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Organizing for Travel
If you are a frequent traveler for business or for fun, here are some organizing tips to make getting ready easier.
Packing List: Creating a list will make packing easier because you can refer to it time and again. For example, a vacation packing list could look like this:
- 3 casual outfits
- Dress, dressy shoes
- Sandals, sneakers
- Running clothes
- Swimsuit
- Sunscreen
- Camera, extra batteries, tripod, cord
- Cell phone and charger
- MP3 player and charger
- Reading material
- Tickets, maps, hotel confirmations
Parents should make a packing list for their kids, so you don’t leave behind that special blanket or favorite stuffed animal. A list for a young child could include:
- Sleepers, onsies
- Outfits
- Shoes and socks
- Blanket, favorite stuffed animal
- Bottles and formula or sippy cup
- Diapers, wipes and changing pad or portable potty seat
- Medicine, thermometer
- Pack-n-Play with sheets
- Baby monitor
- Stroller
Keep your lists posted in the closet or attic where you keep your travel bags, or in the bag itself.
Before You Leave Checklist: Create a checklist of important things to do before you leave on a trip, such as cancel mail and newspapers, turn down heat, leave contact information with family member, hire pet sitter, water plants, turn off computer, purchase travelers cheques, and charge cell phone/MP3 players. Post this checklist near your travel bags or by your back door.
Ready-to-go Toiletries: Keep your toiletry bag stocked with travel size duplicates of essential toiletries or put your favorite shampoo and lotion into the smallest travel containers you find. This way you won’t have to take items from your bathroom cabinets each time you go on a trip. Store your toiletry bag in your travel bag and it will be ready to go for the next time.
Note: Make sure to check the Transportation Security Administration website for a list of allowable toiletries that you can carry on.
Documents: Bring copies of any important travel documents, such as tickets and passports. Carry the copies in a bag away from the original documents, in case the originals are lost.
Packing: Pack as light as possible. One trick to do this is to put everything you think you might need on your bed, and then pack only half of what is there. Pack clothes that can be mixed and matched to create different outfits, and limit shoes to one pair of dress and one or two pairs of casual shoes.
Happy travels!
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