Friday, September 5, 2014

Packing Smart: Maintain an Ongoing Packing List

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A simple way to make the chore of packing easier is to maintain an ongoing packing list.  Instead of reinventing the wheel with each vacation, pull out your handy-dandy list and start checking the items off.  With each passing vacation, you’ll refine the list, adding helpful items and removing items that aren’t actually needed.

Pen and paper are old checklist stand-by’s, but taking advantage of technology will make your job even easier.  Software solutions are many and varied; even a simple Word document will do the job nicely.  To streamline, use one of the many list-making apps that are available, so you can tote your smartphone or tablet around with you while you pack that suitcase. 

We’re big fans of Evernote; it’s an all-purpose info-saving app that can be installed on all your devices - computer, smartphone, tablet, etc.  When you make a change, it automatically syncs to all your other devices.  Making lists on it is a breeze, and checkboxes can be added so you can have that special satisfaction of ticking things off as you go.    

We like to keep a master packing list, one that lists the basics.  Then, when planning for an upcoming vacation, we make a copy of it and customize it for that particular trip; adding sun hats for a week at the beach, or parkas if we’re heading to the slopes.  If, mid-trip, we realize we’ve forgotten a necessity, we just add it to our master list so we’ll remember it next time.

What’s your favorite trick for simplifying vacation packing?     


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