Unpacking tips.
The Case For Unpacking (Even For A Short Trip!)
I love traveling for absolutely any length of time. While I much prefer a nice, long, relaxing vacation, I’m not against a quick weekender when I can get it. I’ve got luggage of every size from an easy-to-fill backpack to what we call the “Body Bag”, because we could easily smuggle a grown adult in that L.L.Bean product.
One thing I’ve learned through my decades of travel, is that nothing says “Vacation” quite like unpacking your suitcase and storing it out of sight. It really helps transport you mentally from your everyday life to the carefree, relaxing plans you have ahead of you.
So, please, no matter where you are going or how long you will be there—unpack and get comfy!!!
How Do You Pack
Sweet Husband – This guy is a perfect packer in every sense of the word! Take packing and unpacking tips from him!
- He doesn’t overpack—he brings exactly what he needs for the location and the length of time.
- He isn’t shoe-obsessed—he can get by for a week with sneakers and some slaps! He’s that efficient!
- His bathroom needs are simple—he doesn’t bring any extra products that he just might feel like using during this quick vacation.
- He makes packing a Tetris game—it is unbelievable how well he can pack a suitcase. Every space is used, and everything has the perfect spot.
Regular people
Then, there are the rest of us…I freely admit that I am a classic over-packer. For a recent weekend with Bestie Boo, I had double the tops I would need, and two extra pairs of shoes on top of my extra pair of shoes. I’m loaded for bear! I bring way too much of pretty much everything—full size bottles of shampoo and all—and always expect to need things that I rarely use at home! Plus, I pack very neatly, meaning I pack different piles, leaving significant open spaces in my suitcase. I don’t abide by the Tetris style of Sweet Husband. I go by the convenient tips of unpacking in large piles.
Get To Know Your Space Better
One of the tips for unpacking right away is that it will help you get more familiar with your new “home away from home”. Tips for unpacking is as important as packing. Whether that is someone’s spare room or a cruise ship, it’s important that you know exactly what you’re dealing with!
Secret compartments on the cruise
Cruise ship cabins are so small that the designers created as much storage space as they possibly could. From small little shelves in the bathroom to open areas in the closet, the cabin was designed for you to get comfortable! These unpacking tips will help you locate these little hidden spots to put your bedside book, your deodorant and your sixth pair of shoes!
Where is that fridge in the hotel room?
One weekend trip, we did our usual routine before check-out to make sure we didn’t leave anything. In opening a small cabinet, Sweet Husband found a fridge. That would have been great information when I brought home the leftovers from last night’s restaurant! By unpacking, you will find those helpful little touches in your new room.
Everything At Your Fingertips
I didn’t unpack for a recent weekend cruise. I figured, it’s only a few days, I won’t need to go into the bag that much. Now, mind you, that “small bag” ended up tripping me three separate times from its spot in the corner of the room. It also became very jumbled when I put it on my bed, so I couldn’t find what I needed.
If I had unpacked, everything would have been out and visible for me. I would have been able to find things and grab them quickly so I could get back to my fun weekend.
Makes Bathroom More Convenient
There is no room on earth where people want to be more comfortable and convenient than the bathroom. It’s extremely important that you make sure you pack anything and everything that you might need during that vacation in your “Ditty bag”. Then, you need to make sure it is at your fingertips when you need it.
I’ve had to make that quick run to my suitcase in a too-small bath towel because I forgot my bathroom items in a hotel while chaperoning a school trip. My roommate and Work Wife hasn’t been the same since!!
If I had completely unpacked and followed my own advice, I would not have had to make that quick dash through the room in a towel and dripping hair.
Don’t be like me—unpack everything you might need into the bathroom so it is available and convenient for you.
Feels More Like A Vacation
The importance to me of vacationing is to get away from my regular routines and habits. I travel absolutely anywhere and everywhere in search of new things to experience, new foods to try, new wonders of the earth to see.
In other words, I like to immerse myself in the experience of travel, whether we are visiting somebody in their home, or visiting a foreign country.
Part of that, for me, is becoming comfortable in my temporary, rented space. I like to make it my own, and really experience the effects of “moving in” to a new place and experience. So, for me, nothing feels more like a true vacation than unpacking.
“I forgot I grabbed that!”
Are you a “five minutes before the trip” packer, or a “week in advance can’t wait to go” packer? I’m a combination packer—it totally depends where I am going, what time of year I’m going, and if I’ve ever been there before.
So it’s easy for me to forget something important…or forget that I packed something important a week ago.
The beauty of unpacking is that you uncover all of those little treasures or “Easter eggs” that Past Patti threw in the bag. There have been several situations where I found something in my bag that I didn’t realize I had packed. Once, I unpacked something I had completely forgotten, but Sweet Husband had thrown in for me!
Separate Clean From Dirty
This is the “nitty gritty” reason for unpacking everything. At the end of the trip, you can easily separate the clean from the dirty in your bag. Remember I told you I am a classic overpacker? Well, one thing about us overpackers is that we have plenty of still-clean clothes to pack at the end of the week.
By unpacking everything, my suitcase starts from scratch when I go to repack, and I am able to separate the clean from the dirty. It makes it so much easier when I get home to have all of the clean clothes on one side of the suitcase and the dirties zipped into the other side with my shoes.
Easier To Repack Neatly
Which leads us to the end of the vacation, when it’s time for us to repack and head back to our real life. Starting from an empty bag makes it easier for us to repack in a logical way so we won’t have to rifle through everything when we get home.
It’s also a great time for me to evaluate all of my souvenir purchases. This way, I will realize I forgot to get those Honolulu Cookie tins I wanted to get for Bestie Boo and can run out and grab some before I head to the airport. If the bag was partially packed the entire week, I never would have noticed what I forgot to buy.
It’s Okay, I Don’t Listen Either
All this said and done…I don’t always unpack.
On a recent weekend cruise, I tried the “living out of the bag” method, and it wasn’t pretty. Not only did I trip over the damn thing in the corner of the cabin not once but three times, but the bag itself was a mess. There were dirty clothes mixed in with clean stuff, and I completely forgot a pair of shoes that was zipped into the bottom.
Sure, I saved all of ten minutes on the first day by not unpacking. but , overall, I spent more time pawing through the bag looking for things that would have been perfectly happy in a drawer.
So, don’t make my mistakes. Don’t be me.
Unpack…and then relax.
THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR
Thank you for reading all about unpacking tips!
Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out some other tips, like how to make an airplane comfortable, here, or what spending New Year’s in Vegas is like, here! Or, check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!
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