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9 tips for quick trips – what you need to know about packing light

June 19, 2016 by Jill 9 Comments

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click the images and buy something – anything – from Amazon during that session, I made a lot of money. Okay, not really a lot of money but maybe enough to upgrade to a Grande next time I go for coffee. Maybe.

Now that most airlines charge to check bags, the words “carry on only” are becoming more attractive.

When packing for a trip, I’m in the “less is more” camp.  My packing tips fit my comfort zone and the kind of traveler I am.  Will they work for you? Here are a few things to think about when deciding whether or not packing light is for you:

Time saver

Carry on only saves time.  You can give the baggage carousel some “talk to the hand.”  Who likes being elbow-to-elbow with a bunch of pushy shovers scrambling for the black bag that looks like your black bag? That just gets take-your-earrings-off ugly and no one likes that.

If it can go wrong…

…then it will.  Yes, I mean the two words that strike fear in to the heart of travelers everywhere – lost luggage.  If your unmentionables, contact lens solution and whatever else you can’t live without away from home is in your carry on, well…the airline can’t lose it.  Seriously, anyone who has ever spent the first couple of days of a business trip wearing their travel clothes or hastily purchased Wal-Mart crap is nodding their head and saying “oh yeah.”

But just how high maintenance are you?

No judgment from me if you consider your flat iron and seven hair products “essentials.” However, that stuff takes up valuable luggage space.  Unless you score travel sized hair products, you risk losing your stuff at security.  If your plastic baggie of liquids and gels exceeds whatever quantity Grumpy TSA person has has pulled out of his butt that day then you lose it.  Something to ponder:  why don’t they let shiny happy people work at airport security?

On a scale of ten being the highest of high maintenance and one being “I don’t give a shit what I look like” I’m probably a solid seven. If space is a factor, hair stuff is the first thing I cut, but I’m cool with ponytails and ball caps.  If your vacation will be ruined if your hair isn’t perfect, you might not be ready for minimalista packing.

9 tips for quick trips - how and when to pack light|Packing tips|Packing ideas|travel|

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Brand loyalty and more high maintenance stuff

My bathroom at home is overflowing with fruity bath and body products and a gazillion varieties of hair stuff.  Do I really need body wash, body scrub, body spray, body powder, and body lotion?  Do I have to have facial moisturizer, toner, night cream, day cream, eye cream, and anti-aging serum?  Well…yes. High maintenance girl that I am, I can easily pare it all down when traveling.  Most hotels offer decentish toiletries.  Body wash, shampoo, conditioner and lotion are standard issue.  Some places have more amenities (particularly in Europe and Asia) and some will give you additional stuff for the asking (just pretend you forgot your toothbrush.)  Yes, I prefer my own brand of shampoo but for a short trip, me and my hairdo can deal with what the hotel stocks.

I have a small cache of stuff I pull out for trips – mini hairbrush, travel toothbrush that folds up and travel sized toothpaste, deodorant and perfume.  I carry one kind of face cream in a little sample pot I got at the beauty counter years ago; I just refill it when it’s empty.  This fits in the airline approved plastic baggie while it’s a departure from my everyday routine (ahem, copious amounts of girlie things) it’s good enough.  Probably worth it to ask yourself a second time “how high maintenance am I?”

But what-if…

If you travel prepped for any and all possible scenarios, rock on.  Sewing kit?  Check. Rain gear?  Check.  Mini pharmacy containing everything from Midol to Malaria meds?  Check. If you are that person, minimalista packing might not be your thing.  I travel with a couple of Tylenol in a baggie and a bandaid.  If I need something else, I’ll buy it there.

I make adjustments if I’m traveling with kids or to remote areas where I might have trouble finding something Walgreens-ish. I travel with an umbrella, which practically guarantees no rain anywhere I go, ever.  If rip my pants, I’ll deal with it.  I like to live on the edge like that.  I pack what I’m certain I will need.  There’s not a lot of “just in case” with my packing. If you’re interested in my post on packing for an adoption trip, read it HERE.

Are you okay with a little funk?

For long weekends, I’ll pack one pair of jeans, four shirts and something else (usually a skirt or a dress).  I pick stuff that I can mix and match and prints that hide spillage. I’m totally fine wearing the same jeans several days in a row.  Unless I spill something or they start walking by themselves, I just don’t wash jeans often.  Maybe that sounds a little gross, but I’ve never had anyone refuse to sit by me on the bus because I smell.

