Why I Use a Packing List
Five weeks’ worth of clothes in a backpack? Domestic CEO shows you that with a packing list, it can be possible!
Amanda Thomas
Last month, my husband and I set off for a 5-week trip to Southeast Asia. We were obviously super excited about traveling to a new part of the world, but we were also a little unsure of how to pack. We didn’t have an exact itinerary yet, but we knew that we wanted to see as much of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam as possible. This meant there was a chance we would be in some very hot climates, some cooler climates, and even at some beaches.
The other thing we knew was that we wanted to carry as little weight as possible in our backpacks. We were going to be literally carrying all our possessions with us for 5 weeks, so the last thing either of us wanted was to be lugging around a single, unnecessary item.
This is why we used a packing list.
See also: How to Pack: The Packing List
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For 5 weeks in Asia, my list included:
| Country | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tops | Bottoms | Intimates | Shoes |
|
5 tank tops (1 could pass as “dressy”) 2 t-shirts 1 long sleeve shirt 1 light hoodie |
2 pairs of shorts 1 pair of flowy pants 1 pair of khaki capris 1 pair of running pants |
2 flex-fit bandini bras that would go under ANYTHING 1 real bra when I wanted to have boobs 8 pairs of undies 2 bikinis 4 pairs of socks |
1 pair of tennis shoes 1 pair nicer sandals 1 pair comfy sandals |
The key to this list is that everything, with the exception of one item, was black, white, khaki, or grey. The one pop of color I brought, a pair of turquoise shorts, could be worn with any of the tops since they were all neutral. I could mix and match to my heart’s content. And even though almost all our pictures from the trip feature me in a black tank top, you don’t notice unless they are in a collage like this:
Full disclosure—after a month, I was definitely craving COLOR! I finally broke down and went shopping in Vietnam to get a few brightly colored items, like this tank top. It felt so good to be wearing color, I wore that shirt for 3 days straight.
This packing list allowed me to travel for 5 weeks with only 21lbs of stuff on my back. It was freeing, and made me realize just how much I typically over pack for a weekend getaway. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—if you aren’t using a packing list for your travels yet, you are probably over packing.
Have your own examples of the benefits of a packing list? Comment below or head over to Facebook.com/DomesticCEO and join the conversation!
Packing List image courtesy of Shutterstock.