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General Travel Tip #23544 - Perfect Packing Prep

I keep packing lists in a word document on my computer - one for each member of the family - plus a to-do list that my husband and I share. Each packing list is organized by where the item belongs, e.g., blue rolling bag, backpack, "car" bag, etc. To-do items are organized by when they need to be completed, e.g. one week out: service car, ask neighbor to water plants, stop mail, etc.; two days out: stop mail, clean out refrigerator; last minute: turn down thermostat, set timers on lights, etc. About 10 days before the trip, I print all the lists and put them on individual clipboards. This makes them hard to misplace and easy to write on. Everyone is responsible for packing their own items (even the kids, since they were 7 and 9), and they bring their bags down to the kitchen the night before we leave. As we pack the car, we check off a list of "bags to be packed," to make sure we don't leave anything behind. This alone has taken the stress out of packing and has taught our children how to pack on their own. However, one of the real keys to this system has been on the way home... I pull out the lists and ask: Is there anything you took and didn't need, or anything you needed and didn't take? Then we mark up the lists and I update them before we leave the next time!
- tip contributed by Julie

Tip filed in: General Travel > Traveling/Packing

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