This is how I always pack for travel
An intuitive process powered by a simple spreadsheet.
Spring is on my mind, and with it, dreams of travel. So today I wanted to share a bit about my approach to packing, including the no-frills spreadsheet I’ve used for the last 5+ years (and a template you can grab!).
I don’t overthink packing, mostly because there isn’t really time to—no matter how much I want to start early and luxuriate in a slowww packing experience, nothing ever gets put into the suitcase until the night before.
But even though packing always happens last minute, there’s still a process I stick to and it’s all anchored by my spreadsheet.
Let me show you.
Here’s what I like about this doc:
“Map-like” layout: You can see almost everything at once without scrolling. All categories having to do with “getting dressed” are on the left (filling it out is almost like a quick mental styling exercise), and everything else is on the right.
Bold/unbold to “check” things off: When I’m ready to pack, I bold everything in one go then unbold stuff as they’re put in the bag. Compared to checkboxes, bolding/unbolding (always using keyboard shortcuts, of course) makes the doc less clunky while still making it easy to spot unpacked items.
Adaptable: You can duplicate it and make a template for recurring trips by locale or duration, or make different versions (with different categories) for another family member (which I did for my daughter).
I approach this spreadsheet almost like a worksheet, or you can think of it as “prepacking”. I don’t put anything in my bags until I’ve filled it out. When I first start thinking about packing, usually a few days before departure, I’ll open up this doc and:
Clear all the wardrobe stuff on the left side still there from the last trip.
Think about any specific, ad-hoc must brings for this trip (e.g. card/check for wedding, outlet adapters depending on destination, etc.) then add them to the doc.
Think about what to wear!!!
When packing clothes for trips, I like to brainstorm lightly, and then allow myself—and my clothes—to relish in flexibility.
Packing is a process that naturally invites intention about your clothes. It’s like a closet purge, except instead of picking things out to get rid of, you’re drafting things you love for a special adventure.
This is my thought process for deciding what to bring:
Key activities: wedding, beach, anything that requires special gear. I figure out those outfits first and add all the elements to the spreadsheet.
Weather: obviously, to determine the general range of layers to bring (thickness/warmth, skin coverage, etc.).
For warm-ish weather, I’ve got a travel day uniform: these very-old-from-Macy’s pants (which are so light and soft and breezy but still covers my legs on the plane in case it’s super cold), then a black or white tee up top with a denim jacket and sneakers. (The Dagne Dover Micah crossbody, one of my most-used bags, is also my all-season personal item of choice—I think it hits the sweet spot of lightweight/comfort/durability/put-togetherness/volume/compartments.)
Color story / ~ vibes ~: I’ll look in my closet and ask: Are there things I own that feel particularly “natural” to the place I’m going? I like the challenge of creating on-vibe “travel capsules” from what I already have. Some examples from the last few years…
(Note: the “capsule” photos on the left show most but not everything I brought—not pictured are PJs, travel day outfit, undergarments, etc.)
The peripherals that must not be forgotten: These are the important details that make nice, comfortable outfits happen… the heattechs, the right-length socks, the right-fitting undergarments that will work with/enhance (not detract from) the dress, the appropriate pajamas/loungewear for the accommodations (“Could I use a light hoodie to make sure I’m not cold at night?”That’s often a yes for me.)
I don’t have specific formulas or rules for how many of each garment type to bring, because that’s very dependent on the exact nature of the trip—e.g. am I going somewhere for outdoorsy adventuring or to visit family where there’s a lot of indoor time and also laundry access?
But one general practice is: I’ll make sure to pack one or a couple of “special” pieces that I’m for whatever reason particularly excited to wear on the trip and want to remember it by—it’s probably something that came to mind when thinking about No. 3 above (color story / ~ vibes ~). But it really doesn’t even have to be that special… could just be something I don’t wear as much as I’d like day to day and want to give it more time to shine. Beyond the “hero piece(s)”, the rest will be very versatile items that I can easily mix and match.
As I’m working through all these considerations, pieces from my closet are coming to mind and I’ll start roughly visualizing some possible outfits in my head, along with the shoes, bag(s), and jacket(s) that make the most sense. As I settle on stuff, I’ll jot them down on the spreadsheet using brief but still descriptive words, e.g.”lulu leggings”, “orange/purple vest” so they’re easy to identify.
The night before departure, I’m finally starting to put stuff in my suitcase in earnest and that’s when I’ll bold all of the items on the spreadsheet and unbold them as they go in the bag. My spreadsheet will be open the whole morning of. I’ll keep packing until everything on the list has been unbolded, getting dangerously close to when the Uber is supposed to arrive.
Time to go!!
💌 Thanks for reading! If you think my spreadsheet could be helpful for you, here’s the template. (I also included a tab with the version I made for baby/toddler packing, just in case that’s helpful too). If you do end up trying this, let me know how it goes :)
Safe travels,
– Jenny
I really like this question that you're posing: "Are there things I own that feel particularly “natural” to the place I’m going?" Because I do want to adapt what I'm wearing to the destination, but also wear what I already own.