If you’re planning a vacation then you need to plan out what you’ll be wearing for those days away. You can’t take your whole wardrobe, but if you do it right you can take everything you need without having to waste money on a checked bag. How do you do it? First of all you need to know what Not to pack.
1- Why are you packing a towel?
No really, why are you doing it? There is absolutely no reason to do it. More than likely there will be plenty of clean towels at the hotel or wherever you’re staying. If you’re worried you can always ask ahead to make sure, but it’s a common thing everywhere around the world to expect clean towels when you stay somewhere overnight.
What about those times you might need it in the airport or somewhere as an emergency? You can use some paper towels from the public restroom, or if you’re in a bid, just use your shirt. It’s unlikely that you’ll have to resort to that anyway.
2- Too many shoes
You really don’t need to pack any shoes other than the ones you’re wearing. Of course, if you’re going to be at a wedding or something that needs better than sneakers appearance then you should also pack 1 extra pair of shoes for that. Other than that it might be a good idea to pack 1 pair of flip flops that you can use in the shower (if that’s something you do) also to use at the pool or beach.
That’s it though. You should never be packing more than three pairs of shoes, and that includes the comfy sneakers you have on in the plane. The less you can get away with the better.
3- Toiletries
Pack your toothbrush, toothpaste, and some deodorant. You should be able to find everything else you need at the hotel. If not, you can always buy something from wherever you are. Hotels will have soap, shampoo, conditioner, even toothpaste and shaving cream if you ask them.
You can rough it for a week or two without all your “must have” toiletries. Besides, some of this stuff might slow you down when you go through security anyway. Just leave it at home and buy what you need when you get out there if it’s that important to you. Don’t waste precious packing space on toiletries.
4- Too many electronic items
All you need is your smartphone and maybe a small laptop. Your smartphone can do everything these days and there’s really no reason why you should be bringing extra devices like an ipad or an mp3 player. Besides, you’re not going to have time to mess with that stuff anyway. You’re on vacation remember?
5- Too much food
You should pack some snacks to take with you and a water bottle so you can fill it with water at the airport. However, don’t over do it with the food. There will be food wherever you go so you should try to just pack what you need for the trip over there. Maybe some snacks for the plane.
Once you get wherever you’re going you can buy food from there. If you want to stick to a tighter budget you can shop the grocery stores for meals, but really, why not just eat out? You are on vacation. You deserve the pleasure of trying the local cuisine. It’s all part of the experience.
6- Things you’ll buy over there
This should go without saying, but you should try to avoid packing anything that you’re planning to buy when you’re over there. For example, if you’re planning to buy a t-shirt while you’re out there then pack one less t-shirt. You want to make sure you have enough room in your luggage to bring back whatever you buy so plan for it.