The journey is just as important as the destination — and packing is the first step. Over my travels to 42 counties and logging thousands of miles over the years, packing is a skill I’ve honed well. It comes naturally to me, but when you don’t travel frequently it’s good to have a guide. To that end, I’ve assembled some of the most common packing scenarios and solutions I’ve learned – many the hard way – so that you can pack for a smooth, healthy and a stress-free journey!
The Overflowing Suitcase
Scenario
A suitcase goes through a lot in its lifetime, loads of travel, being thrown around, sat on and stood on and packed to the brim. There’s only so much a poor suitcase can take, right? In my earlier years of travel, I would fill my suitcase to that 50 pound limit, packing the extra pairs of shoes, the curling iron, and full bottles of every personal care item (just in case). It made for a difficult journey lugging around the heavy load. Yep, I’ve been that girl in the airport whose bag is wide open with a broken zipper while my clothes and shoes are strewn all over the baggage claim. Epic packing FAIL.
Solution
My first recommend is to stop packing until it bursts. Be resourceful and plan your wardrobe ahead of time, then edit by category or outfit before placing it in your suitcase. Packing five shirts for one day in case you decide on one or the other is not the way to go. Instead, choose a shirt that you can wear a couple of times (perhaps on a Monday and again on a Thursday). Similarly, you don’t need eight pair of pants for a four-day trip.
Organize your items by using travel packing cubes. They keep your items compact and safe inside your suitcase and help organize your clothing, shoes and toiletries into sections to make pulling your outfit for the day a breeze.
Lastly, hauling around baggage at 50-pound limit (some airlines only allow 40 pounds) is not good for your body. All that lifting can make for a miserable journey! Trust me when I say your back and your suitcase will thank you when you leave a little extra wiggle room.
Bring Back Breakables
Scenario
I’ve been known to take a bottle or two of wine home to remind me of my great adventures. I’ve thought nothing of packing the wine in my suitcase only to have it explode all over everything. It’s no fun to notice that your suitcase is suddenly damp and dripping all over the conveyor belt or that your clothes are now all stained red from the cabernet you couldn’t live without. And at that moment you start questioning why the heck you decided to bring that bottle home in the first place.
Solution
My big packing hack for wine or really anything breakable over the years has been a silly but simple one. Bring bubble wrap! Pack those breakables in bubble wrap, especially if you’re prone to impulse buys in airports or in souvenir shops. I’ve also wrapped soft clothing around a breakable item and, if liquid, placed inside a leak-proof bag. Most places have laundry bags available that you can wrap that bottle around clothes and into the bag. The world-famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world held each August, is one of many reasons why this city makes the list. Edinburgh Castle, Old Town, and Georgian New Town are prime reasons to visit any time of year.
The Sniffles & Coughs
Scenario
The big day is here. You’ve been anticipating this vacation for quite some time, but of course you’ve stayed up way too late the last few nights doing that last minute packing and now you’re going on little sleep. And on your flight of course you sit next to the passenger who is coughing and sneezing and blowing their nose every few minutes. You start to feel sickness coming on…Ughhh!
Solution
It’s so important to build up your immune system before you depart. The best thing you can do is get eight hours of sleep so you’re well rested. Load up on probiotics (like double up) a week or two prior to your travels. I recommend Florify probiotics from my favorite wellness company since it contains over 20,000 CFU’s of good bacteria strains, which is amazing for gut health. Carry Activate with you (a great Emergen-C replacement) that has twice the zinc and vitamin C than most on the market. I often take a packet and mix it with water a couple of hours prior to getting on a plane.
Don’t forget to drink plenty of water before, during and after your flight. Wipe down your tray table and surroundings upon sitting down on the plane. I do this every time I’m on a plane as you never know what germs may be floating around. In addition, I never leave home without my Armor essential oil. It’s my immunity booster essential oil in a roller ball that I apply to my pulse points before boarding a plane. It works wonders to arm me and keep me healthy!
Travel disasters can strike at any time. No matter how organized or prepared you are things can and do go wrong. Use these solutions to prepare in the best way possible and I can guarantee it will save you so much headache in the long run.
Have you experienced any of the scenarios I’ve mentioned above? Do you have your own story to share? It’s all about learning together and would love to learn about your story. As always, empowering you to live your best healthy life now!
-Amanda, Live Well Travel
Check out my previous blog post on Seven Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling https://www.lwtravel.org/post/7-ways-to-stay-healthy-while-traveling and cheers to living well and traveling well!