Nanny to Mommy

Need to pack for a vacation? Here are a few mistakes to avoid in order to keep your vacation stress-free.

A lot of us are guilty of packing too much excess stuff. This could push your luggage over the weight restriction if you’re traveling by air, plus it will leave you less room for souvenirs to bring back. Don’t pack a new outfit for every day if you’re traveling for more than a week – you may be able rewear and wash clothing whilst you’re out there. You may also be able to condense items like books, travel guides and maps by using electronic devices and apps instead.

There are certain items that could be essential such as your passports, money, travel documents, phone and chargers – don’t forget any of these items. Make sure that you’ve also packed a few commonly forgotten items like boys swimwear for your kids, sunscreen, toothpaste and a bag for storing dirty laundry – these aren’t essential, but not bringing them will be an inconvenience. Creating a checklist will stop your forgetting things.

Pretty much all flights have weight restrictions. Look up the exact figure beforehand and weigh your bags before you leave the house. This will allow you to make any last minute adjustments if the weight is over the limit, rather than having to rummage through and rearrange your luggage at the airport.

You should also look up which items aren’t allowed in your hand luggage. If you pack items that are disallowed, they could get confiscated. Such items include blades, lighters, liquids, tools and certain foods. The airport you are visiting will usually have information available on this online

When it comes to saving space, it’s often better to roll your clothes rather than folding them. Folded clothes can look neat, but you won’t be able to pack clothes as tightly as you would rolling. You’ll still not get creases and you could find that your clothing doesn’t unravel as much in transit.

If there are any fragile items in your luggage such as bottles of wine or jewellery, make sure that these items are stored correctly in your luggage. You can usually get special containers such as travel wine boxes for keeping such fragile items safe from knocks. Similarly, you may want to bag up potentially messy items like sunscreen.

Putting a padlock on your luggage could also be worthwhile. If a stranger picks up your luggage, they won’t be able to rummage through your bag and steal your belongings. There are lots of different types of suitcase padlocks that you can buy.