Last Updated on October 21, 2020 by Keri
Whether you are taking a weekend trip to your parent’s cabin or jetting off to Paris, having a packing list can be extremely helpful in getting organized for your upcoming trip!
Have you ever gone somewhere, and forgotten something that you really needed? I remember one time we were going out to a friend’s cabin at the lake to do some swimming and boating… and I forgot my swimsuit. I don’t understand how I pulled that off. But, it resulted in me having to drive thirty minutes to the nearest town to buy a cheap bathing suit from Walmart. Or the time I went to Mexico, but didn’t pack any sunscreen! I am the kind of girl that needs to slap on some SPF 60 every three hours, or else I end up looking like a tomato! If I had been a little bit more organized, perhaps I could have avoided forgetting these silly little things, and saved myself some money! (Sunscreen at the resort in Mexico was NOT cheap!)
In recent years, I have started to utilize different packing lists to help keep me organized, and it has helped me ensure I have everything I need. Most of the time, I include these lists in my Bullet Journal, but you can incorporate them into your planner, or on a notepad that is sitting on your fridge!
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Are you here for the free packing printable? Scroll down to the bottom of the post!
The Power of a Checklist
When it comes to this kind of list-making, I tend to favor a checklist-style! You need to take action to ensure you are completing every step, or in this scenario, actually packing everything that is on your list!
Checklists are really easy to make! Just draw an open circle or box beside each item, so that you can check off each item as you pack them.
If you are really nervous about making your squares and circles perfect (basically, you’re a perfectionist like me!) then I would highly recommend picking up a cheap stencil pack!
I got mine from Amazon, and it comes with 20 stencil sheets with different designs. This puts my perfectionism to rest for less than $10, and I use these stencils for a lot of different things! They stay in the back pocket of my Leuchtturm 1917 so that I can create the perfect checklist wherever I am!
Different List Styles
I was able to brainstorm four different ways you could potentially organize your packing list! They could all be extremely useful for different types of trips, so be sure to jot them all down!
- Break up your packing list by Category; Clothes, Food, Electronics, Hygiene, etc.
- Create your packing list based on each person you are packing for; Husband, Kids, Dog, Yourself, etc.
- Split it up based on baggage type; what is going into the checked luggage, your carry on, etc.
- Create master lists based on what types of trip you are taking; A hiking trip into the mountains, or a trip to the zoo for the weekend!
Remember, packing lists don’t just have to be for vacations! I make a packing list anytime I am going out to do some landscape photography for the day, or even when I am taking a day trip to the beach!
Create A Minimalist Packing List In Your Bullet Journal
The Bullet Journal method is my planning method of choice, so this is where I will be creating my packing list! If you don’t use a Bujo, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of my post where I found some other packing list inspiration from Instagram to give you some inspiration!
My Hiking Packing List
In this example, I am creating my master hiking list for the upcoming season! My husband and I like to go hiking in the mountains once or twice a month throughout the spring and summer, so I decided a Master Packing List would be extremely helpful in preparing for these trips!
I started by adding a title to my layout with some faux calligraphy. If you want to learn more about faux Calligraphy, I recommend checking out this blog post from the Happy Ever Crafter.
Since we like to split up the gear when we hike, I split my page into two so that I can list what is going into Brad’s pack and what is going into mine.
Under each of our names, I wrote down the different categories and highlighted them with my Grey Zebra Mildliner so that they stand out!
Finally, with my stencils, I create my checkboxes (yes, I literally use these stencils for every checklist I make!).
Now, all I have to do is fill in the spreads with what I need to pack!
My Weekend Trip Packing List
Bradley and I live at least an hour and a half away from everyone in our family, if not even further. This means we end up making quite a few weekend trips to visit with everyone a few times a year. I like to have a weekend trip packing list so that I never have to think about what needs to be packed!
Faux Calligraphy is definitely my number one choice when it comes to creating headers, so I did the same again here!
I broke this list up by category, using my Grey Zebra Mildliner to highlight the sections.
I then used my stencils to create my rows of checkboxes.
More Packing List Inspiration
If you are a Happy Planner Gal, check out this packing list post from Planning With Bumble!
If you are using a Bullet Journal, but want to add some cute doodles, check out this spread from Journal Your Lifestyle! So cute!
Bullet Journal By Marieke created this really cute packing list within her luggage doodles!
For day trips, create little notes like this one from Elzdoodles!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this post has motivated you to harness the power of a checklist to create packing lists for yourself! Being organized and intentional will ensure you are only packing what you need, and that you don’t forget anything!
If you would like to share your packing lists or would like yours featured in this blog post, be sure to email me at [email protected]!
Until next time!
