You ever get ready to go on vacation and get struck with a terrible case of procrasti-packing? You know, putting off packing until the absolute last minute... I fall ill to procrasti-packing so often that on my last trip I woke up at 4 am to pack before my 7 AM flight.
This packing tactic never goes well, so I am often asking myself why do I do it?? I have found that a fear of forgetting something leads me to not want to pack at all. I mean, if I don't do it right, I might as well not do it at all...right? At least, not until I have to. But this method of running down the clock doesn't help me pack better. For the trip I mentioned before, by the time I left the house my phone had low battery, my apple watch was dead, and I forgot all my medicine, as well as some other essentials I would need.
After doing this way too many times in the past year, I became desperate for a solution to my procrasti-packing habits. That's when I decided I was in need of a packing station!
A packing station is one place in your house where all your essential travel items live and are always ready to go. Having these items in one place, and in some cases partially packed, makes for a smooth travel experience with way less forgotten items. In order to make the most of a packing station, I have broken out all the must-haves to get your packing station started.
FINDING A SPOT
Find a place in your house that is free from clutter and away from the hustle and bustle of everyday. A corner in your laundry room, closet, or office could make a good packing station location. The point is to make sure the items in your travel station don't get moved or interfered with often.
For my packing station location, I chose a corner in my bedroom that is empty. In this little area, I have a 6-cube shelf from walmart for my packing station - nothing super fancy! There are great, affordable options for these shelving units here, here, and here.
DECORATE THE SPACE
Use items that inspire you to travel, or that give you good vibes, to decorate the blank space around your travel station.
TRAVEL REMINDERS
Next, I set up the top of the packing station with cute travel items I have from my previous adventures. Use vacation pictures, knick knacks, travel journals, and souvenirs from prior trips to set the scene for your travel station.
DESIGNATE SPACES
Designate each area within your packing station for a specific set of items. Ideas include:
Toiletries
Medicine
Hair Items/Accessories
Electronics
Carry On Items
Snacks
Clothing
Packing Accessories
Small Items
The 6 designated areas I decided to have are for ...
Toiletries
This includes my pre-packed hanging toiletry bag. Inside are my skin-care products, hair care products, travel makeup, and other travel essentials.
I also keep a jar of tampons in the back for grab and go packing. Off to the side, I have extras of everything in my toiletry bag to easily refill when I start running low before a trip. I highly recommend keeping a stock of your favorites in travel sizes!
2. Carry On Essentials and Jewelry
This includes all my carry on essentials (to be detailed in an upcoming post), including gum, earplugs, sleeping mask, face mask, etc. I also want to pack some of my cosmetics and skin care items in my carry on for longer flights, which I will add here later.
I also double this space for my jewelry, since I have a monogrammed travel jewelry case that is compact, it doesn't take up much space.
3. Snacks
Snacks are a must for me when it comes to traveling, and I don't always keep them for on the plane. On previous trips I have had a sweet tooth that has led to weight gain! I like to pack healthy options to curb my sweet tooth, as well as different options to help me drink water while I am away from home. I also take a little of everything on the plane. I will share a post later on the best snacks for travel!
4. Medicine and Other Carry On Items
I take medication for my mental health - it is important for me to not forget these items ever, especially when away from home. For this reason, I keep refills of all my medication here, so whether I am gone for a week or 6 weeks, I have every prescription and OTC medication I need to keep running at 100%.
Since medicine is compact, I also keep larger carry on items here, including a neck pillow and compression socks.
5. Electronics
I have a box that holds extra chargers for my phone/airpods, an extension outlet, a usb hub, the charger for my electric toothbrush, a collapsible phone stand, a fabric shaver, and a laptop charger, plus extra cubes for my cords.
Off to the side is a travel steamer for my clothes and an electronics pack to carry everything in. More on everything that I consider an electronic travel essential to come later!
6. Packing Essentials
These are the necessary items to properly pack a bag. I have expandable packing cubes, a tote I travel with, 2 foldable travel bags, and small bags from jewelry that I use to organize smaller items in my carry on.
Occasionally (depending on the destination), I will fill my smallest packing cube with a full outfit that I can just pop in my carry on to change in to when I arrive at my destination.
And all together it looks like this!
ADDING SUITCASES AND CARRY ONS
I personally travel so much that I prefer to keep my suitcase and carry on out and in reach. Some people prefer to keep things packed in their suitcase as extra storage. I personally don't prefer to do this because I very much believe if something is out of sight then it's out of mind. I often forget what I put in there and end up buying extras or thinking I lost something, only to find out the next time I pack that everything I was looking for was right in my suitcase. But if it works for you, by all means make use of that extra space!
And that's it! Now you have a completed packing station, ready to take you from procrasti-packer to packing professional!
Make sure to pin this article for later and if this helped you, leave a comment below to let me know!
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