Seven Ways to Pack Lighter, Smarter, Faster

Here are my favorite, travel-tested tips culled from my own experience as a senior solo female managing her own luggage challenges with a few borrowed from my fav travel companions.

Do your homework. Sounds simple, right? Check seasonal temperatures and precipitation for the region where you are traveling. A week or so in advance, add the major cities to your iPhone weather app and note variances in weather. Pack something for the extremes, just in case. Dublin in January is going to be blustery, cold and likely wet. Biarritz in July can be scorching and air-conditioning is an uncertain variable. Err on the side of “less is more” since you’ll be moving along with that suitcase and carry on throughout your itinerary.

Pack by outfit. Will you be living in jeans most of the time? Wear a pair and pack another. Select tops with pops of color for variety but keep a black and a white tee for layering. My go-to brand is Tail Activewear for short, long and sleeveless tops that won’t wrinkle and can be rinsed out in a hotel sink if necessary. Any dressy events? White or black slacks depending on the season, neutral tops that you can dress up or down with scarves. I’m a huge fan of these stylish, lightweight, packable accessories. See photo. Slacks, tee and scarf for dinner in Monte Carlo. It works. It packs well and I wore each piece multiple times on the trip.

Leave shoes and jewelry at home. Wear your heaviest pair, pack a lighter one. Closed toe pair is a must, boots or clog/slides (depending on season) or sandals (without that annoying toe strap guaranteed to blister in an hour) that you have worn before. Key word is COMFORT! Nothing brings misery to an adventure faster than blistered, sore or tired feet. This is not the time to break in a new pair of Manolos. And you don’t need an armful of bangles, your grandmother’s heirloom pearls or even your irreplaceable engagement ring. I wear nothing to travel that would give me heartburn if it were lost or stolen.

Cubes are your friend. Those compression packing cubes are a fantastic innovation in travel organization. Tops and bottoms are kept separate, lingerie has its own cube, lightweight jackets and sweaters in theirs…you haul ’em out when you dress, repack and zip and replace your cubes when it’s “luggage out”! Everything stays wrinkle free while maximizing luggage space. Invest in a set with durable zippers so you won’t re-buy.

Pack Twice. Pack your suitcase a day or two in advance of your trip. Now unpack and remove at least six items. Yes, you can. Likely more. You don’t need three pairs of shoes or another bulky sweater. No one will remember or care if you wear things more than once.

Plan for lost luggage. It happens. I am a HUGE fan of Apple Air Tags and they will let you know (via an app on your phone) where your luggage is at all times! Seriously! The size of a quarter, they are discreet, inexpensive and amazingly accurate!! I keep one of these magic discs in my suitcase and one in my carry on…along with a lightweight change of clothes. I just spent the first five days of my three week stay in France trying to reunite with my suitcase! And while we’re talking carry-ons…

Pack a Health Kit in your Carry-on. Band-aids, pain relievers, a decongestant, antacid and diarrhea meds, itch relief ointment, antibiotics, extra pair of readers and contact lenses (I take mine out on long flights), eye-moistening drops and ear plugs (life savers on long-haul flights ). Your phone and Ipad chargers. A quick recharging battery. A travel toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste. And your prescriptions. Makeup must-haves in travel size in the event of lost luggage. (It happens…) Re-stock after each trip so it’s ready to go when you are. Add a soft pashmina shawl that you can wrap around your neck for sleep support or around your shoulders in chilly airline cabins.

Simple, practical advice for the senior solo broad traveling abroad!