You’ve just collected your air tickets. Dates and destinations all sorted and you’re excited. The first big overseas trip in a while and you’re going for a month! Brilliant!
You are travelling to numerous countries and it’s still below zero in some and you have a hot sneaky five days in Thailand on the way home! Heaven….
You are most definitely an organized girl but you start to question how on earth you can accommodate two seasons of clothing for a month into 22kg of baggage weight.
The mind boggles but it’s not impossible!!
Here are some savvy tips on how to minimise what you take on your overseas sojourn and how to efficiently pack.
Roll all clothes that can be rolled – most of my clothes now are wash and wear. There are so many great new fabrics on the market that don’t need to be ironed.
Do pack some plastic bags for dirty laundry, which can be laundered en route.
If you do forget something you can always buy at your next destination. (They do sell shampoo, conditioner and cleanser in other countries).
Be brutal with your toiletries as this is one hefty issue. Decant as much as you can and get very creative. (Went to my gorgeous hairdresser the other day and she is giving me a handful of sachets – one wash per pack, very happy!)
Do pack all your vitamins and tonics into a seal lock plastic bag – count out what you will need for the week/month
If you haven’t bought a new suitcase in the last 10 years, invest in one. This is a great idea as the cases today are so featherweight, which in girl talk equates to more packing space and outfit possibilities.
If you are checking in luggage (and let’s face it, what girl wouldn’t), get them to place a fragile sticker on your bag as this usually means your bag will come off first and is handled with care.
Do pack your international adaptor and laptop/ipad/iphone connections in one easily identifiable soft bag.
If you take a hat, wear it. Don’t bother with a camera unless you are a budding professional as too heavy – iphone 6 photos are great.
Image courtesy of Unsplash.
Do NOT take your killer heels and don’t take any heavy coats or jumpers – unless you wear them. Always travel in your heaviest clothes. This includes your boots!
Think layers. Place on your bed all the clothes you are considering taking and work out ways to co-ordinate and mix and match outfits.
The Golden Rule of Packing – Take half of what you were planning on taking!
Next week the final instalment of the Travel Addicts Packing Secrets… what clothing to pack and what to have in your carry on bag.