Trip Planning Primer: Start with a Vacation Packing Checklist

The most logical way to approach a vacation packing checklist? Think about your destination, the length of your trip, the weather conditions during your time away, and the types of activities you plan to participate in. If you’re heading to São Paulo around Christmas time, for example, pack breezy clothing rather than a down parka, since December is the start of Brazil’s summer season.¹

A beach vacation checklist may bear some similarities to an inventory checklist for a vacation rental – say, BYO sheets and towels, depending on your accommodations. Meanwhile, a packing list for your European honeymoon (oui, romantic dinners for two) will probably be a departure from a family vacation checklist (who brought the kids’ water wings for the pool?).

Other considerations include whether your destination offers access to toiletries, first aid necessities, outlets for phone and laptop chargers – and how necessary all those things are in the first place. If you’re seeing the sights in a cosmopolitan city, you might bring along all the bells and whistles. But if you’re setting off on a backpacking or hiking adventure in the remote wilderness, the bare necessities – and bear whistles – may be apt.

You may have heard stories about intrepid travelers throwing a bathing suit and a toothbrush in a bag before embarking on some great adventure. The reality is that off-the-cuff planning, or lack thereof, could leave you spending precious time scrambling for the essentials while your fellow adventurers are ziplining through the rainforest.

Once you’ve buttoned up your destination and have a sense of your itinerary (and the weather), start planning your vacation packing checklist. Using a travel app or your own list, write down everything you need to bring along, separate the items into strategic categories, and don’t forget that different trips require different packing necessities.

Here are some packing categories and key items to get you started:

ID and travel documents:

Wherever you’re going, you’ll need identification and documentation, such as your passport, driver’s license, hotel or vacation rental info, and boarding pass. It’s also important to have your emergency contacts, health insurance card, and any additional paperwork, either as hard copies or in electronic form.² Another tip: Make copies of your ID and important paperwork as a precautionary measure. Keep essential items close at hand – and don’t forget your wallet, cash, and credit cards!

Before filling your suitcase, lay out everything you want to bring and think logically about what you really need. Don’t bring along stuff for stuff’s sake; cross off anything ambiguous and remove it from sight. Civilization, if that’s where you're headed, might afford you the opportunity to fill in the occasional gap without hijacking the whole day – think: a commemorative sweatshirt for an unseasonably chilly night.

Think about luggage size, too. Every airline has its own rules about luggage weight, dimensions, and fees, so it’s best to check with your carrier before committing to which suitcases or duffle bags to use.⁴ Also, consider the condition of your luggage. No one wants to be greeted at the airport carousel with a busted suitcase that didn’t make the last leg of the journey. Durable luggage, be it a weekender bag, an overnight case, or a full-size suitcase (hard- or soft shell) can be a worthy investment.

Beyond excavating your suitcase from the closet – or purchasing a new one – consider utilizing packing cubes of varying sizes, which are basically containers made from soft mesh or nylon that allow you to compartmentalize each category. Just zip up your sweaters, footwear, battery packs and wires, and so on, and arrange them to fit in your suitcase. Goodbye, cluttered luggage.

Another strategy for saving precious space: Roll up your clothing using a method called “Ranger Rolling,” inspired by an army packing technique.⁵ Your rolled garments are easy to see – no digging through folded items to find that shirt you want – or they can fit neatly into those handy packing cubes.

It’s a cinch to execute the “Ranger Roll.” Starting with a T-shirt, Iay the garment flat and invert the bottom hem to create a two-inch cuff. Vertically fold the left third of the shirt inward, and fold the sleeve back onto itself. Fold the right third over the same way. Starting from the neck, tightly roll the shirt all the way to the end, making sure the corners are smooth. Finally, invert the back side of the cuff around the rolled shirt. The result: a wrinkle-free shirt that’s held securely in place. Pants, socks, and undergarments can be ranger rolled as well, but bulkier garments like jeans and sweaters are often better suited to folding.