HOW TO PACK FOR A TRIP:18

STEP GUIDE

Jessica King
Professor Lee
English 412
10/18/2016

INTRODUCTION

Do you have plans to travel within the next few months,

but are clueless as to how to go about packing? If so, look
no further and start here with my 18-Step guide on How
to Pack for a Trip. This short and informative guide is
designed to help people like YOU consider all of the steps
that go into packing for a trip and how to do the actual
packing itself.

#1 CHOOSE A STYLE OF LUGGAGE

TOTE - 1 OR 2 DAY TRIP

STANDARD WEEK LONG

TRIP

The size a nd type of luggage youll

want to own depends on the length,
location, and type of trips you typically
go on. For example, if you frequently
embark on weekend trips, the car pet
bag would ser ve a s the best option due
to its smaller size.
CARPET BAG

WHEELED UPRIGHT TRAVELING

BY PLANE

DUFFEL WEEK LONG

TRIP
TRUNK WEEK LONG TRIPS +

GARMET BUSINESS
TRIP

#2 PURCHASE COMPRESSION
BAGS
Plastic travel compression ba gs
help remove air from clothing
items, and can double as a way to
hold dirty clothes on the wa y
back.

Pro -tip: If you need to wash your

clothes but there arent any
laundry machines around, you
can wash clothes in a
compression bag by a dding soap
and water and then shaking the
bag.

#3 REPLACE THE MATERIAL WITH

THE DIGITAL
If youre someone who
likes to bring books to rea d
during your downtime on
va cation, consider bringing
your kindle with you, or
downloa ding your favorite
books onto your ipa d to
free up more spa ce.

Pro -tip: Also consider

downloading ma ps,
tra nslations, tra vel guides,
and even tra vel documents
to your electronic devices.

#4 PURCHASE TRAVEL SIZES

The best way to maxim ize spa ce is

to stock up on travel sized items.
The most commonly bought travel
sized items are toothpa ste, body
wash, deodorant, and sha mpoo.
Pro -tip: Use zip-lock ba gs to keep
all of your travel sized items
organized and free from spilling.

#5 PREDICT THE WEATHER

H a v ing a n id e a o f w ha t t he w eat her

w ill b e l ike wh ile y o u re o n yo ur
t ri p h e lp s yo u to p a ck t he p ro per
c lo th ing , wh ile a ls o help in g to
p re v en t o ve r p a c king .

Pro -t ip : Do wnlo a d a wea th er a p p

o n yo ur sm a rtp h o ne o r c heck the
w e a the r o n line a s a qu ick referenc e
w he n cho os in g o utfi ts fo r yo u r tri p!

#6 GO OVER YOUR ITINERARY

Having a solid idea of wha t youll be
doing on your trip helps you to pack
for unexpected events. Prepa ring for
a ll possible avenues of your trip is
a lways an absolute must when it
comes to packing.

Pro -tip: If youre booking your trip

through a travel agent a sk for
information on recommended dress
requirements for your destina tion.
Family and fr iends are also a great
tool for advice if they have already
been where youre going.

#7 PRINT OFF AN ITEMIZED

CHECKLIST
Printing off an itemized
checklist helps to ensure you
wont forget the necessities,
while also helping to
eliminate the possibility of
over packing your suitcase.
Pro-tip: Use
extra lines to
tailor any
checklist to
your needs!

#8 USE THE 1-2-3-4-5-6 RULE

On e o f th e s im ple s t an d e as ie s t w ay s to prepa re w h at to pa ck for a tri p
is th e 1- 2- 3-4-5-6 ru le if y ou re goin g o n a w ee k lon g trip . T h is r u le is
grea t fo r s tick in g to w h at y ou re ally n e e d!

1 hat
2

pa ir s o f s h oe s

pa ir s o f pa n ts

4 s hi rts
5

p air s of s o cks

6 s ets o f un d er we ar

#9 PACK OUTSIDE OF THE

SUITCASE

Laying items out in front of you will

help you to see what needs to be
packed, while also serving as a
visual aid to see If you missed
anything.

Pro-tip: Try to lay items that go

together next to each other, so when
you need to find something on your
trip in a hurry, youll know right
where to go!

#10 PICK A FOLDING TECHNIQUE

Diff erent people prefer
diff erent folding techniques. So
before you dive into packing,
make sure to master either the
folded or the rolled technique
to avoid folding your clothes in
multiple ways.
Pro -tip: Rolling your clothing in
bundles has been said to sa ve
space and decrease the cha nce
of wrinkles.

#11 PACK THE BOTTOM LAYER

A n y h e a v y o r b u l ky i t e m s y o u
c h o o s e t o t a ke w i t h y o u o n y o u r
t r i p l i ke h a t s , s h o e s , h a i rd r y e r s ,
o r c o a t s s h o u l d b e p a c ke d a t
the bottom of your luggage.

