Photo: Timur Weber
Who likes to pack a suitcase? Even though we are not in a big room with lots of people, I am going to say, no one put their hands up.
The reason being, and we have all been there, we spend ages packing and we end up taking things we don’t need, and leaving things we do need behind.
Night Packing Not Good
My trip to Japan is a case in point. I left the packing last minute and spent most of the night packing, giving me on a couple of hours of sleep before I got up for the airport.
If you want to be the fastest person in the world to fill a suitcase, you have to beat Rosie Marshalle.
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She packed 20 items according to the Guinness Book of Records in 46.18 seconds on July 16, 2016, at Primrose Valley Holiday Park, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
You Don’t Have To Be A Record Breaker When Packing
But nobody is asking you to beat the world record, and anyway, are you sure you know what you want to pack? By the time you scratch your head your time would be up.
But there’s no need to worry. A writer from a publication called Apartment Therapy has come up with a method called 5,4,3,2,1. It simple and you can make it work.
She traveled around Europe for three weeks packing just: Five tops, four bottoms, three dresses and three pairs of shoes, two bags and two swimsuits,
Sun Hat, one watch, and a pair of Sunglasses.
Try The 5,4,3,2,1 Method And See Where That Takes You
If it doesn’t work for you, play around with the 5,4,3,2,1 method and insert what you think is best for you.
I don’t wear a watch and use my mobile to tell me the time. I wear varifocals where the lenses go dark in the sun, so don’t need sunglasses, and I prefer to have a hoodie instead of an umbrella, which often gets lost or damaged by bad weather.
I Don’t Wear A Watch? So, I’m Not Taking Mine With Me
If it is a winter holiday, for example, you may decide to substitute your swimming costume for a fleece. You may replace shoes for boots.
There is also the six rule: One hat, two pairs of shoes, three bottoms, four tops (short or long-sleeve or outer layer), five pairs of socks, six pairs of underwear. This should be enough to last you for two weeks.
Here Are Some More Items To Consider:
- Good book to read – or you could download on audio book or film on your tablet.
- Travel documents
- Cash
- Insect repellent
- Keys for when you return home from your holiday
- Battery charger and make sure your phone/camera is charged
- Couple of memory cards so that you don’t run out of space (256GB is good enough)
- Beach towels
- Nail clippers and nail polish/remover
- First Aid kit
- Lip balm
- Laundry bag
- Umbrella
- Wide-leg trousers
Also, if you are on a one-week or weekend trip, you can reduce your items of clothing. The fewer items you are taking the smaller the size of your luggage.
If you are seriously lacking space in your suitcase, rolling your clothes is the most space-saving option, but you won’t necessarily be able to keep your outfits organized together with this method.
Rolling And Not Folding Saves Space In Your Suitcase
Folding clothes together is more natural and logical, but it’s not as space efficient. Bundling works, but it’s a pain to get specific pieces of clothes out.
Whatever you have to do, do it! Once you have bitten the bullet, you can enjoy the rest of your holiday.
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