I’m a lazy packer. As well as unpacker – once I actually unpacked only when it was time to pack again for another trip, a month later. I’m that kind of person who leaves it to the night before the flight and hopes to remember everything that needs to be taken.
On Sunday I’m travelling to the UK (get ready for weeks of posts with UK related tips) and the most I’ve done so far was washing all the dirty clothes that had been piling up in my closet, so I have more options to choose from. The thing is, I’m always there in the winter, between February and March. This will be my first British summer, guys! And I’m slightly lost when it comes to how the weather will be there. Siri swears it will be above 20ºC everyday, but we all know she’s a terrible weather girl, right?
Had it been summer, I’d know exactly what to take. I even said a few times in the past colder weeks here in São Paulo that I was wearing my holiday clothes, as those were the things I normally wore there. But I wonder what summer is like in London and in Wales. And how to deal with the decrease in luggage allowance that robbed me of 18kg from the get go?
Since the idea here is to give good tips, let’s get to it. Here are some things that work for me when it is time to pack:
- Take one smaller case inside a larger one. I guess that could be a problem now with the lower luggage allowance. But it is always a good idea if you plan to shop abroad and don’t want to buy another case. You just need to really plan the return journey, since you’re not an octopus. It works for me because I take a bus in Newport (Wales) straight to Heathrow. So the cases go from the bus luggage compartment straight to the airport trolley and then get checked. I probably won’t do it this time because there are some purchases from Amazon that might come back in a box in lieu of my second checked case.
- Learn to make the most of the space you have. Many times in the past, during work trips, women went crazy on the fact that I only took a small carry one for a weeklong trip. But I learnt to only take what I really needed and to pack my clothes in a way that optimized the space available. I use this method:
- Leave the shampoo and conditioner behind. Seriously, it’s only shampoo and conditioner. If you’re staying at a good hotel, chances are the toiletries supplied might be better than yours, trust me. But if that’s not the case, do yourself a favour and buy solid shampoo and conditioner from Lush. I’ve been using them for years. They smell amazing, lather up nicely, work as well as liquid ones are not tested on animals etc. And there are many different ones, for all types of hair. I’ve used both Karma Komba and Montalbano shampoos and Jungle, Big and Sugar Daddy-O conditioners. I’m taking the latter with me, but I ran out of shampoo. I’ll take this opportunity to buy some more at Lush Oxford Street.
- Only take what you will wear. For real. How many pairs of jeans would you wear at home during the same period you’ll be out? I wash my jeans after 2 to 3 weeks of use only. The instructions on the tag say to only wash it when it is really dirty, to conserve it better. So 3 pairs of jeans of different colours are plenty for 3 weeks.
- Don’t go taking your hairdryer, please! Hotels supply hairdryers. If you can’t find one in the bathroom, ask reception for one. I’ve never stayed at a hotel that didn’t have a hairdryer for guests. If you are that unlucky, then consider buying a travel one from Amazon and get it delivered there. I once bought a Babyliss straightening iron for £15 in a drugstore in the UK. Cheaper than one bought here. I just needed to use it with an adaptor, but since the plugs changed to 3 prongs in Brazil, we have to do that all the time anyway. This time, since I’ll be spending 2 weeks at my in-laws and they don’t supply dryers, I’ll get this one from Amazon: BaByliss Travel 2000 W Hair Dryer
I think these small tips would already help someone to pack more efficiently in this 23kg/case era – noticed how I’m really bothered by that?
Once I’m packed I’ll take a picture of my case and show you guys what’s really in it. Now it’s time for the online check-in.
