Packing can be tricky and oftentimes you may end of taking way more stuff than you need which means you have to lug all that stuff around. Below are 5 tips and tricks for functional and efficient packing.

1. Check the weather for your destination and make note of temperatures and precipitation. If you are hiking, check the trail status. This sounds like a no brainer but plenty of hikers have to turn around because they don’t have adequate gear, their feet get wet and cold, or even worse circumstances. 
2. Make a list or use your travel itinerary so you can see what you will be doing each day. This doesn’t have to be super detailed; you need a basic overview of what activities are happening each day. 
3. Start laying out everything you think you may need and I mean EVERYTHING. Stay with me here … I know I just said you run the risk of overpacking and now I’m telling you to lay out everything you could possibly need.
   • Once you have everything laid out, start organizing it into what you would wear for each activity, each day. For example, you may want to have a comfy outfit for the plane, a fresh change of clothes for checking out museums and exploring the city during the day, and a nicer outfit for dinner and a theatre show. 
   • Now, start editing. Edit with a vengeance. If you can’t wear the item at least twice during your trip, take it out. Remember, it is perfectly okay to re-wear clothing items. That is the goal. Think of it as a challenge, how many times and how many different activities can you wear that pair of pants for? Mix and match pieces to create a new outfit each time. 
4. Pack with purpose and roll rather than fold clothing. For some trips I like to pack all clothing of the same type together (i.e. all pants together) and for others I like to pack the outfit as a whole (i.e. shorts and t-shirt together for that particular day/activity). The former method I find more helpful for trips where the weather may be more variable so I can choose heavier pants for colder days. The latter method is more helpful for longer trips when I know I have easy access to laundry services and can mix and match after laundering. Take the extra time to neatly roll clothing to minimize wrinkles. Compression cubes are helpful to keep things together as well. 
5. Whether you are a checked bag or carry-on only world traveler, have at least one full change of clothes and 1-3 days of toiletries easily accessible. 

Travel documents. 

1. A travel itinerary is a must have for me. I like having a plan and a basic map of how the day will go. That doesn’t mean that it won’t change, but the plan helps me visualize the “must do”, “nice to do”, and “meh” activities. I have used both Word and Excel to create travel itineraries and there plenty of other options. A travel itinerary is extremely helpful when I travel solo … R knows what my plan is and where I’ll be. It is also helpful if you plan to journal about your experience and I highly encourage it! I like to look back through my journal years later and relive parts of the trip. The itinerary helps block time for different activities and makes it easier to switch things around because I know how much time was budgeted for each activity. It is also a convenient one stop document for confirmation numbers, contact information, special notes, etc. You can make your itinerary what you want it to be. 
2. I generally create a folder for each trip and the itinerary is the first document in the folder. I will also print out confirmations, any QRCs, or other information I may need and add that into the folder, arranged by dates. That way I have an electronic and paper copy so, if anything happens, I have backups. 
3. It is also a good idea to have a picture and a photocopy of your driver’s license, passport, and any other critical documents you are traveling with (this could be visas, medical documentation, prescriptions, etc.). These should be kept somewhere other than your travel folder. I recommend using a password protected folder on your phone for pictures (use a different password than the one to unlock your phone) and putting the paper copies in a Ziploc style bag and keeping them in a less obvious location (if your suitcase has a zippered lining, that is a good spot).

Keeping a travel journal is an amazing way of finishing a day of adventure in a new place. Carving out 10 – 15 minutes before bed to journal the highlights your travel helps you recap your favorites experiences and is a fun way to compare notes with your travel peeps! When I journal, I like to think about and include the following:

1. Where am I? 
2. What was the weather like today? 
3. What activities did I do? i.e. hiking, museum, guided tour, etc. 
4. Where and what did I eat/drink? 
5. What was my favorite part of the day and why? 
6. What was my least favorite part of the day and why? 
7. How did all of today’s adventures make me feel? 

You can also make use of time spent on the plane, train, or bus to journal, but don’t save all your journaling for the end of your trip. Daily journaling is better to help capture details and allow each day to have its own highlights rather than have some experiences dimmed by others. 

Here are some bonus questions for the end of your trip: 

1. What are the things I wouldn’t hesitate to come back and do again?
2. Was there anything I wanted to do/see/experience that I missed?