Hello friend. Traveling soon and wondering what exactly to pack? Don’t worry. We got you covered. These tips will have you ready and packed in as little time as possible, no matter where you’re going or why you’re going there. So let’s dive right into it!

1. Let your suitcase reflect on how long you will stay.

Many people make the mistake of packing everything when they’re traveling. That’s a waste of time and effort since you will likely return with more luggage. So pick only your essentials, and leave space for extra luggage. Easy peasy.

2. Get your essentials in place

If you want to pack ASAP, you should have a few convenience items ready to pick and go at all times, such as a plastic toiletries bag, hair, face and body care products, jewelry and accessories, etc. Have them clearly stored in separate containers to avoid mixing them up. If you can’t have these prepacked, list them somewhere (maybe on your phone) to serve as a reminder to you against when you actually want to pack.

3. Coordinate your wardrobe

The easiest way to do this is to plan an outfit for each day you’re spending and stick strictly with that.
You can limit the amount of stuff you’re taking by mixing matching outfits e.g. plan one pair of pants for different tops. You don’t need more than two pairs of shoes. One comfy pair, e.g. for walks and visits to beaches, and another for professional outings if you’re going on a business trip. Pack clothes with neutral or dull colors. They tend to attract dirt less quickly.

4. Take stock of everything you need before you start packing

Put everything you’re taking with you in a place where you can see at a glance, maybe on a table or on the clean floor, before you start tucking them into your suitcase. That way, you can see if you’re missing anything.

Put the stuff you can’t fold first. Then put the stuff that is fragile in the middle. Then fold the foldable and put them in according to their sizes, starting from the smallest.

Let stuff such as your pajamas, toothbrush, toothpaste, and underwear be placed towards the top end of the suitcase so that you can easily reach them on arrival. Make sure you don’t forget anything, especially chargers and device accessories.

5. Finish with a large top layer

Let the last item you pack be something which when folded is big enough to cover the surface of the suitcase, such as a towel. Then tuck the material in at the sides, to help you keep your suitcase prim and with everything in place no matter how jostled the suitcase is during the journey. Tucking in the sides also makes zipping your suitcase a lot easier.

That’s it, you’re ready to go!

Do you have other smartass tips you know that we didn’t cover? Let’s talk about them in the comments down below!

This blog post is originally from How To Pack A Suitcase In 30 Minutes Or Less and written by silvercloudtravels