Your vacation destination is calling! You’ve made all the arrangements, created your itinerary, and now all you need to do is pack. Where do you start and what do you bring? Start with some research on your destination as weather plays a huge role in what you need to bring with you. Check in with yourself often, asking “what is the purpose for my vacation?” I’m certain the answer will be to have fun, relax and take a break from your regular everyday life. So keep it simple.

Less is more
Make a list of what clothing, footwear, toiletries and accessories that you want for the duration of the vacation. Now take half those things off your list! How many times have you brought home clothing that you never wore, it just went along for the ride and you may have even paid a fee for carrying excess weight. Pull together outfits that can easily be interchanged with any top and bottom. Bring a bar of laundry soap to wash items and wear again. Bring well-worn in shoes, not your brand new ones and leave those ‘just in case’ ones at home. 

Toiletries
Invest in travel sized (100ml or less) containers that you can fill with your own favourite products. Use a piece of tape (clear or coloured) with a thin marker to label what’s inside each container. Fill these containers a few days before you start to pack, strip it down to the bare minimum of items you ‘need’ versus ‘want’ to bring. Prepack all your medication for each day into pill organizers.

Layering and filling the gaps
Wear your heaviest footwear for travelling, packing the others. Flip flops or flats can fit into gaps along the sides of the suitcase and shoes can be stuffed with socks to utilizes the open space inside the shoe. Heavy items to the bottom of the suitcase, starting at the bottom corner near the wheels, lighter on the top. Hard to pack items go in first, layering most immediate access items on the top, such as the ‘just arrived and need to adjust to the new climate’ items.

Accessories
Keep it simple, you are on vacation. Do you really need a variety of purses and matching belts, or a sack full of jewellery? A sun hat, sunglasses and a beach bag or knapsack is as simple as it gets. Camera or smart phones with camera and its charger. Keep it simple, you are there to unwind and enjoy what the destination has to offer.

Like with Like
Use large clear zipper (ziplock type) bags to contain travel documents. And create categories and keep your like with like. Prepare one for your swimsuit, it will be easy to grab and also great to use when your suit is wet on your last day before you travel back home.

Plan ahead, think twice and edit down before you zip up that zipper on the suitcase. You are going on vacation to relax and enjoy yourself. Less stuff equals more fun and freedom.

About POC
Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) is a national registered non-profit association that provides education, business development tools and a code of ethics for all types of organizers across Canada. Currently representing over 600 Professional Organizers in more than 14 chapters nation-wide, POC’s mandate is to provide a supportive environment for members to learn, share ideas, network, and exchange resources. POC also works to educate the public about the organizing industry and the benefits of working with a POC member.