Packing Tips

You probably aren't surprised that we keep a master packing list. It is meant to be as overly complete as possible and we frequently add to it. When it's time to prep for travel, we make a fresh copy for the specific trip and delete as we go. Doing it this way takes a burden off your mind, especially if you're a panic packer.

For groups and couples, you might need to electronify this for easy sharing. Mike and I have found that Trello works for us because we can mark things as we go and avoid doubling up on things that just don't need doubling, like toothpaste.

If you tend to worry days in advance about last minute things that you might forget, tape a sheet of paper on the front door with a pen and just add to it when you think of these things. It's even on our packing to-do list to make a door list and start it with "turn off the AC or heater".

Safety: Make sure to tell your emergency contact where/how you will be reachable, and check that they have the updated contact info for family. On a slip on paper, draw a big red cross, write your emergency contact's information, and list any allergies you have. Keep this in your wallet.

For the paranoid: Before you leave home, take photos of the items in your wallet and your passport. Upload them somewhere (or just email them to yourself). If you're hyper-paranoid, you know why. If you aren't, then just do it because it's fun, and let's not talk about why.

Finally, you'll need a handy bookings cheatsheet. This can include your itinerary if you like, but it needs to be a solution that works for you. It is important to know your booking reference numbers anytime you are asked, without having to pull out your smart phone and search through emails -- who knows if you'll even have data or wifi to get onto your email!

All these things should be on your master list. Here's how our master list looks, and what it looked like after we used it for our Korea trip, full of labels:

Our Trello board has the following lists:

• Need to buy
• Before we go
• Small things (on the plane)
• Clothes
• In the room
• Toiletries
• Electronics
• Special Needs
• Gifts