Travel Tips To Pack Light With Ease Every Time

I despise packing for a trip.  To be precise, I despise it immensely.  I loathe every last detail so much I am ashamed to admit, a few times, I considered canceling my trip just because I didn't want to pack for it. And if you knew how much I enjoy seeing new places and how I feel it is part of living a healthy lifestyle, you would understand it's an issue!

And, to make it even more tragic, I think I passed my "hate packing gene" to one of my daughters. One time before we left for a trip when we had an early flight to catch, I opened her bedroom door to remind her of the time. There, I found her throwing her entire closet in a suitcase just because - you guessed it - she hates to pack and had procrastinated and left the packing task to the very last possible moment!

So, if you are in the "despise packing camp" like me and my daughter, I have a packing strategy to make it a little more bearable. Come see how I lessen the pain with a few travel multitaskers, a bag I always have packed ready-to-go as well as lots of packing hints from other travel masters that could help you, too! And, of course, I do hope you will add your packing and travel ideas in the comments as well!

5 Health And Beauty Multitaskers To Travel Light

Despite my shuddering at the thought of packing, I know travel is necessary to connect with those I care about, learn new things and to stimulate my mind (all part of creating that healthy lifestyle!).

One trick I implement is creating travel size containers (see my favorites in the next section) of items that can multi-task and save room in my bag. And I always refill them each time upon my return from my trip so that they are ready for the next dreaded packing task. (Check! One less thing to pack!) And, believe it or not and as strange as it sounds, five of them are food items that can be used for some effective home remedies, too. Here they are and how and why I use them:


1.  Baking soda

It is inexpensive, and I can use it as a facial skin exfoliator, toothpaste, bee sting remedy and more. I am not the only one that uses it a lot as here are 31 other uses for baking soda as well!


2.  Coconut oil

I use it as a body moisturizer, eye makeup remover, hair conditioner (on the tips if needed on the beach), and lip moisturizer before bed. I use this on my carry-on for long flights, too;

Don't miss this:  What to pack in that carry-on to make your time in the air feel just like home!

3.  Raw honey

Raw honey is best over the processed variety and here's why. You can sweeten your tea and wash your face. This is the method I have used.


4.  Lemon

I throw a few lemons in my bag to make my morning lemon water, and if I am going to the beach, sometimes my daughters and I rub it in our hair to lighten.

Don't miss this: You won't believe all the great things you can do with those citrus peels!


5.  Pink salt

I wrote about how this is the hands down, much healthier salt to use for cooking but I can also use it as a body scrub (mixed in with a bit of my coconut oil) and a scratchy throat elixir for me, my family or anyone I am traveling with at the time.

Create A Ready-To-Go Travel Bag

Having a makeup/toiletries bag ready to go at a moments notice really lessens my stress load in packing!  Taking the time to set it up once and never again, with the exception of a few updates and refills here and there, makes me a whole lot more excited for my next travel adventure knowing part of my packing is already done! 

Here are a few items that are really useful to create your ready-to-go makeup/toiletries bag in a snap:

1.  I have tried a lot of make-up/toiletries travel bags and have learned you need one that you don't have to dig through or even half empty out to find things to save a whole lot of time getting dressed. This drawstring functional travel makeup bag can easily keep you organized!  It is roomy, easy to find things in and I love all the sections and the extra pockets. You can throw it in the washer after each trip, too! Great price and cute colors.

2.  There are never enough mirrors when traveling (especially with daughters!), so a light-weight, travel make-up mirror is a life-saver.  If I am not using it, my daughters are!

3.  All those beauty multitaskers I talked about in the above section as well as your shampoo, soap, etc. fit so well in these leak-proof, BPA-free and TSA approved bottles.  They have a lot of extra features, are well-rated and they can be labeled, too, which I really appreciate.  (Before I had labeled bottles, I used conditioner on my hair as shampoo more times than I'd like to admit! ) 

Stress-saving tip: Just make sure to refill your bottles soon after your return home so your travel bottles are ready for next time!

4.  I purchased an inexpensive, well-rated extra make-up brush set like this one to keep in my travel bag leaving my other nicer set at home.  That way I never forget a brush and never leave my better ones in a hotel bathroom! Plus, these are smaller and take up much less space.

5.  This plug adapter takes up so little room, that I just keep it in my bag for international trips if I am lucky enough to plan one.  It is well-rated and works great!


6.  Another task I am not particularly fond of is ironing.  I rarely iron anything before I pack it anymore because it is just so wrinkled by the time I arrive. But, this travel steamer is great to quickly make you look presentable and wrinkle-free.

8 Other Expert Packing Hints, Travel Links & Travel Tips

There are some real pros out there with some amazing packing hints I don't want you to miss! Tap here for major ideas as well as a few other words I have about travel mixed in below:

1.  Oh my! This guy is a packing ninja and takes only 15 minutes to do it.

2.  International traveling takes a bit more thought. Here are important things to consider.

3.  Make your travel dreams a reality with this step-by-step plan to get you there . . . even if it seems impossible financially or logistically!

4.  Squeeze the most out of your travel adventure with these methods.

5.  You can't miss this fun and really helpful video on packing tips!

6.  How and why traveling can enhance your health!

7.  I don't think I could manage this, but I sure do admire those that do: pack for a month in a carry-on.

8.  Get every last detail here on packing lightly.

For Even More On The Topic . . .

• Consider throwing in your suitcase these other natural skin treatments!  

• While you are packing, best do a quick look-over in your bathroom and see if there are some things you could easily replace with healthier options. 

Please share any packing suggestions, tips or let us in on your secret on how you psyche yourself to prepare for your travel adventures! After all, I need all the help I can get!

This post previously appeared at THM but has been greatly expanded and updated.

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