This post is sponsored by Contiki Tours all thoughts and opinions are my own.
We’ve all been there looking at our suitcase and spending an endless amount of time deciding what to bring and what to leave behind. Finally you’ve narrowed everything down only to discover you can’t actually close your suitcase. At some point we’ve all over-packed – you know those five pairs of shoes you had to bring or the four books you were planning on reading. I remember the days I would pack my suitcase full but then discover I really only used half the things. The truth is packing can be a daunting experience but it doesn’t have to be this way. With the weather warming up and vacations top of mind – thought it would be a great time to share all my packing tips.
MAKE A LIST AND GIVE YOURSELF TIME
Set aside some time to make a list and pack. When you are short on time you’ll end up throwing things into your suitcase that you don’t need and forget the essentials. Have your itinerary near to cross check the actives you have planned with the appropriate wardrobe items you’ll need. That means if we are going out to town for a night we need one pair of dress shoes not five ladies!
PICK YOUR PALETTE
Deciding what clothes to bring for a trip is usually the most time consuming part. I recommend picking a color palette for your clothes and pack things that are versatile. I tend to stick with neutrals that I can mix and match so I’m not feeling like I’m wearing the same clothes everyday. I’ll bring more tops than bottoms as I generally feel okay about re-wearing pants but not shirts – 3 shirts to each bottom! Bring items that you can dress up or dress down – a black dress you can wear with converse for the day and add some heels for a fancier look at night.
USE SMALL BAGS AND SPACE SAVERS
When I unpack my bag, everything is neatly compartmentalized into smaller bags, meaning nothing is spilling out. I love using space savers and Baggu’s for my packing. The one I use has two sides, one for clean clothes and the other for dirty. Roll your clothes into the bags for the most effective packing (whether you’re using a space saver or not!). Divide items like socks, undergarments and electronics into smaller bags for quick and easy access. I also use baggus to pack my shoes as well to keep everything in my suitcase clean. Don’t forget you can stuff small accessories into the soles of your shoes for safe keeping. Reference the gif below for packing jackets and coats – you can even use this method on dress shirts too.
REDUCE YOUR TOILETRIES
Now a days you can get everything from shampoo, razors, to curling irons and even chargers at most hotels. As tempting as it may be to take your whole bathroom with you, consider what you really need and just bring the necessities. Transfer any liquids you bring to smaller less bulkier bottles. If you only need a few ounces you can plop them into contact cases too!
NEVER CHECK YOUR BAGS
Checked bags take longer to get to and from places not to mention the possibilities of things getting lost. If you have no choice but to check make sure you take out any essentials including things like your passport, medication, money, credit cards, electronics and contacts/glasses.
Think you have what it takes to pack a perfect bag now? Contiki launched a new Bag Tag campaign that links your style to a Contiki tour – they are giving away six bags and one lucky winner will win a European vacation. Are you the type of person who likes to spend your days cruising on a sailboat in Greece or would you rather eat your way though Italy?
To enter, all you have to do is hop on over to their website contiki.com/bagtag, watch the videos and match each bag with the correct trip and share your guesses. You have a chance at winning prizes like a Sony Alpha A6000, iPad, GO Pro, and one lucky winner gets an actual trip!
I browsed the bags and tried to pick my favorites. I couldn’t decide between Bag #2 and Bag #5 but Greece and Turkey have been on my list to visit soon so it’s Bag #5 for the moment. I’m not sure which trip it is but I would be hoping for the Turkey and Greek Island Odyssey. Hop on over to the site and make your picks, who knows you might be the winner of a Contiki trip!
Note: The Contiki Bag Tag contest is only for U.S. residents – Sorry International readers! However you can still explore the site and take the quiz yourself to discover which trip connects with which bag.
ANIMATED GIF BY JENNIFER CHONG | PHOTOS OF OIA GREECE BY KEVIN HO
