The Lady’s Guide to Packing Light for Warm Destinations

Any gentlemen readers out there may feel a little left out on this post… But let’s face it, most of you pack for trips by sniffing a few t-shirts and pairs of underwear to make sure they seem clean and throw them into whatever bag you can pull out of the attic.

But girls…we like to be prepared. For EVERYTHING.

Even if we know we’ll probably just spend our travels shopping and sitting on the beach, never once requiring anything more than flip flops and a swim suit cover-up, we feel we should pack outfits “just in case.” You know… just in case we get invited out to a fine restaurant or say…to meet the Queen. But in a world of $25 checked baggage fees (each way!) and the long lines at the check in counters, it’s a great asset to be able to fit everything you need into one carry on bag. Here are a few things I always consider when packing my bags…

1. The necessities. You probably can’t go without your basic toiletries and underwear so pack these first.  Luckily, these don’t take up much space. Since airlines require you to limit your liquids to 3oz bottles or smaller all fitting into one quart sized bag, it is easy to control your urges to go overboard on products. You may even want to just plan on buying some things once you’re there, or if you are staying in a hotel, consider if you can survive on their tiny complimentary toiletries for one week.
2. Pack as many lightweight fabrics as possible. Sundresses are great for warm destinations. They’re comfortable, look cute, and they usually take up very little room in your bag. Also you can generally pack a few accessories to make the dress appropriate for either day or night.
3. Mix & Match. Take pieces that you can wear in different ways. You might be able to wear a top with a flowy skirt for a daytime look at the beach and then wear that same top with jeans and heels for a cute “going out” ensemble.
4. Accessories!! Belts, scarves, or pieces of costume jewelry can do wonders to change up an outfit! The best part is, they are generally small, so feel free to pack several options. Just avoid bringing anything of extreme value. Stick to traveling with things that are easily replaceable.
5. Don’t take every pair of jeans you own. Denim is generally bulky and also very hot. If you can, just live without jeans altogether for your trip, but if not, just take your favorite pair that you can wear with the most outfits. Luckily denim is a fabric you can wear more than once between washings without it looking (or smelling) unkempt. Just try not to spill...
6. DON’T take every pair of shoes you own. I generally take one pair of flip flops for the beach or pool, one comfortable pair of walking around shoes, and one pair of dressy heels for that just in case event. I mean, do you really plan to go sight seeing and walk around for hours in your stilettos? No matter how cute they are, that’s a bad idea…
7. Go back over what you’ve laid out to pack before stuffing it all in the bag. I can’t tell you how many times I have taken my entire closet on a trip and then ended up never wearing ¾ of the stuff. Ask yourself, realistically how likely you are to wear various items, and you can usually pull a few things out. You don’t want a totally packed suitcase. Why?
8. Vacation Shopping! I’m a girl that hates to go near the mall when I am at home, but put me in a different city & I am ready to tear up the outlet malls and boutiques looking for deals and great pieces that I can’t get back home. You’ll want to leave plenty of room in your bag for new items you might find. If you know for a fact you will be shopping, you might even want to only take one or two extra outfits in your bag and plan to get your wardrobe for the rest of the trip once you are there!
9. Roll, don't fold. It's a thing and it'll change your life! Not only will you be able to fit way more in your roll-aboard suit case or back pack, but it makes your items less likely to wrinkle in the mean time! The military uses an even more precise method often called the Ranger Roll or Navy Roll. I usually just...roll. But if you want to learn the uber efficient precision method, click this link! http://youtu.be/tPYlSOAnijA
10. Electronics & Gadgets. Take the phone, maybe the tablet. But leave the laptop at home if you can.  My iPhone 6 Plus is my new favorite travel item! Now I have all the technology I need in one (almost) pocket-sized device and I can almost always leave my Laptop, iPad and Cannon dSLR camera at home, unless I need them for something specific. It's less of your expensive items to keep track of and less to weigh you down. Just don’t forget to pack your charger, and remember not to leave it behind. From my previous experience working in the hotel industry, I can tell you that phone chargers are the #1 most left behind item in hotel rooms!