I’ll pack a tide pen (if I remember) but honestly, I’m okay with taking the risk of spilled Merlot or getting splashed by a mud puddle.  It probably won’t happen, but if it does, I’ll weigh the cost of hotel laundry service against my sink washing options.

Ease & Speed

Sprinting for the gate, stuffing your bags in the trunk of a cab or navigating subways and railways are much easier if you’re not loaded like a pack mule. For short trips (i.e. long weekends) traveling light means traveling fast.  You can get where you’re going and start having fun.

Your mileage may vary

If you must carry medical or baby supplies, minimalista packing may not work for you.  A child in diapers sucks up your packing space pretty quickly. Although traveling with small humans is a definite game changer, “buy it there” might be an option. Diapers and wipes take up tons of space.  If you’re a mom and your trip is more than three days, odds are you’ll be drawn toward Target like a homing pigeon.

It’s your trip

If you need three “just in case” outfits, eyeliner for all occasions and backup reading material for a weekend getaway, then take it.  I’m all about challenging myself to get outside my comfort level but for many of us, our comfort level is…well, comfortable and maybe we don’t want to rock the boat.

A reversable skirt is a great travel piece!

For a weekend trip, I usually take a backpack and some sort of crossbody purse. This is plenty of room for my stuff with room to spare, which allows me to bring back crap I don’t need…err…things to memorialize my trip that will be ever-so-useful.

A word about snacks – I make it a point not to travel places where they don’t have food.  If my kids are with me, I’ll take a few things to increase our odds of getting to where we need to be without meltdowns, but for hubs and I, I limit it to a few munchies.  I like Pringles, jerky or trail mix for snack packin’.  This stuff doesn’t get squished and hey…Pringles just rock.

Minimalista packing has taken some getting used to.  I once was that girl who took two checked bags for a weeklong trip.  This works for me and allows me to have a little bit more of a “live the simple life” outlook than I do in my day-to-day. I hope you’ve found something you can use…or at least make fun of.  Have a great tip or a story about packing light?  Let’s hear it!

Thank you for reading!

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Let’s be friends!

 

 

 

 

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9 Comments

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How to survive a road trip with kids »

Comments

  1. Tracie says

    October 18, 2014 at 5:23 pm

    I LOVE the reversible skirt idea. How have I made it this far in life without owning one of those?

    I’m definitely going to look into getting one for my next trip.

    Reply
  2. Cajun says

    October 21, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    These are great tips. My only problem is I NEED all my beauty products and since I make most of them, or for the ones I buy, I MUST have very specific ones due to my highly sensitive skin. The little go tubes at Target are an absolute LIFESAVER for those reasons. I’m all carry-on all the time!

    Reply
  3. Kirsten says

    October 21, 2014 at 4:56 pm

    What? A reversible skirt? Have I been living under a rock? I’m with you: less is best. I actually take a maxi dress and use it as a skirt, dress, you name it. Multi-purpose is my middle name. Oh, and packing cubes, can’t live without those.

    Reply
  4. Akaleistar says

    October 22, 2014 at 2:51 am

    Excellent tips! Happy SITS Day 🙂

    Reply
  5. Tarana Khan says

    March 26, 2015 at 2:14 pm

    Love that skirt! Thanks for the tips. I’m one of those people who carry their body lotion 🙂

    Reply
  6. Chris Carter says

    March 26, 2015 at 3:31 pm

    I want that skirt!! Brilliant!

    Reply
  7. Meredith says

    March 26, 2015 at 3:50 pm

    I need that skirt too! Great tips. Now that I have 3 kids, I usually forget to pack something for myself. Every time.

    Reply
  8. Kristi Campbell says

    March 27, 2015 at 2:31 pm

    I need that skirt, too. Awesome. Seriously. And I’m with you on jeans not needing to be washed every day.

    Reply

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  1. How to survive a road trip with kids - Ripped Jeans & Bifocals says:
    June 23, 2016 at 10:49 pm

    […] on the minimalist end when it comes to packing but it’s not always easy (or wise) to travel light when you’ve got […]

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All About Jill

I'm a digital content creator and essayist who copes with parenting and most other situations with humor and snark. Just so you know, if this weren't the internet, I'd be smiling awkwardly and answering simple questions like "How are you today" with gems like "I like pockets."

I really do love pockets, though.

I spent 26 years in the USAF, which went by really, really fast. I'm very proud of my service but I'm loving my second act even more. Writing gives me the opportunity to flex my creative muscles and that's what makes me happy. Welcome.

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rippedjeansandbifocals

Freelance Writer & Travel Expert
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Jill Robbins
Happy Wednesday. 📷 taken at Wasserman Wranch n Happy Wednesday.

