After I made a vacation packing checklist for kids a number of people asked if I had a checklist for adults. Now I do! The checklist is pretty all-encompassing. What I recommend is to print out a checklist every time you are packing for a trip and then cross out any items you won’t need to pack. Below, I have a lot of packing tips and describe how I go about packing for a vacation. The FREE PRINTABLE packing checklist is at the bottom of this post – just click on the picture and it will take you right to the PDF.

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Clothing/Accessories

Here is the system I use that has worked extremely well when packing for any trip.

Step 1 – Check Weather

I don’t pack too far in advance for a trip because weather predictions are constantly changing. I like to have an idea of what the temperatures and weather will most likely be like because that helps me narrow down my clothing options.

If a lot of rain is predicted I would make sure to pack an umbrella and sneakers. If the weather is supposed to be hot and sunny the entire vacation I might pack an extra swimsuit.

Step 2 – Determine Activities

On vacation, I like to relax a little but also partake in some activities. Obviously, I like to plan in advance what I might be doing on a specific trip (horseback riding, snorkeling, sightseeing, etc) but it is important to have some flexibility with your plans. Spontaneity can be fun! BUT I like to start with a plan to help me decide what clothing items to pack.

Example: After checking the weather, you’ve determined that Wednesday will be your best weather day. Sunny and warm with a slight breeze. The perfect day to go to the beach. Now you know what clothes to pack for Wednesday.

Example 2: On Thursday, it looks slightly cooler and cloudy. This would be a great day for a bike ride.

By selecting possible activities for each day of your vacation in advance you will be better guided for what clothes to pack.

Step 3 – Pack By Outfit

After determining what activities you might be doing each day of your vacation it will be easier to plan out your vacation outfits.

Throwing in five random shirts, a few pairs of shorts, and some sandals doesn’t work because what if the clothes don’t match?

Instead, for each day of your trip consider the predicted weather plus what activity(ies) you might possibly be doing and select an appropriate outfit based on that information. I select ALL parts of the outfit (panties, bra, belt, jewelry, etc). You don’t want to be wearing polka dot underwear under slightly see-through white pants!

Remember – Less Is More!!!

I am a reformed overpacker. Now I know having coordinated outfits planned out in advance leads to less stress on vacation and a much lighter bag.

As you are creating your outfits try to ensure you aren’t overpacking by using some clothing items multiple times. Clothing such as jeans, jackets, and shoes can probably be worn more than once during a trip.

Step 4 – How to Organize

Everyone has their own system for organizing clothes in a suitcase. Some people swear by rolling clothes together in outfits. Some people use packing cubes or large Ziploc bags to keep outfits together. This jewelry travel case is amazing! Do what works best for you.

Personally, I place the clothes in the suitcase in backward order. I start with the last day of the vacation and work my way to the first day.

Sometimes I take pictures of the outfits as I am packing to help me remember each outfit while on vacation. Other times I create an image (such as the one immediately below) to keep on my phone as a reference.

Bath & Body

Again, I recommend the concept of less is more when it comes to packing bath and body products. What products do you consider must-haves and what products could you possibly do without for the length of your trip?

Are there are products you could share with your spouse, child, etc? I suggest buying travel sizes of your hygiene products to save on space or fill up your own travel-size containers.

Tip: If you don’t want to fly with a ton of liquid products find a Target, Walmart, or drugstore once you arrive to purchase any essentials like sunscreen on the way to your final destination. If you are staying at a resort the prices at the resort store will be insane.

Gear

What type of gear and supplies you will need during your vacation will depend on four things;

1) Where you are going (and time of year)?

Packing for the rainforest vs a beach vacation will be quite different.

2) What activities you will be doing?

Camping vs a week-long stay in a luxury hotel will obviously require different types of gear.

3)What types of gear are included in your stay?

Maybe the house you are renting already has kayaks and life jackets all set for you.

4) How will you be getting to your destination?

Are you flying or driving? Will it be easier to bring your gear with you or would it be better to rent/purchase items once you arrive?

If you are bringing young children on your trip that most likely means you need A LOT more gear than you would if you were going on a romantic vacation with just your spouse. Make sure you check out my packing guide for kids – it includes a number of mom tips!

My favorite vacation gear item is this beach wagon – no longer do I have to take multiple trips to and from the car!

Sleep

Some people are VERY finicky about their sleep. I’ve traveled with women who have brought body pillows, white noise machines, earplugs, eye masks, etc. Thankfully, I am a person who can sleep almost anywhere.

If you are a person who struggles with sleep think about what will help you get some shut-eye on the trip. Maybe pick up some melatonin?

On the checklist, you’ll see I’ve included contraception in this category. Depending on your preferred method you might not need to bring a thing but others might want to make sure to pack some condoms and birth control pills if you plan on getting lucky!

Entertainment

Consider what you will do for entertainment while traveling to your destination and once you are there.

I’m a huge reader so as long as my Kindle is charged and full of books I am happy. But you might want to consider bringing portable speakers, a deck of cards, board games, HDMI cables (watch your Netflix on the provided TV), etc.

Double and triple check you have the correct chargers for all of your entertainment.

Tip: Download books, movies, and any apps ahead of time, fully charge your device, then turn your device to airplane mode to save on battery.

Food/Drink

This category can either be incredibly easy (if you are not bringing any food) or somewhat stressful (if you are bringing ALL the food).

If you aren’t planning on cooking during the trip you at least want to consider packing travel snacks. I like to have snacks readily available to me whenever I want them. During one trip I was pregnant and each morning I could barely make it to breakfast without throwing up because I hadn’t had anything to eat yet.

When we go on a vacation during which we will be making a lot of our own meals we plan out all the food in advance. I create a totally separate checklist from the packing checklist provided below.

For the food checklist, each ingredient is a row and then there are two columns. One column is for checking off when a food item has been purchased and the other column is to check with the food item has been packed.

If traveling with multiple families, use a shared Google Doc to sign up for meals to ensure that there are not duplicate meals and every meal is accounted for. Don’t forget to create a sign-up section for drinks (milk, beer, wine, etc) and snacks. Plus, do you need to bring any cooking equipment or eating utensils?

Tip: Bring a filtered water bottle on vacation if you are unsure if the local water is safe to drink or if you might not like the taste.

Miscellaneous

This category covers everything else that might be important to the success of your vacation. Don’t forget your passport!

I think it is important to pack a few general OTC medicines. You never know when a 2 am headache is going to happen and it’s nice to have some pain relievers on hand.

Warm weather often means bugs. If biting insects are as attracted to you as they are to me I recommend packing this bug bite suction tool, it helps reduce the itching.

On the checklist, use the blank spots to add anything else that is essential for your trip.

Adult Packing Checklist

Click on the image directly below to be taken to the FREE downloadable adult packing checklist for warm weather trips.

Tip: I bring the checklist with me on the vacation so at the end I can make sure I remember to pack everything back up. I highlight as I go!