Travel Packing Tips

You’ve booked your vacation rental, scheduled transportation and made a plan for the pets – now comes the toughest part: deciding what to pack! We all know that our first instinct can be to bring our entire closet, but realistically who wants to lug around all those bags (or pay those baggage fees)? Don’t worry; Armed Forces Vacation Club is here to help! We’ve created a list of packing tips to help you be a world-class packer.

Have a game plan

Begin by laying out everything you want to bring before packing it in your suitcase. Take inventory of what you’ve picked out, and see if there are any unnecessary items. Sometimes 11 pairs of socks for a week may be too much! Pick your favorites and call it a day. Try to resist the urge to pack extras that you know you won’t use.

Roll, don’t fold (and use packing aids!)

Many avid travelers agree that rolling your clothes instead of folding them can help increase the amount of clothing that fits in your bag. New to rolling? No problem! A quick internet search will provide many tutorials and videos to help you learn. Another helpful tip to use your suitcase space efficiently is to use packing aids such as stuff sacks and packing cubes.

Keep it classic

Another tried and true tip is to pack versatile clothing that can take you through your day – from a casual morning exploring to a nice evening out. For example, pack a top that can be dressed down with a pair of shorts during the day, and dressed up with a nice pair of pants for dinner. A special tip for shoes – plan to wear your heaviest/bulkiest pair to travel and pack the others. This will help save space in your bag, but still allow you to bring them along!

Plan some extra space

If possible, leave a little extra space in your bag for the inevitable souvenirs. There is nothing worse than discovering on the last day of vacation that you need to purchase an extra bag for the way home to fit everything!

Looking for more packing tips? Check out AFVC’s Vacation Packing Tips article and more in the Vacation Planning Resource Center.

P.S. Don’t forget that Armed Forces Vacation Club offers free membership for all active duty, guard, reserve and retired members of the Armed Forces, as well as civilian employees of the DOD. Join today!