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Tips for Packing Light for Road Trips

Literally.

These tips both cover packing light weight-wise and packing light in terms of bringing only what you need. This list is targeted for roadtrips, but some points work for flights too.

make a packing list

Having a written list of everything you usually use and need for a specific location can help you to pack only what you need. If you’re going somewhere cold, make sure to amend your packing list to include layers such as thermal undergarments and coats. If you’re going somewhere warm, make sure to take note of lighter garments and breathable items. The best way to pack light is to pack wise, and the best way to pack wisely is to plan. This doesn’t just have to include you either, especially if you’re going with your family or a group. Think about what you’ll need but if you need to, make a packing list for your child or a list to double-check that your party has what they need.

Here’s some important aspects of a packing list:

clothing

toiletries

destination specific needs

documents and identification material

medication and prescriptions

technology

I have a large packing list here if you would like to reference it, or you can make your own. Just make sure you have a baseline of what you’ll need, where you’ll need it, plus it doubles as a re-packing list so you don’t leave anything behind.

replace liquid toiletries with bars

I’ve said this before many times, but I mean it. If you have a liquid toiletry you can trade out for a bar version, it will save you space and weight in your luggage. While this list is focused on road trip packing, bars also avoid any carry-on TSA issues that can happen with liquids. Building on that note, a bar of product can be more or the same amount as a full size bottle, depending on on the product. All of that being said, if you can trade out a bottle of shampoo for a shampoo bar, you’ll be able to save a lot of weight and space. Plus bars can’t bust if you load it in the car odd.

There are a lot of bars available now, online and in-store, such as soap bars, cleanser bars (such as a Dove beauty bar), shampoo bars, face wash bars, and conditioner bars. Being able to switch out one or two of these can save you a lot of space and weight. Here’s what i personally use:

Ethique shampoo & conditioner bars.

Dove beauty bars.

Beekman 1802 soap bars.

Duke Cannon soap bars.

If you’re going to switch out any of these products, make sure you try them before your trip. Don’t take a product unless you know it works for you. Make sure you do your research to ensure that what you get will actually work for you or have the chance to work for you.

The only catch with bars is that you need to know how to take care of them. Really, all you need to do, is make sure you pack them dry and have a carrier for your bars that allows it to have a dry space. Make sure when they’re used, they’re removed from the shower or bath and placed out to where they can dry, either in the sun or in a well ventilated area. If you’re going to need to use the bars and don’t have a place to dry them, make sure you have an air-tight container for your bars until you can get to a point where you can let it dry.

use mini or travel size products.

now this is the oldest piece of advice with packing light, but it’s constantly said for a reason— using minis and travel size products can save you space and weight. this is especially helpful for mouthwash, skincare, some makeup products, perfume, deodorant, cologne, or toiletries. if my tip about bars (above) doesn’t work for you, that is a-okay, and this tip will probably help you more. Find some nice travel bottles (I use Target’s OpenStory Ivy set) and find any products you can get a mini of. A lot of brands sell mini products on their own websites, such as Saltair, Tatcha, Summer Fridays, Glow Recipe, and Hourglass. Look to see if your favorite brand sells a mini on a retailer or their own website. Target (in the U.S.) has a substantial travel section, with travel size products such as mouthwash, soap bars, wipe packs, and hair care.

I’m going to put this under this tip, but it’s not exclusive to this tip: if you can find a concentrate that works for you, pack that with you. I personally have those mouthwash concentrates in mind, where you add your own water to it in a cup and mix in the concentrate. A lot of products that are mainly water (because water is needed to dilute the product to be useable) are starting to sell concentrates now, so look into that if you think that will work for you.

Building on the minis from brands above, you can also do this and then keep the mini container to refill with products as you please. I have a Youth to the People cleanser pump and two mini glass containers that I use for home and travel. I actually refill it with the BYOMA cleanser. If you buy a mini, make sure to keep the container to see if you can reuse it for a future trip. On a side note, I actually had a mini of the Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream, and I reused it by filling it with brush cleaner for when I’m painting and switching in-between colors that I don’t want to mix. I know name brand mini’s can be a bit expensive, but the right ones can also be reused past the product being used, so keep that in mind.

make planned outfits

I actually didn’t come up with this in my bubble of life, my brother did. Make planned outfits for your trip so you know what you have and you don’t over- or under-pack. This is a tip that feels obvious and once you implement it, it makes packing what you actually need a lot simpler. Here’s how I personally do it.

First, I look into where I’m going, specifically the weather. The weather is a massive aspect of what your outfit plans should be. It’s never fun to go somewhere and only have sneakers and have it snow or rain. Next, taking consideration from the weather forecast, I write down how many outfits I will even need for the trip. If I’m going 3 nights, I’ll need what I’m wearing when I travel, outfits for the full days I’m there, and something to wear on the way home. So, out of those factors, I’ll need to pack 3 but prepare 4. Finally, you go into the specifics of what you want to bring, keeping in mind the context of the two points above. This is where you get as specific as you want. It can be that you’re going to pack 2 sweaters, or that you’re going to pack the green and the brown sweaters. At the very end, recount what you have and make sure you have other clothes that aren’t just your outfits, such as what you’ll wear to bed or wear when you’re relaxing. Make sure you have your necessities such as undergarments too.

