How To Pack for a Holiday

The packing is the worst part of taking a holiday for most people. How do you really know what you’ll need? How can you account for weather changes in an unfamiliar place before you’re actually there? And how can you take along everything you want to wear while still leaving room in your suitcase to bring back souvenirs?

I don’t have all the answers. I do know how to pack for a holiday in a way that works for me. But I’ve never shared a packing guide before because I’m not sure how useful it will be to the average traveler. In the past decade, I’ve developed strategies for how to pack as a content creator whose travels involve multiple photoshoots every day. Most travellers don’t need to worry about that – they just need to pack enough clothes to get them through. But this subject is one that I get the most questions about, so, by popular demand, I’m sharing my tips and tricks for holiday packing.

My Best Holiday Packing Tips

1. Plan in advance
   1. It’s hard to know what you’ll want to wear on holiday if you don’t know what you’ll do while you’re away. I never start planning what will go into my suitcase until I’ve thoroughly plotted where we’ll be going, what we’ll be doing and when during a holiday. And checked all of the weather forecasts for each day. Different activities can demand very different outfits. You can’t pack without making practical considerations like how far you’ll need to walk, how much you’ll exert yourself and how hot (or cold) it’s likely to be outside.
2. Don’t pack pieces – pack outfits
   1. Before I started as a content creator, I would pack individual items in my suitcase – dresses, sweaters, jeans – without giving much thought to how they would work together once I got to my destination. Sometimes that worked out well, sometimes it didn’t work at all.
   2. As a content creator, I plan every outfit carefully, because each one tells a story. Planning outfits in advance of a holiday is an efficiency measure when you plan create content on the go. It takes away a lot of guesswork and thus saves a lot of wasted time. But even if you aren’t taking photos of your outfits while on holiday, the same principle applies. If you know what you’re going to wear every day when you wake up, you save time in the morning. And that’s time you can spend enjoying your holiday.
3. If it can’t be worn more than once, don’t pack it (unless it’s a dress)
   1. To save space in your suitcase, the simplest thing is to leave anything you won’t wear more than once during your holiday at home. Suitcase real estate is always at a premium; you don’t want to waste it on a top you know you can only style one way.
   2. Dresses can sometimes be an exception to this rule – if you have a special event to attend, and a special dress to wear for it, you’re probably safe to bring it along, even if you won’t wear it a second time.
   3. Generally speaking, I don’t ever pack anything – aside from the occasional dress – that I don’t plan to wear at least twice, if not three times, while I’m away.
4. Recognise that plans (and weather) can change
   1. You need a contingency plan. When I pack, no matter where I’m going, I always take my favourite sweater, a pair of leggings, and a couple of basic tank tops – just in case.
   2. Not everyone’s basics will be exactly the same, but choose items that you know you’ll feel comfortable in no matter what your circumstances. And that will keep you warm (or cool) if the weather changes unexpectedly.
5. No matter how much you love shoes, don’t waste too much luggage real estate on them
   1. Holidays involve a lot of walking no matter where you go or what activities you plan. Prioritise packing two pairs of shoes that will be comfortable for going a long distance if you unexpectedly get lost or misjudge how far away something is, and wind up walking for miles, possibly over cobblestones.
   2. Some cities are very, very hard on shoes. Paris is one of them. You can bring nice shoes but know that you could ruin them if you wear them repeatedly during your visit. If it isn’t worth the risk, leave them at home.
   3. You can still bring your favourite uncomfortable shoes – but limit yourself to two to three versatile pairs. You won’t miss the extras, I promise. (And you’re pretty likely to pick up a new pair, or two, anyway! Save space for them.)
6. Carry-on only isn’t something you need to aspire to, but…
   1. Packing your carry-on judiciously, with enough clothes to cover the first two to three days of your trip, is critical. Suitcases get mislaid. Not lost, usually, but sometimes they take longer to get to your destination than you do. The more you travel, the more likely it is this will someday happen to you. Prepare in advance by making sure you have enough clothes to manage until your full suitcase arrives, if needed.
   2. Yes, yes, I know, shopping is fun and being forced to buy new clothes because of a lost suitcase doesn’t sound like a bad thing. BUT – it’s actually awful. You can arrive with nothing, not even a toothbrush, and find yourself rushing around to get essentials when you could be having fun. Shopping under pressure, especially if you’re tired, can be frustrating. It rarely leads to good sartorial decisions. Save yourself the headache, trust me. You won’t be sorry. (I speak from experience.) And if the suitcase really is lost, the cycle of replacing garments continues through the holiday. The cost adds up very quickly!
   3. If you’re taking any luxury items with you, always put those in your carry-on. Sometimes, you really do lose your suitcase. For good. Along with everything in it. It would be devastating if that everything included your more precious designer pieces.

That’s it! Happy packing.