Packing Tips for Holiday Travel

Do you travel during the holidays via car, train, or airplane? While it doesn’t matter how you get to your holiday destination, you do need to pack carefully. After all, you don’t want to forget any of the gifts or end up with more stuff than you can fit into your bag. I recommend seven packing tips that ensure you have everything you need and can carry it all with you this holiday.

Photo by: Frank Jania (Flickr)

Write a List

With all the baking, shopping, and parties happening during the holidays, packing a suitcase can land on the back burner. Then, you end up shoving stuff into your suitcase without really thinking through what you’re packing. The moving and packing checklist keeps you organized. Use it to plan the clothing, shoes, jewelry, makeup and toiletries, electronics, and gifts you need to take and to cross the items off your virtual list as you pack them into your suitcase.

Wear Your Bulkiest Items

Your heavy jeans, winter coat, and snow boots take up valuable room in your suitcase. Instead of packing them, wear them and save space for all the other stuff you need to pack.

Pack Toiletries Securely

You can’t leave your shampoo, body wash or makeup behind, but they require a bit of TLC in your suitcase. Conserve space when you use travel-size bottles. Prevent spills when you place a small piece of plastic wrap between the bottle’s opening and the lid before sealing the bottles in a plastic bag. If you’re traveling by air, follow TSA rules and limit liquids to 3.4 ounces per bottle and secure them in a plastic bag that’s no bigger than quart-sized.

Stuff Your Bag Carefully

Now that you’ve decided what to put into your bag, pack it carefully to get everything in. Remember, overstuffing your bag leads to wrinkled clothes, so leave some breathing room.

• Start by placing your heavy toiletries bag in first.
• Next, place your rolled clothes inside the bag. I prefer to roll instead of fold clothes because that keeps them wrinkle-free and allows me to fit more items into my bag.
• Pack your socks inside your shoes and arrange them around the clothes along the edges of the bag.
• Stuff your bag of underwear, medications and everything else you need in the nooks and crannies.

Avoid Over Packing

While you might be inclined to leave room for mementos, extra space increases the likelihood that objects will move, squish, or even break. Place dry cleaning bags in any open spaces. It’s crucial to avoid over packing as well since this will almost certainly result in crease marks and make it more difficult to repack when you return home or move on to another location.

Wrap Gifts After You Arrive

The pretty wrapping, curled ribbons and colorful bows on the gifts you’re giving end up smashed and ruined when you try to travel with them. Wait until you arrive at your destination and wrap the gifts to keep them looking beautiful.

Pack Toys for the Kids

Your kiddos will receive tons of gifts from Grandma, but they need entertainment for the holiday drive or flight. A small backseat travel bag filled with a whiteboard, dry-erase markers, coloring books and crayons, travel-size board games, and a few healthy and portable snacks like cheese sticks, carrots, and raisins ensures your little ones in the back seat stay entertained.

Electronics

Gather all the required materials, including boxes of various sizes, bubble wrap, and packing tape. Label each box with the room it came from and the contents. Take additional care when packing electronics to protect delicate items, such as laptops or gaming systems, by wrapping them in bubble wrap or soft blankets before putting them in boxes. To make the setup process simpler, later on, it’s a good idea to keep all cables and accessories ordered and labeled. To avoid damage during transport, pack electronics separately from other things.

A great way to involve the entire family in the move and make sure that all priceless items are transported securely is to have each family member pack the electronics in their respective rooms. To make sure that nothing is forgotten, it is a good idea to have each family member make an inventory of all their devices and accessories before packing. Additionally, this is a good time to clear your home of any unnecessary devices.

Wrap Your Shoes

The bottoms of your shoes are filthy, and they will also contaminate the other items in your suitcase. Avoid this by packing your shoes in a plastic bag or wrapping them with a piece of cloth. You might also use a shower cap, which hotels frequently give away for free. By doing this, the shoes won’t come into contact with your spotless belongings. Carrying your shoes is likewise best done in a zip-lock bag. Bring shoes that are appropriate for your hiking needs. One pair of sneakers or athletic shoes should be sufficient, and slippers should always be packed when visiting a beach site.

Load the Car Safely

If you plan to drive to your holiday destination, make sure you load your car safely. Stow heavy bags first, clear the windows, and secure the suitcases and gifts to keep them from shifting in the cabin.

This year, pack everything you need for your holiday travel when you follow my seven packing tips. Then, enjoy the travel experience and arrive at your destination with the confidence that you have everything you need for a jolly holiday.