This is an amazing tip for any trip you’re planning. As you plan your outfits, it gives you an opportunity to do any last minute laundry you need to do, makes sure you have clothes you’ll actually wear, and you’ll know you have outfits that match. This helps to both prevent overpacking and underpacking.

use organizing cubes and bags

Consolidating and organizing what you’re packing makes it so much easier to pack, plain and simple. Using packing cubes, space saving bags, and organizational bags can save you space and can allow you to opt for smaller luggage.On top of that, they keep your luggage from becoming a tornado-level mess if you’re going to be living out of your luggage instead of putting it away while on your trip. Or, if you do want to take out your items, you can keep it in the organizers and know that you didn’t accidentally leave anything behind.

Having just one additional item to organize your packing can make a world of difference. I personally use compression bags and packing cubes and it makes it so easy to know what you have, where it is, and (for the compression bags) it saves space for puffier/bulkier items. I love sweaters. Bulkier sweaters suck to pack. However, with compression bags, I can pack my sweaters and have them compressed. The specific compression bags I have are water-resistant and dust-resistant. That becomes useful if you’re using a softer bag, such as a Vera Bradley weekender bag, that has the chance of getting wet.

Compression bags are extra helpful if you want to pack something outside of luggage: as is the case with a lot of road trips, you’re going to want an emergency bag of items to keep with you, including a blanket. Compression bags work out in favor of this, as you can make an emergency bag with a compressed blanket in it, in case you need it.

Organizing cubes add a lot of structure to your packing. They’re great for hardshell luggage, weekender bags, and children’s bags. My mother has a Vera Bradley weekender bag that doesn’t have much structure to it as is, so packing cubes add structure and organization to that bag without adding extra weight.

A lot of brands that carry their own travel section have packing cubes and some have their own compression bags. I got mine from Target, personally.

double check the weather of your destination

I mentioned this above and I’ll say it again— double check the forecast of your destination before your trip, even the day of. I live in the southeastern U.S., which means random rain and thunderstorms that were not in the forecast two days ago appear and now the sunny day you thought you were going to have will be rainy. Double check so you can pack anything you need in addition to what you have. This stays away from packing light to packing smart; you can pack everything in a backpack and forget an umbrella to render you wet with a backpack on.

To build on this point, I find it to be wise to get a smaller umbrella. When I say smaller, I really do just mean not a massive umbrella. This way you can keep it in a purse, backpack, or weekender. If you are road tripping, as is the focus of this article, keep an umbrella or two in your vehicle and, if you can, some emergency ponchos. While it makes your trips activities better, it’s also good to have protection if your vehicle breaks down or if you have an emergency where you have to be in rain, snow, or wind. This is a reminder if that does happen to you, keep the umbrella close to your person and move it against the wind so the top doesn’t turn inside out, and move against the wind so your poncho doesn’t balloon up and let in rain.

This is super important, not just for items such as umbrellas, but to see if you need boots, hats/beanies, gloves, scarves, or lighter clothing, shorts, or really anything that can keep you safe and comfortable on your trip in the event of weird weather. I almost never pack for a good day in mind, I think about how to layer an outfit to be warmer or cooler, and I think about the worst case scenario, weather wise.

think about what you’ll need on your trip

This is really road-trip specific, building on packing wise, think about the logistics of your trip and think about what you’ll need. The goal is not to pack nothing, it is to pack what you will need and use. If you’re going to be at a hotel for your sleeps, think about if your hotel will have what you’ll need, or what they might not have. If you have coffee/tea every morning, think about if you’ll be able to get what you normally prepare your coffee/tea where you’ll be staying. I personally want sugar in my coffee and hate sugar packets. That’s not even factoring in if the hotel will be well stocked, if they have gotten their hospitality shipments in, if there wasn’t a haggle of children who demanded sugar packets for some reason (that happened one time)— so with all that being said, it might be worth it to pack some sugar for me so I know i’ll have sugar in my coffee. Just think about if that applies to you. If you have any dietary needs or restrictions, think about bringing something with you so you’ll have what you need. This can be sugar alternatives, if there’s a certain brand of coffee you like, if there’s a type of snack you know you’ll want— go ahead and pack it if you’ll make use of it.

pack light, not insubstantial.

With my experience of packing light, I had a mixture of people to look to as examples. One of those people could fit a weeks worth of clothing in a backpack, one of those knew how to throw together a weekender for a work trip, and one knew how to pack just what they needed. The last person mentioned was the only one who wouldn’t forget something crucial to their packing list, without overpacking. That being said, the goal of packing light is not to pack insubstantially, but to pack wisely and know what you need. Don’t worthlessly wittle down your packing list if there are items on there that you have a high chance of needing.

