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Have you ever been stumped on what to pack for vacation? Do you always forget that one essential item? This ultimate travel packing list will break down everything you need for that next vacation
When you are preparing for a trip, you want to be as organized as possible when it comes to deciding on what to pack. This ultimate travel packing list will put you at ease when deciding what to pack.
As a fellow traveler, I understand everything that goes into planning a trip. After reading this post you will feel at ease and know what to pack for vacation.
This post is all about giving tips on what to pack for vacation.
The Ultimate Travel Packing List
Packing for a trip is dependent on where you are going and for how long. This post will break down different trips and what to pack for each trip. If you are the person that is always over that 50lb checked bag limit, this post is for you! Understanding what you need to bring on vacation and making a list will help you avoid overpacking. If you are an under packer and always missing those essential items when you are on vacation, this post is also for you. Organization is a key component that all (or most) avid travelers need.
Carry on Essentials/Entertainment
| Neck pillow | Chargers |
| Eye mask | Charger adapter (Overseas trips) |
| Headphones | Phone |
| Passport/ID | Laptop/Tablet |
| Blanket | Favorite Books/Kindle |
| Music Playlist | Journal |
What you bring on your carry on is so important! Some flights do not have in flight entertainment so ensure you bring your own. Even if the plane does have in flight entertainment, at times it could out of commission. You deserve to have the most relaxing flight or road trip.
Toiletries
| Toothbrush/Toothpaste | Feminine products |
| Mouthwash/Floss | Face products (wash, moisturizer) |
| Razor/Shaving cream | Hair styling (brush, blow dryer) |
| Soap/Bodywash | Makeup |
| Deodorant | Lotion |
| Perfume | Loofah |
| Shampoo/Conditioner | Glasses/Contacts |
| Medication | Vitamins |
These are subject to change based on how much of the above products you use. Keep in mind the TSA regulations if you are carrying on these items that liquids must be 3.4 fluid ounces and under. When deciding to check a bag, no need to keep items at that limit. In addition, if you want to bring your full size items, you can 🙂
Toiletries could arguably be one of the hardest categories to pack for. While you do not want to overpack, you want to ensure you have your daily essentials and even items you do not use on a daily. For example, if you are not one to style your hair every day, but on vacation you do, keep that in mind. A curling iron and straightener might not be something you pack for an overnight trip, but it could be necessary for a longer vacation.
What to keep in mind while packing is how you go about your daily life, night life, and special occasion life. We all tend to change it up depending on the occasion. You might want to pack more makeup for a longer vacation, even if you do not wear much makeup on a daily.
Reusable containers for toiletries is a money and space saving travel hack. Many of them you could find at your local Walmart/Target or on Amazon. They come in many different sizes and keep you feeling organized. A link is below to a travel organizer.
If you need a free customizable PDF ultimate packing checklist to stay organized, add your email below at the end of the post.
Clothing
Next up is clothing items for a beach/warm weather, work, and cold weather vacation. These lists are subject to change based on what you normally need on vacation. This list is a guide to help you get started on what you need to pack. After you go through your own list, feel free to change/add anything. You will be relieved to have different lists. See, organization is fun 😀
Beach/Tropical vacation:
| Sunscreen | Various shoes |
| Suntan lotion | Beach day bag |
| Aloe | Bathing suits |
| Hat | Cover-ups |
| Night dresses | Day dresses |
| Shorts | Tank tops |
| PJs | Undergarments |
Ensure you have plenty of bathing suits with you. Many times you are changing during the day and do not want to keep reusing a wet suit, yuck. Any tropical vacation it is better to pack a few more outfits than days you are there. Many times you sweat and what you wear during the beach likely will not be what you wear to dinner. Make a list and stay organized.
Work trip:
| PJs | Undergarments |
| Various shoes | Blazer |
| Pants and/or skirt suit | Tights |
| Casual clothes (after work) |
Sometimes there is not enough time for play when you have a work trip. However, if you are visiting an interesting city, try and squeeze in an hour where you have some fun. Taking a quick detour before headed to your hotel could do wonders for your work trip and mindset. For example, instead of going straight to the hotel, head to a local coffee for an hour. A break is much needed for extended work trips and traveling solo. There is a calmness going out and being around other people. It is also a breath or fresh air sometimes being in a new environment.
If you are fortunate enough to travel to fun cities for work, take full advantage of the opportunity. Most employers provide meal spending or personal spending per day. If you budget your money properly, you could easily make this a full on mini vacation (outside of work hours). This is why it is so important to pack casual clothes. If you have casual clothes packed, you are more likely to leave the hotel and get out of the work mindset.
Cold weather vacation:
| PJs | Undergarments |
| Various shoes | Snow boots |
| Jeans/pants | Tights |
| Sweaters/Cardigans | Shirts (short and long sleeve) |
| Winter hat | Scarves |
| Gloves | Earmuffs |
| Night out clothing | Comfy clothes |
| Coats | Dresses |
Keep in mind depending on what you are doing on this vacation, the above items are subject to change. This list is a guide to help you pack or order anything you need ahead of time. Preparation is so important when it comes to packing. Think about what you have needed anytime you are out in the cold and/or snow. Sometimes grabbing those essential items are second nature to us in the moment. However, when planning for travel, a million and one tasks are running through your mind. It is better to be a little over prepared than over prepared. Less regret that way too 🙂
If you want to learn more about travel organizations and essentials, check out this related post: 7 Genius Travel Tips for Long Flights
Categorizing is key
It is beyond important to categorize what you need for your trip. This will not only help you stay organized but it will help you not overpack. If you start throwing everything you own into suitcases, you will lose sight into what you need. You do not want to carry around more luggage than needed. In addition, this could save you money from checking that additional bag.
Making a list, checking it twice
Next, after making that ultimate travel packing list, double check the list and ensure that everything is packed. You do not want all that hard work to go to waste. It takes an extra two minutes to ensure you have everything you need. If you are one that does checkmarks as double checking then awesome or you could have someone with you when you pack to double check you. Either or as long as you have a system to ensure you have everything you need it will put you at ease. The best thing you could do for yourself prior to vacation is put your mind at ease.
Pack early
Final tip is packing early. You want to give yourself plenty of time to get everything together. No one wants to be running to the airport or running late on the road. Ensure you stay organized and get items you may need at least a week before the trip. You do not want to be scrambling the stores the day of your trip. If you believe you can pack everything in an hour, give yourself two or three. It is better to be over on time than under. Sometimes you might get distracted or things take longer than we anticipated. The early bird really does always catch the worm 😉
Traveling in general comes down to staying organized and ahead of of schedule. Typically the early you do tasks, the better the outcomes. You could get better deals, get exactly what you want when you want it, and feel relaxed. The whole point of vacation is to escape for our everyday routine and relax. With staying on top of everything, you will be relaxed the day of your trip and even the upcoming days. There is no rule saying you cannot be relaxed even before your trip 🙂
Enter your email below for a free PDF ultimate travel checklist. This checklist is customizable so you could add and remove whatever does not apply to you. Entering your email below and clicking that follow button on Pinterest will keep you up to date on travel guides, travel budget tips, and travel organization tips. Ensure you never miss the latest travel tips or guides.
Happy and safe travels xx
This post was all about the ultimate travel packing list and travel organization.
Related post you might like: 7 Smart Strategies on how to pack toiletries for air travel