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Travel Packing Checklist
What To Pack
Figuring out what to pack is perhaps the easiest part of the whole routine. The first step in identifying proper suitcase packing techniques is simple. Make a travel packing checklist. This checklist will allow you to begin your packing adventure in an organized fashion. More importantly, though, is that a travel packing checklist ensures that you will use proper suitcase packing techniques, and removes the stress from asking, “Did I remember to pack my toothpaste?” Keep your checklist handy for packing for a trip, even after you're packed and on your way.
Check off each item on your travel packing checklist as you pack it. That way you'll know what you have and haven't included already, and it will make it easier to determine what you still need to pack or purchase. A checklist for packing for a trip will eliminate last minute frantic runs to the supermarket.
Depending on the type of vacation you expect, you may want to pack one formal or semi-formal outfit, one pair of tennis shoes, and one pair of comfortable dress shoes that you can wear either with jeans or a cocktail dress.
In addition to packing your clothes, you'll also need toiletries. Items such as toothpaste, hair gel, and a toothbrush. Most other toiletries will be provided by the hotel, so you don't need to take the entire medicine cabinet. Call your hotel beforehand, and see if they have the items that you'll need. In a medium-sized suitcase, a small bottle of shampoo or conditioner can take up a great deal of valuable space.
How Much To Pack
One important thing to put in big, bold letters on your checklist for packing for a trip is “Remember that you don't need to take your entire wardrobe with you.” This will help you keep your items to a bare minimum, and will avoid injuring the bellman's back when he lifts your luggage. Generally, for a one-week vacation, if you’re a male, you'll need to pack 3 pairs of pants, 5 shirts, and 7 pairs of socks. If you are practicing good suitcase packing techniques, you will have plenty of room to spare.
Also, don't pack every health and beauty aid that you possess. Realistically, you aren't going to need your exfoliating face masks and your pumice stone for a simple vacation. One item I would encourage you to pack, however, is a small manicure kit. Hotels don't often offer things like that for their guests, because of sanitary concerns, so you'll probably want to pack your own. You don't want a pesky hangnail to ruin a perfectly nice day at the beach, and you don't want to risk an open wound around salt water, after all. A good, bare-bones manicure kit will have a set of tweezers, clippers, and a file. They only cost a couple of dollars, and will save you hassle in the long run.
What Not To Pack
Many hotels offer packs of toiletries at no cost. You can obtain your toothpaste, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and soap at no cost. However, if your hotel does ask a modest fee, it's usually well worth it to have the convenience of knowing that it's available to you, and it probably won't be more than a few dollars. Also, by using the hotel's items, you eliminate the risk of having your favorite shirt ruined by a leaky bottle.
You can avoid having to take large toiletry items if you go to your nearest convenience store or department store and purchase travel sized bottles of your favorite products. Typically, though, these are overpriced. If you go to a beauty supply or restaurant supply store, they will have small plastic squeeze bottles that have lids. You can purchase these, and then label them with a marker. Then, just put a little of your favorite products in the small plastic bottle and seal them inside a large, liquid-proof zip-top bag.
In case you happen to forget a few things, don't worry. Hotels offer some wonderful services that most people don't ever think about. Most non-budget hotels keep a lost and found box in the office. One of the most left-behind items in hotel rooms are laptop charging cords and cell phone charging cords.
If you happen to forget yours, and you are in desperate need of contact with the outside world, you can stop at the front desk and ask the clerk. Typically, the people who leave their cell phone and laptop cords behind don't come back and ask for them, and because of this, most hotels keep them around for use by other guests. Just make sure that when you're done with it, you give it back to the front desk, so the next forgetful traveler can enjoy the same luck that you have!
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