📷 taken at Wasserman Wranch near Alpine. Check my bio link for more information. 

#texastravel #westtexas #texastodo #welovetexas #texaskids #donkeysofinstagram #westtx #texastravel #onlyintexas #alpinetexas #alpinetx #igtexas #igtexasphoto #alamocreatives #heymama_love #texasblogger #satxbloggers #texasthingstodo #miniaturedonkey #miniaturedonkeysofinstagram
"Intelligence + Character. That is the goal of tru "Intelligence + Character. That is the goal of true education." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I saw a lot of posts about Martin Luther King yesterday when I was doing my scrolls through social media...on a day where I wasn't supposed to be ON social media, ahem. We hear and see a lot of Dr. King's words and quotes one day a year. So, instead of apologizing for posting this "a day late" I'll share that I'm challenging myself to remember some of these important words more than one day a year.

Our kids are watching us right now. I mean...they're always watching us but I think what they see in these times is more important than ever. Nuturing our kids' intelligence and character is more important than ever. My kids are 10 now - this picture is about four years old - and they are absorbing EVERYTHING we say, how we say it and even what we don't say. 

This mural is near the suspension bridge in downtown Waco. Waco is famous for all the Magnolia things but there's a lot there for families, too, and the park around the bridge is a great place to explore along the Brazos River. 

#martinlitherkingday #martinlutherkingquotes #wacotexas #wacoheartoftexas #wacohot #texastravel #texastodo #onlyintexas #texaskids #texasfamilies #alamocreatives #igtexasphoto 
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Here’s something you’ve probably never seen be Here’s something you’ve probably never seen before: my bottom teeth.
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I always hide my crooked bottom teeth in pictures and I’m super self-conscious when I talk. So I did something about it.
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I wore braces as a kid and my top teeth are straight but my bottom teeth are shifting and one tooth is traveling into the back of my mouth and I have some crowding. My orthodontist said it’s very unusual to put braces on just half your mouth but my bite is still aligned so they didn’t have to put them on my top teeth - my wallet is thankful.
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Questions I’ve already been asked:
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1️⃣ At your age? Yes, at my age. I still care about my smile. 
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3️⃣ How long do you have to wear them?
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6-9 months.
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3️⃣ Do they hurt? 
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My teeth are sore and my mouth is tender but not to the Tylenol level so I guess the answer is “Not too much.”
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Other questions? Advice?
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#braceface #adultbraces
Little things can really be big - do you agree? M Little things can really be big - do you agree?

My husband gets up with our kids twice a week and does their breakfast and morning routine and takes them to school so I can sleep in. I don't laze away the morning in bed - it usually amounts to about an extra hour of sleep for me and a little more peace and quiet as I start my day. 

This probably seems like a little thing but this is huge for me. The mental benefits of not having to set my alarm on a schoolday is truly my love language. I would rather have sleep than flowers or presents. 

On those morning where my husband takes my kids to school, I will inevitably find the kitchen not "just so." There will be spills on the table or something that didn't get put away. I resist the urge to be sarcastic or to ask "Um, is there a reason we have four boxes of cereal just sitting on the counter?" or point out that it would take less than 30 seconds to wipe a tabletop or put a box back on the shelf. I resist saying stuff like "I guess if I want it done a certain way, I have to do it myself." I don't even say that to myself. 

My husband isn't "doing me a favor" by taking care of our kids. When I talked about being stressed and tired during an argument last year, he offered to take some things off my plate and giving me two mornings where I don't have to set an alarm was one of his ideas. It's part of the give and take of marriage and even though it makes me clench a little when I see spilled milk or stuff that hasn't put away, I appreciate having a partner who shares the load with me. 

My marriage definitely is not perfect and I'm in no position to give relationship advice. But for us, this one little thing is a really big deal. 

And, as I've recently discovered, a cereal box can sit on the counter for several days and the world doesn't explode. Who knew.

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Anyone else having massive “This time last year” moments?
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2020 started out so fine. We extended our kids’ winter break to take them on a Disney Cruise- no better reason than that, amiright- and I was excited about all the Disney Cruise blog posts I was going to write. Disney Cruises are (errr...were?) one of the most searched terms on my website and how a lot of people found me.
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Early 2020 was such a time of hope and light that pretty much everyone took for granted.
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While it’s become glaringly obvious the change in the calendar isn’t a magic potion, I still have hope for this year and still believe there magic yet to happen.
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You know...the good stuff.
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