How To Pack For A Trip (And Reduce Anxiety)

Twenty years of travel and packing for those travels. Here are my best tips and strategies on how to pack for a trip to reduce packing anxiety.

Love planning trips, but hate the packing part

I love planning trips. But, let’s be honest, preparing for a trip is exhausting. There are so many decisions to make and, quite frankly, it can be very stressful and anxiety-inducing. So, I came up with a prep and pack system that just works, no matter what kind of trip I’m going on.

Check the weather forecast

Don’t start by looking at clothes. Start with the weather. It’s silly to say something so obvious. But starting with a small task like this takes away a lot of stress because you get a much clearer idea on what you will need and plan more efficiently.

Plan outfits in advance and make notes

Packing last minute will not help you or your anxiety, so start planning outfits a week in advance. We all know it’s the most stressful part of packing for travel, so best to approach it strategically and stress-free. Find a few free hours on a day when you aren’t too busy to plan all your outfits. Keep in mind the weather and any specific events like a wedding or a business meeting you might need outfits for. Start with these things first because you know they are a must have. This knocks one more thing off the list, making it easier for you to focus on the rest of your clothes and accessories.

Choose your outfits, try them on, and then either make notes or take photos of each outfit, so even if you’re not packing at that moment, when the time comes you know exactly what to pack and while you’re traveling the decision-making is easy. You know what you’re going to wear every day!

I also like to plan in advance in case an outfit I want to wear doesn’t fit or has a loose button — I have time to fix it and not be stressed.

How to pack for a trip — the system that works for any kind of trip

Here are my go-to tried-and-tested strategies on how to pack for a trip.

Plan for two outfits per day of travel by mixing and matching tops and bottoms

Two outfits per day is a good rule of thumb. It also gives you an idea of how much to pack and how much space you will need. Sometimes there will be varying weather conditions, so pack both heavy and lighter items and then mix and match to create different looks. For example: a black pant or a denim jeans/skirt can be worn multiple times on the same trip with different tops to create a variety of looks. The same applies to tops — a white t-shirt on jeans or shorts is great day look, but for the evening switch it up with a black tank or vest for a dressier option. Add in two to three options such as dresses, a skirt or a jumpsuit that work day or night, just for added variety, but just remember not to fill your suitcase with outfits you only wear once or only work for a specific kind of occasion. It’s impractical and makes bags heavier.

Another tip: iron and fold all clothes before travel and using the packing method below will help them stay neat!

Choose shoes, bags and jewelry in neutral tones

Shoes are heavy and bulky. So, be smart about what you pack. My go-to shoe combo for trips looks something like this: sneakers (usually white because they match everything); a pair of black or nude heels; and comfy slide-ons or sandals. Use shoe bags for shoes.

Again, bags are heavy and bulky, so keep it simple. A large tote or backpack with a zip (works great as an in-cabin bag for flights, but also functional for any day trips or if you need to carry extra clothes etc.); a cross body with zips (it should fit wallet, sunglasses, and phone comfortably and zip up for safety); and a clutch/purse for evenings (match it to the color of the evening shoes to keep things easy!). Tip: travel with duster bags and fill each bag with newspaper for protection during travel.

Jewelry in three tones — gold, silver, and something colorful/fun — to easily match any outfit without having to think too much.

Keep basics, socks, swim wear and gym clothes separate packing cubes

Pack underwear and socks in one packing cube, so it’s easy to take out what you need every day without rummaging through your whole bag. Swim wear and gym clothes in a separate cube, you don’t know when you will use them, but it’s good to know where they are in your bag.

Remember to keep space for dirty laundry!

Worn clothes take up more space than neatly folded ones. Fabrics wrinkle and stretch out i.e. taking up more space. So remember, at the end of the trip when you can’t be bothered to pack and the strategy is to “just stuff the bag”, to account for this. Whether it means you’ll expand your suitcase or have an extra carry-on or duffle bag, be prepared.

Pack a drawstring laundry bag or take one from the hotel, if they offer it. As you wear clothes each day, put it in the laundry bag and then when it’s time to go home, all you have to do is put that whole bag into your suitcase and then your washing machine when you’re home. Make things easy for yourself where and when you can!

Pack using ‘the layer method’

What is the layer method? I made it up. But it’s also the way I have packed my bags for more than twenty years and it works.

At the very bottom of the suitcase where it’s uneven and you can see the ridges of the folding mechanism, fill up the spaces with my nightwear and any other items that you don’t mind getting wrinkled like leggings, gym clothes, or a cardigan to create a flat layer at the very bottom.

Next, pack large and heavy clothes such as jeans, pants, and jackets. Fold in thirds, so they remain quite flat and don’t take up too much space. Then, add tops and dresses / jumpsuits (fold in thirds like pants to save space) in a way to continue building flat, even layers.

If you have any empty spaces between piles of clothes, tuck in smaller or oddly-shaped items like hair tools and jewelry pouches or breakable items like glass bottles (perfumes!) for added buffer.

Leave about 10-15cm of space at the top of the suitcase to add the remaining packing cubes, toiletries, pouches, shoes, and bags. The compression of the pouches and packing cubes helps all the clothes packed below to stay neat and crease-free during travel. Trust me.

By packing in flat layers, everything fits neatly and remains well organized. This is how to pack for a trip because you know where everything is and that reduces so much anxiety before and during travel.

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