Happy Friday, everyone! As promised, I will be sharing how I put my list of clothing and other items together for packing. (You can review my list of what-to-take here.)
I copied many of the ideas I used for our 21-day trip back in November. If you’d like to check that out, you can do so here. I’ve updated some of my ideas since then. There are SO many ideas on Pinterest and YouTube, but I like to keep it super simple. Here is a list of my packing tips for a trip like this:
- Use my formula from the Tuesday’s post – link above
- Use packing cubes and roll your clothes – honestly, this really works! Not only are you super organized, but you can just place the cubes into the dresser or vanity at your destination and have everything right at your fingertips! You won’t forget anything when you pack up to come home either!
- Keep a copy of your passport (when going out of the country) or other ID inside each suitcase. This might be useful to you in your travel location and will certainly help if your luggage gets lost or stolen.
- Fill everything in your suitcase, i.e, put items in your shoes, purses and other vessels to save space.
- Bring a large foldable bag to bring home any purchases you might make. On international trips where I was worried about the weight of my bag, I have often carried dirty clothes and shoes on the plane to avoid extra luggage fees!
These are a few tips that have really worked for me.Try them and see! I would love to hear any of your helpful tips, too.
In this first picture, you can see my packing cubes, which hold my shorts, tops, dresses, pajamas, underthings, bathing suit, etc. You can see how compact and organized the cubes make your suitcase. It really does save space, too!
I bought my packing cubes from TravelSmith on sale; you can see them here. I ordered eggplant for me and navy for my husband. I also ordered the packing envelope. These are so great! I packed my dresses and halter-type tops in this so they won’t wrinkle. The envelope worked really well on our cruise and held all of the formal dresses I had to take in a small space. You can see the envelope here. They have a larger envelope for items like men’s suits, shirts, and slacks. Try them–you will love them!
In the photo above, you can see all the cubes, including a long skinny one that I use for all the cords and chargers for our electronics! Those can take up a lot of room, so this really helps.
Finally, you can see that everything is packed. My shoes are packed along the side with my small bag. I packed my straw clutch in the zippered compartment along with socks (to serve as slippers), a copy of my passport, a small backpack, and my “extra” suitcase. The little black object is my just-in-case for shopping! Inside the tote bag are two smaller square cubes–one for my makeup and toiletries, and the other for medicines and vitamins and such. You can see I actually have a little extra room! Now when does that happen?
At last, here are the two bags I am taking. The smaller one is pretty tiny–a great find at Costco for $30!–and I will carry it on the plane with my electronics–my computer, iPad and my Kindle (yikes!), as well as my wallet and a few other carry-on items. It’s a roller, so it’s super easy to carry on and store above in the compartment. It could even fit under the seat.
Ok, now after all that work, I am ready to take a break! We don’t leave until tomorrow, so here is how I plan to spend my afternoon! It might not happen, but I am hoping!
Be sure to check back in on Monday as I will be sharing some great places to go and see in Baja.
Until then, Hola!!
Darlene
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