Tag: adventure journal

 

Travel and packing. The enduring conundrum we face with every new trip. Recently we shared with you some incredibly useful tips for creating the ultimate packing list courtesy of Mom’s Guide to Travel’s Tawanna Browne Smith. But what about the flip side – what NOT to pack? There is definitely an art to knowing what not to pack for trips short and long. Adventure Journal recently wrote about this side of the equation in their March 15^th post “How [Not] to Pack for a Big Trip”. Inspired by their post we wanted to share with you our spin on ‘helpful’ tips on how not to pack for your next trip.

Pack at the very last minute:

You may have known about your upcoming trip for some time now. You may have even gotten all forms of reminders (email, text, snail mail, you name it!) about checking in for your flight, confirming your hotel reservation, or picking up your rental car. You might even have a very detailed itinerary lined up for your vacation. You’ve probably told anyone and everyone that will listen you’ll be out of the office from this date to that date. You may have even pulled your travel gear out the closet with the hopes of getting an early jump on packing. The stars are finally beginning to align for your much-needed break. But, with each day closer to your departure, you still haven’t packed a thing. It’s okay – nothing beats the thrill of a panic attack induced by last-minute packing. Nothing!

Pack things that are totally unnecessary:

You’re planning an exotic beach adventure and will most likely make time for crushing some waves, so you’ll definitely need your snowboard on the off chance it, well, snows. While you’re at it pack half of your winter wardrobe, just in case it gets chilly on the tropical island you’re visiting that has never been less than 85°F. You prefer reading on your tablet, but don’t want to risk losing power, so why not pack all five hard cover copies of those books you were planning to cross off your list while sunbathing. Surely, you won’t need the extra space in your travel bag for souvenirs.

Leave all the essentials at home:

“I don’t have my passport. And I think I forgot my credit cards. And my camera charger. And my I.N.O.X. watch. I know we’re about to pull up to the airport, but we need to turn around so I can grab everything I forgot at home.” Don’t you just love that feeling of adrenaline pumping through you at the thought you may miss your flight to the tropical destination you’ve been dreaming of for years? You enjoying living life on the edge – and you can always catch the next flight out tomorrow, right? And, your travel companions of course won’t mind.

When in doubt, overpack:

At this point, you’ve done just about everything right for your upcoming trip. Now, your Uber driver is calling incessantly to let you know they’re outside waiting, texts or calls from your travel companions are beginning to inundate your phone to ensure you’re on the way to the airport, and you’re still trying to zip up your travel gear. Your vacation couldn’t be off to a better start. It’s likely you’re doing just about everything to close your bag – including asking the Uber driver to sit on your bag to help it close – because just maybe you packed entirely too much ‘just in case’ stuff for your trip. Feeling success when you finally get the bag zipped – thanks Uber driver! – paying that $100 overweight bag fee at the check-in counter feels like a badge of honor.
Have a great trip!