I spent 20 years traveling as a road warrior so every Sunday I had to pull out a suitcase and pack for the week.

 

On top of that, I would take regular trips back to New Zealand my birth country or head out on vacation.

 

Packing has never been my thing, so I had to find a way to make it…

Simple, Smart, Fast and Stress Free!

At the end of the day, we are all creatures of habit, we secretly loooove routines.

So, I came up with my Packing 6 x P’s

Not only did they change my life packing for a trip…

But bonus!

They also took the stress out of unpacking and thinking about what to wear on my trips – woo hoo!

PULL

The first P is super simple. Just start pulling clothes out of your closet.

• Don’t over think it

• Grab pieces of clothing that you want to take with you

• Don’t worry whether things match or make up outfits at this step.

• Lay the pieces of clothing out on the bed

• Pull both clothes and accessories i.e., shoes, jewellery

Then walk away, yes, I said walk away!

Why? I found this is where I would come unstuck and try to push through and create outfits.

Instead, just leave everything lying on the bed overnight and come back to the second P – Pairing the next day.

PAIR

Ok, nothing like a good sleep and now you can start putting outfits together.

I find I end up with the “no brainer” outfits and then everything else.

This is where you can start P No. 3 which is to Purge.

Keep working on putting outfits together.

I always separate paring my travel day outfit vs. the outfits I wear once I reach my destination.

And a bit of a Raewyn Weird moment. It’s 50/50 whether I pair my travel day outfit at the beginning or the end… go figure.

🔥🔥🔥Hot Tip🔥🔥🔥

Don’t try to add in your accessories when you are in the Pair and Purge stage.

PURGE

As you pair your clothes into outfits you will find some pieces that having had a good night’s sleep can immediately go into the purge pile.

But don’t put them back in the closet quite yet.

Then there are some pieces that are more of a “maybe”.

Place them in the “purge” pile and come back to them later.

Ok, you can see how you kind of go back and forth between Pairing and Purging…

That’s totally ok and normal.

This is a great point to also walk away and sleep on it.

Now you’re ready to come back and finalize those outfits.

🔥🔥🔥Hot Tip🔥🔥🔥

Don’t worry about whether all your clothes are going to fit in your bag or how much your bag will weigh. We deal with that a little later, so hang in there with me

PICK

Now that you have your clothes sorted it’s time to add in shoes, scarves, jackets, jewelry.

Why do I pick my accessories separately?

Great question…

At this stage of the packing game I’m looking to manage the tension between minimizing how many accessories I really want to pack vs. having enough versatility to add to my outfits.

🔥🔥🔥Hot Tip🔥🔥🔥

I am not a stylist but I am practical and pragmatic about packing and I want to feel good and look good when I travel.

So, accessories are often the icing on the cake and really speak to who you are and how you like to dress and feel.

I am a minimalist when it comes to jewellery, but you might be like my bestie travel buddy and she looks amazing and always has a number of jewellery pieces that really switch up her looks.

So, you do you Boo, as the saying goes.

If you want to dig in a little deeper on this topic check out my “Ultimate Packing Guide”

You can find it by clicking >>> 👉HERE

Don’t be surprised that at this step you will also find yourself doing more purging and sometimes pulling a few more things out of your closet.

Again, this is ok and all part of a simple, smart process.

PILE

Ok, nearly there and look how fast and easy this has already been.

Take your outfits and place them in piles i.e., pants vs. tops vs. sweater/jackets.

And if you haven’t already this is the perfect time to pull your underwear.

Why place your clothes in piles?

This is my hack that allows me to quickly see how much volume everything is going to take up in my bag before I put anything in my bag and…

I am a Packing Pod/Cube devotee so the piles also help me figure out what packing cubes I will use.

Ok, if you are wondering what the heck, I’m talking about aka Packing Pods/Cubes…

These are a game changer when it comes to packing…

They make packing and unpacking a breeze

The are great for avoiding those embarrassing moments when your bag spills open on the baggage carousel at the airport and that lovely lacy bra is floating free…

The act as a “forget me not” in that you are less likely to leave things behind in your hotel and…

They act as your mini dresser, just lay out the cubes in your hotel room and you’re good to go when you go to pull your outfit for the day.

Ok, I know you are totally jazzed and curious now…

Tap >>> 👉 HERE to grab your first set of packing cubes – enjoy!

Now do your last-minute check for any purging or pulling and…

🥁 Drum roll please… you're ready to pack!

PACK

You get to choose whether to fold or roll or use a combination of the two.

As I head out on a trip I use a combination of pack and roll.

On the way back its all rolling. This way I can get more packed in my bag, if I've made any purchases and I'm not worried about wrinkles from rolling.

You can now just drop each pile into a packing cube/pod and literally throw them in your suitcase and you’re good to go.

Interested in more, check out my YouTube Channel

If you found this blog valuable head on over to my YouTube channel and take a look, here's the 👉👉👉 link

Female Travelers Over 50 By Raewyn Crist: @FemaleTravelers50Plus

And if you like what you see please consider subscribing to the channel or giving a video a like :-)

So cheers to wheels up to winging your way to your long dreamed of destination.