Ladies packing List… Don’t forget your pants!
As I’m packing for yet another trip, I thought… I wish I had a checklist of everything I need. I’ve done the big mistakes and forgotten pants on one trip, who forgets PANTS??? I forgot underwear on another. Yes, I can be forgetful. On one 4-day trip years ago, I completely forgot my suitcase. So, as I’m getting ready for this trip, I thought I’d share some thoughts and ideas you might find helpful. The list below are things to think about before you start pulling clothes out of your closet. How many times do we pack way too much and most of what we bring never gets worn… so you just flew your clothes 1500 (or more) miles for nothing. So, If I can help you plan for, and have everything you need then I’ve helped in some way.
Let’s start with thinking about a few things…..
- How many days will you be gone?
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- Pack 1 pair of underwear for each day.
- 1 sports bra
- 1 regular everyday bra
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- Will you be swimming?
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- Bring 2 swimsuits (I usually over pack here and then I only wear 2-3).
- Bring a Turkish towel (Folds up very small and doesn’t take a lot of space).
- Bring a beach cover up.
- Water shoes (if you end up doing wet excursions or go to rocky beaches or rivers you will thank me here).
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- Going out to dinner for 1-2 nights?
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- Bring a dress, dress pants or skirt
- Dress shoes – only 1 pair!
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- Think about chillin lazy hangout time.
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- Yoga pants, 1-2 pair.
- 5-6 Tank top/short sleeve tops
- Flip flops
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- Ok sleeping….do you wear PJ’s? Do you want to blow his mind with lingerie? Are you practical?
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- 2 pair of whatever you like… or nothing – up to you.
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- Are you planning anything special that you will need specific clothes for? Hiking, biking, photoshoots, etc.
- Are you taking a large suitcase or are you trying to keep to a carry-on only. (Yes you can pack for a week-long trip on a carry-on if you really want to)
Now that you’ve done some thinking, let’s move on to pulling things out of your closet. This can get messy. You may end up cleaning out your entire closet, which may not be a bad thing.
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- 7 pair of underwear
- Socks x 7 days
- 1 sports bra
- 1 regular everyday bra
- 2 swim suites
- Turkish towel
- 1-2 Beach Coverups… (be sure you have one that will protect you from the sun such as a rashguard or a coverup that will cover your arms and chest for sun protection)
- 1 Dress or going out outfit
- 2 pair yoga pants
- 1 pair jean shorts
- Several tank tops/short sleeve shirts.
- 1 pair of long jeans. (I usually travel in these so they don’t take up room in my suitcase)
- Sneakers (I wear on travel day)
- 1 Sweatshirt/cardigan
- Light rain coat
- Umbrella
- Floppy hat
- Sunglasses
- Day pack for excursions or day trips
- Waterbottle
- Purse (I like small cross body so its secure)
- 1 pair of dress shoes/heels
- Flip flops
- Water shoes (for rocky beaches or wet excursions)
- Bug spray
- Snorkeling gear (if you like to snorkel)
- Soft cooler (if you have room)
- Camera/go pro
- Selfie stick with a built-in tripod for those family photos
- Kindle or books
So… now you’ve pulled items out of your closet… let’s look at them. Evaluate each item….is it comfortable? Do I feel good in it? If it’s something that you don’t love then don’t take it because you won’t end up wearing it anyway or you’ll just be uncomfortable in it anyway. Pick out something else.
Now toiletries:
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- Toothpaste/brush
- Shampoo/conditioner (try cakes you can get on Amazon so you don’t have to bring liquids)
- Soap
- Razor
- Skin moisturizer
- Make up remover towelettes
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush
- Sunscreen
- Hair ties, clips, elastics.
- Make up (go minimal here)
Jewelry: Go minimal here.
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- 2 pair of earrings, one pair of everyday earrings and 1 dressy. Leave blingy fancy rings and jewelry home.
- Maybe 1-2 necklaces. That’s it!
We’re ready to pack!: Fold or Roll? I prefer to roll because you can tuck little shirts and things into small spaces. Either way follow these tips.
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- Put shoes in first because they take up the most room. Wear sneakers to travel because they take up a lot of room. Fill your shoes with socks and underwear to take less room.
- Bigger items go next such as jeans. (I prefer to wear them on travel day because they do take up quite a bit of room). I like to roll them and tuck them in the corners.
- Shorts/skirts and dresses roll or fold.
- Sweatshirts/cardigans/raincoats come next. Fold or roll as small as possible.
- Tuck underwear and socks into your shoes to save room as mentioned above.
- Shirts/tanks/bathing suits and coverups, roll tightly (which will also keep wrinkles out) and tuck in between pants and shorts.
- Most of your big items are in the suitcase…. Tuck non-liquid items in between the spaces in your suitcase, such as your umbrella, hairbrush, deodorant.
- Put your floppy on the top of your clothes and fill the top of the hat with items. I put charger cords here.
- Necklaces and jewelry can be put in a soft jewelry organizer or a plastic bag and tucked in spaces.
- Your liquid items must fit in a Quart sized bag if you are doing Carry On only. This includes aerosols, gels, creams and pastes. No more than 3.4 oz or 100 ml per item.
- You may take liquids in your checked baggage. Just put your liquids into plastic bags (you may even want to double bag them) just in case they leak in transport. (Can you tell this has happened to me before?)
You are allowed your purse and 1 carry-on item. I highly suggest you take with you in your carry on:
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- Flip flops
- Bathing suite
- Turkish towel
- Change of clothes for 1 day
- Sunscreen
I say this because IF your suitcase gets lost…. Or you can’t check into your hotel until later in the day, at least you can go to the beach and have an outfit to change into.
I hope this packing list has helped you get ready for a fantastic time!! Let me know if there is anything you think should be added or deleted from his list.
See you next time!!
Sharon