There's something very special about planning a trip, writing a list and packing a bag. It's the travel bug, it's magic, and I've had it since I was 13 when my family took me on a two-week trip to South East Asia.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Two years later, we followed it up with a holiday in Bali over the Christmas and New Year period.
It was the mid-'70s, and flying overseas back then was a bit of a luxury, something not every family could do. To me, it was exciting, and the exotic, tropical destinations we visited, were out of this world. I was hooked!
A few years later, when I left school, I decided there was really only one career for me, and that was in travel.
During my 15 years as a flight attendant, and now as a travel writer, I learnt many things about "how to travel".
Here are my tips for one of the most important: packing.
- If you're going on a long holiday or visiting multiple destinations, start thinking about what to take as soon as possible. If I'm travelling on a big trip, I allocate a spare bed to pack on, start washing clothes and laying them out on the bed about a month in advance. This gives me plenty of time to co-ordinate my travel wardrobe and check if anything needs replacing. I also try to stop wearing the items I'm taking on the trip (often easier said than done).
- If it's a short trip, decide on an outfit for each day according to weather forecasts and activities planned, or select a few different outfits that can be mixed and matched a few times over for longer trips
- Always pack clothes you love to wear, are comfortable, don't crease and are easy care
- I keep a selection of plastic bags in my wardrobe just for travelling. I pack undies, socks and bras in separate zip lock bags for easy identification and access, and to avoid having to pull my bag apart to find an item
- Roll soft easy-care items like tees, shorts, leggings etc for easier packing, or fold and place with same items in individual zip lock bags. This also prevents rummaging through the bag and having to repack every time you take something out.
- Label each zip lock bag to help identify quickly what is inside
- Squash all air out of bags before zipping closed. This prevents annoying air bubbles and reduces the size of the packet.
- Put one pair of shoes in a fabric/plastic bag so you have something to put dirty shoes in while travelling. This will prevent clothes from being soiled and grassy bits spreading through your bag
- On flights, wear your bulkiest, heaviest clothes that take up the most space in your luggage, i.e. jeans, platform shoes, runners, jumpers.
- If you're heading off on a road trip, use a suit pack for pants, shirts and dresses (especially cottons and linens) to hang in the car and keep them crease-free. Then, all you'll need is a small bag for shoes, tops, a jumper and toiletries. When you arrive at your hotel/motel for the night, simply carry the suit-pack in and hang it up.