If you choose luggage that is

c a rr y o n l y , y o u l l n e e d t o p l a c e
t h e h e a v i e s t i t e m s n ex t t o t h e
h i n g e t h a t a t t a ch e s t h e l i d . A l l
o t h e r f o rm s o f l u g g a g e , l i ke
ro l l i n g l u g g a g e , w i l l re q u i re
h e a v y /b u l ky i t e m s t o b e p l a c e d
at the bottom.

Pro - t i p : Tr y t u ck i n g j e w e l r y ,
socks, sunglasses, and other
small items that can get loose
while traveling into your shoes
to maximize space.

#12 PACK THE SECOND LAYER

Take each clothing item and

fold/roll it nicely. The fi rst layer
on top of your bottom layer,
should contain clothing of the
thickest material (i.e. jackets,
jeans, and sweaters).

Pro tip: As you pack the second

layer, try and leave room for
toiletry bags to be tucked
tightly in the center.

#13 PACK THE TOP LAYER

The very top layer of your luggage

should contain lightweight, delicate,
and prone to wrinkling clothing. You
will also want to fold/roll third-layer
clothing items to lay nice.

Pro-tip: If the third (top) layer of your

suitcase consists of silk shirts, blouses,
or a dress you can wrap/roll these
clothing items in tissue paper for extra
protection against wrinkles, rips, and
stains from the bottom of shoes.

#14 UTILIZE SIDE SPACE

U t il i z e s i de s p a c e i n a
s u i t c a se f o r i te m s l i ke
p h o n e c h a rge r s , m e d i c in e
b o tt l e s , b r u s h e s , l i n t
ro l le r s, a n d e t c .
Pro - t ip : S i de s p a c e s a re
a l s o p e r fe c t fo r
s qu e e z i n g i n a dd i ti o n a l
i te m s t h a t a re n t
n e c e ss a r il y n e e de d f o r
t h e t r i p, b u t w a n te d. Fo r
ex a m p l e : A n ex t r a p a i r o f
fl a t s .

#15 LEAVE ROOM FOR

SOUVENIRS

Everyone enjoys purcha sing

items that remind them of a
certain trip they took.
Whether its an I love NY
t-shirt, a snow globe, or
mickey mouse ears, ma ke
sure to leave enough room
in your suitcase for such
items.

#16 WEAR ITEMS THERE AND BACK

Choosing to wear items you
know youll be using on your
trip also helps to make for
extra space. Try dressing in
layers if youll be tra veling
somewhere cold.

Pro -tip: Aim to wear bulkier

items on your trip since these
are the items that tend to ta ke
up the most space in a
suitcase.

#17 BRING A CARRY-ALL

Totes, purses, small

wheeled uprights, and old
backpacks serve as the
best types of carry-all
luggage. Carry-all lugga ge
should be small, as well a s
extremely accessible for
tight spaces.

Pro -tip: Bring a carry-a ll to

help eliminate space from
a suitcase, and to have
the things that make
tr aveling a bit easier right
by your side!

#18 PROTECT YOUR SELF WITH

TRAVEL INSURANCE
Over-packing to protect yourself a ga inst worst-ca se scenarios
only works if you dont lose your luggage. The best way to pack
a piece of mind is to purchase tra vel insurance.
Pro -tip: Having travel insurance covers lost and stolen luggage,
travel delays, and reimburses you for essentials purchased
dur ing a trip delay. Not having travel insura nce mea ns YOU
FOOT THE BILL!

WORKS CITED
Add Final Toiletries. Digital Image. Web. 12 October 2016. <racheldevine.com>.
Allianz. Pack Like a Pro With These 11 Suitcase Packing Tips. Travel Insurance & Trip Protection. N.P., 12. Jan. 2015. Web.
14 Oct. 2015
Black Carry On Bag. Digital Image. Web. 14 October 2016. <united.com>.
Black Clothes On Floor. Digital Image. Web. 14 October 2016. <fashionlush.com>.
Compression Bag. Digital Image. Web. 13 October 2016. <corporatetravelsafety.com>.
Clothes Laying on Bed. Digital Image. Web. 12 October 2016. <lifehack.com>
Folded vs. Rolled Clothes. Digital Image. 13 September 2012. Web. 12 October 2016. <herpackinglist.com>.
Ipad. Digital Image. Web. 9 October 2016. <ebay.com>.
Kindle. Digital Image. Web. 9 October 2016. <westvanlibrary.com>.
Itinerary For a Trip. Digital Image. Web. 9 October 2016. <lifehack.com>.
Mickey Mouse Ears. Digital Image. 11 November 2011. Web. 13 October 2016. <themeparkinsider.com>.
Picture Iphone Weather App. Digital Image. Web. 9 October 2016. <knowyourmobile.com>.
Pink Checkered Shirt. Digital Image. Web. 12 October 2016. <smnrc.org>.
Shoes in a Suitcase. Digital Image. Web. 12 October 2016. <wikihow.com>.

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