I love having a Master Packing List for vacation and camping. Take some time now to think of any possible things you might need while on vacation and write them down on a Google doc. Then each time you’re getting ready for a trip, you can copy it onto a new document and delete (or print and cross-out) the things you don’t need for that specific trip. The same goes for camping.
At the top of the document I put the number of days that we will be gone so each kid knows how many of each item to pack.
I have my kids pack their own bags so they can learn to be responsible. When they are young, I go through the checklist with them after they have gathered everything and make sure they have what they need.
(Person’s Name) I have one section for each person so they can delete items once they have been packed.
- Shirt & Pants/ Shorts
- Tennis Shoes/ Socks/ Sandals
- Pajamas/ Underwear/ Light Coat
- Backpack/ Toys or Books/ Water bottle
- Swim suits/ dress clothes
- Toothbrush/ Floss/ Hair Brush
Next, I have a section for Extras (I take care of gathering most of these)
- Toiletries/ Sanitary supplies/ Razor
- Shampoo/ Soaps/ Lotion
- Wash cloth/ make-up
- Hair Dryer/ Straightener/ Gel
- Medicine bag
- Camera/ Charger
- Phone/ Charger
- Tickets/ Coupons/map/Things to give to others
Then I have a section for specific seasons:
Summer
- Hat/ Visor
- Swimsuit/ Towel
- SunBlock/ Aloe Vera/ Bug Spray
- Shovels/ Sand Toys/ Buckets
- Wetsuits/Rash Guards/water shoes
- Life vest/ Shade umbrella?
Winter
- Coat/ Sled?
- Boots/ Gloves
- Hat/ Snow Bib
- Run water so pipes don’t freeze
Finally, I include this very important section called:
Things to do before we leave
- Hold Mail
- Check Cool/Heat
- Empty inside trash
- Put all food in fridge
- Close and lock windows/ blinds/ and doors
- Clean-up backyard
- Sweep under Kitchen table
- Plan which neighbor kid will: water plants, feed/ walk the dog, bring in trash cans etc.
Planning and packing for a trip is so easy once you have most of the thinking done. You can add a couple things specific to the current vacation and you’re done. Make sure to update your list as soon as you think of something, so you’ll have it for next time.
If you want one-on-one help organizing a space, call me at 208.736.3306 for a free consultation. I’d love to help you on your organizational journey.
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