This point is truly a conclusion of all my previous points above. Make sure you are packing what you need, what you’ll use, but don’t leave out things out of fear of packing too much. Overpacking is typically born out of ill-preparation and anxiety. Trust me. I’m both of those things. But the best way to counteract this is to plan. Make sure you know what you’ll need, and don’t bring too much else.

If you have any other thoughts, ideas, or questions, be sure to leave them in the comments or my ask box! I hope you have a gentle and kind day, and make sure to take some time for yourself today.

Happy travels- Annie, the crosseyed cricket.

crosseyed cricket art © all rights reserved. 2023-2024

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New Year, 2024.

website post here.

Happy New Year everyone! 

For this upcoming year, I intend on growing what I started last year. I’ve already started the new year with a family trip, to extend the Christmas holidays, and I have intentions of growing my art portfolio. I already have subjects in mind for what I’d like to create and do. 

My art is going to be a large focus of this year; I fully intend to continue my education and get my bachelors and maybe even masters, but I also want to be able to jump on growing my footprint in the art world if I’m given that opportunity. I have a grasp on tumblr and it being an area where I can grow my name in art. I’ve been thinking about the thought of selling art prints of my art, and I’ve been looking into that since then. That way, I could have acrylic, watercolor, and my oil paintings available. I am not ignorant to myself, I am very aware that I get attached to paintings, so this way I could still sell my art while keeping the original for myself. I also think that would workout well for larger works, such as Two Sturgeons, which is 24” x 24”, and that would be terrible to mail to a customer. But, if I could downscale that to a 8” x 8”, 12” x 12”, or 16” x 16”, it’s much more manageable to ship. Plus, prints are much cheaper to purchase than originals. I feel like I personally have a disconnect from the “buy art as an investment collectable” area of the art world. I had professors who whined and griped about how prints or smaller works would reduce the price of my name, and mess like that. But honestly, I don’t view it like that. I don’t view art like a stock. I’m too sentimental for that. Art is a lot of things, but it’s not a financial investment in my opinion. So I want to make prints, so that whoever wants them has a more financially accessible way to experience that art. Art takes money. Original art takes a lot of money. But prints take less than originals. Plus, I can still sign them and write any information about the painting on the back of a print. So I’ve been dancing that thought around my head recently. 

This recent trip has once again ignited my desire to paint. I feel like most creative avenues take the ebbs and flows of highly creative and impassioned, creating a work, then needing to recharge after completing the work. So I’m in that recharging stage currently. I’ve been dabbling in digital art, but I don’t particularly want that to be my focus. This area always ignites me. It just does. I don’t think I could explain it if I tried. Granted, this trip was not nearly as relaxing as any previous trips have been. I would never claim that. Externally, the water and area has been peaceful. Within the trip, it’s been stressful. Aside from that, I’ve been enjoying the shoals. I love winter. I just do. I know some people aren’t the biggest fans of winter, but I certainly find it to be wonderful. At the same time, though, I love layering my clothes and my fashion of choice is sweaters. So. That tends to lend itself to winter. 

The south normally doesn’t have intense winters, but these last few years have been more and more intense it seems. I’ve been having to wear actual winter clothing for once. While we were in the Shoals, it was quite obvious how certain parts of the community were not prepared for 30 degree days. Which is certainly understandable. Personally, I’ve been expanding this area of my wardrobe with nicer pieces from Quince. I’ve been loving their cotton items. I also got one of their cashmere pieces, the cashmere skirt, and it is wonderful in this colder weather. I love it. I think that for the price, with the materials being used, it is a very good purchase.

On the thought of my trip to the Shoals, I feel like it should be noted that I, obviously, had to pack, and I actually used the Glossier “the Makeup Bag” for my makeup. Now, I took the organizational insert out of the bag and used that main area. I brought my Pat McGrath Labs palette, two 9-pan Colourpop palettes, one 12-pan Colourpop palette, six lipglosses, a concealer, a lot of brushes, mascara, highlighter, powder, liquid blush, and an eyelash curler, all in that bag. Plus, I put my little bracelets and hair ties in the outer pocket. And honestly… I really liked it. I really liked how it was packed, I liked how it laid in my luggage, it kept everything intact and sound. I actually dropped my luggage down the stairs and it landed on my arm (oops), the luggage had to sit on top of a collapsed dog kennel, and I opened my luggage a bit aggressively, and through all of that, everything in that bag stayed safe and sound. So I would like to redact my review on the Glossier bag and revise it here; It is a very good bag, however, it is a bit expensive. If you have the money and really want it, then I think you would love it. I think you can find comparable for a lower price, but I don’t think this is a bad bag. I think if you want it you’ll enjoy it. 

I really hope to be able to travel more this year. I want to be able to paint more and create more paintings, I want to be able to share more of my travels through that, and I hope that I’ll be able to grow into that. I hope to do more than I did last year, and I hope to grow as I do it. I hope this blog will be able to grow with me, too.