Travel

How-to maximize your suitcase

Hello friends hope all is well! I’m super excited for this week’s travel post because I’m switching it up a tad. This week I’m sharing my packing tips and what I packed for my trip to Chicago a few weeks ago! Packing for Chicago was a little tricky because I had heard about how windy the “windy city” was but I had no idea what to actually expect. I definitely took into consideration though on how cold it was going to be because you only have so much space to work within a carry-on bag…. plus, I’m a freeze baby so I knew I was gonna need extra layers!

Working with space you have in your luggage is most definitely the ultimate test… especially if you love clothes. If you’re driving to your location or have more than one suitcase you’re taking, packing is easy because you have more wiggle room. But, if you just have one suitcase and your bookbag you need to get strategic with how you pack, especially if you like to over pack on the clothes (which I know we all do)! With as often as I travel, I have come up with a small method for packing because if you know me then you know that I wait until the absolute LAST minute to pack for anything but always remember everything I need. It surprises people that I don’t miss things, so I figured it would be fun to share my top five packing hacks.

Tip One:

Make a list of everything you’re going to need at least a week prior to your trip. Giving yourself one week helps you make note of what you need to buy if you need to wash clothes or any other packing tasks you might need to do. This also gets you thinking about the outfits you want to wear so when it comes time to picking you already have an idea.

Tip Two:

When it comes time for you to pack, collect everything you have on your list and lay it out. Having a visual of everything may help you remember something you might be missing or give you an idea of how you want to pack. I normally lay my items out by day, that way I know I have enough clothes, shoes, toiletries or anything else for my trip.

Tip Three:

The hardest part out of all of this… ELIMINATING what you don’t need. It can be so easy to have seven different outfits picked out for a long weekend but not all of it is going to fit, especially if you have a smaller suitcase. When I lay my items out, I lay out each individual day outfits that way I know I have all pieces needed for the outfit and I narrow down how many pieces of clothing I’m packing. Yes, it would be nice to take all the outfits you have planned but if we’re being real you really only need one outfit per day.

Tip Four:

The actual packing part is where it gets frustrating because you look at everything you’ve laid out and you wonder how you’re going to fit it in your bag. I honestly love this part because it really tests your tetra’s skills! Depending on where I’m going and what I’m packing is what determines how I pack my suitcase. With Chicago, I packed the clothes in piles based on the day. If I’m just packing a book bag, I pack from the bulkiest up.

Tip Five:

Run through your daily routine as you finish up packing. It sounds crazy, but the things we tend to forget the most are items that we use regularly. When I do this, it reminds me to pack the face wash that I use daily or to pack my phone charger… all items we overlook because we’re just so used to them being in their home.

Packing for Chicago was definitely tough because I knew I needed layers. I envisioned what outfits I wanted to wear then set them up. After creating my pile of things, I packed them in my suitcase based on what day I needed those clothes then filled in the gaps with my make-up bag and shoes. I began to over pack for Chicago because I was worried, I wouldn’t have enough layers, but when I stepped back and reevaluated with my tips I was able to narrow down what I needed.

An overview of what I packed for Chicago:

Clothes wise, I packed:

Three thicker sweaters

Fleece lined leggings for the first day

Thin leggings and jeans for the second two days

Thick socks that fit comfortably with the boots I packed

A thinner winter coat (which came in handy)

Thick winter coat

Also packed a hat and gloves (would highly recommend a scarf)

Extra things packed:

Bathing suit for the pool at the hotel

Make-up bag