Packing for Trips Pt 1

Greetings!

Today I’m going to go over the essential of packing for a trip. For the purpose of simplicity, I’ll have this divided into two posts: Part 1, short trips, and Part 2, long trips.

Ta da! Simplicity.

So, to begin, I’ll be categorising ‘short trips’ as ranging from around 3 to 14 days. For reference, I’ll be using my current trip to Florida (7 days).

The funny thing about packing, I have found, is that the shorter the trip, the more you’re able to pack.

Why this is, I do not know, but I will explain in a moment. For this week, I brought with me:

• My Passport
• My Phone
• Camera
• Laptop
• Wallet (with I.D (Driver’s license), Credit Card, etc)
• Toiletries (Toothpaste, toothbrush)
• 5 pairs of socks
• 7 pairs of underwear
• 1 bathing suit
• 2 dresses
• 1 pair of pants
• 1 sweater
• 1 jacket
• 3 pairs of shorts
• 1 pair of hiking boots (I had to wear them on the plane. It was snowing when I left)
• 1 pair of sneakers
• 1 hat
• 1 book

Looking at it now, it seems a lot, especially because I fit it all in a tiny back pack.

At any rate, there’s a lot more freedom in choosing what to bring when it’s a short trip.

My general recommendations of what to bring on a short trip would be :

• 3-5 outfits (3 pairs of bottoms (shorts/pants, depends on where you’re going), 3-4 tops, a sweater, and a nice dress or shirt just for funsies)
• 3-7 pairs of underwear and socks (depending on how often you want to do laundry)
• 1-2 pairs of shoes (ex : sneakers and sandals)
• 1 Jacket (depending on where you go. Rain jacket, wind breaker, winter jacket, etc)
• Passport (if you go out of country, obviously)
• Wallet (hard to go anywhere without that … You know, I.D, cards, et cetera. Good stuff, good stuff)
• A book (Cause why not?)
• Your phone/camera/laptop… necessary electronics.
• Toiletries

All in all, it’s a pretty short list. It’s a lot easier to get away with forgetting something on a short trip than it is on a long one, and depending on where you stay, it doesn’t really matter too much if you forget some things. (For example, I forgot my towel, but I’m staying with my grandma, so it’s fine.

I know this wasn’t a super in depth list, but I feel like having a baseline is always a good start. And, naturally, if you absolutely need to bring something with you (meds, etc) don’t forget them.
It’s bad for your health.

Aight, happy travels! Next post will be about packing for longer trips! (3 weeks or longer)

Peace! : )