plastic bag is also helpful for wet clothes, such as bathing suits.