tips to pack to perfection for your upcoming trip

It can be a daunting experience to stare at that empty suitcase and know it has to be filled with everything you need. Equally daunting is staring at the suitcase full of what you need but the suitcase won't zip shut. What follows is a list of 10 helpful tips to make your packing and travel experience a little easier and more organized.

Tip # 1 -- Plan ahead of time by making a packing list.

This will avoid the hectic night before the flight - or 2 hours before the flight. By keeping a running list of everything you know you need and checking them off as they are put in your suitcase, this will ensure you don't forget the cell phone charger or Advil or stash of underwear. (For me, I'm always terrified I'll forget my toothbrush since it's the last thing that gets packed.)

When building your list, keep in mind the following:

• what kind of a trip is this (relaxing, adventure-seeking, sightseeing)?

• how long you are traveling?

• what will the weather be?

If you are going to a resort, what you pack will differ from someone who is packing to backpack through Europe. The length of time you are traveling does not have to significantly change the amount you pack, but you will need enough underwear and the other essentials. The weather determines what shoes, how many layers you need to pack for a day and if you need seasonal essentials (sunscreen, umbrella, mittens, etc.)

Tip # 2 -- Check your airline and/or tour company for luggage weight and size limitations.

As you probably already know, bringing luggage on a trip is now a privilege, according to the airlines. Some airlines charge $50-75 for luggage over a certain size (the carry-on size, to be exact) or charge this for a second piece of luggage.

When traveling internationally, there are restrictions about how many bags you can bring, the size of your bags and the weight. This is especially true if you are traveling with a tour company who has to keep in mind how much space they have on buses, trains, or other forms of transportations for groups.

Checking the size of your suitcase and the weight of your packed luggage ahead of time is a major stress-saver when you approach the ticket counter.

TIP # 3 -- pack by outfit and roll it all together.

When you pack, organize the clothes going into your suitcase by outfit. That includes underwear, bra, socks, etc. Then, roll them together to place in the suitcase. This will save you space, time, energy and avoid wrinkles.

Now you will be able to just pull out the "roll" that you want to wear. I always do this, and it has changed my travel life.

Also, I have wrapped outfits into Ziploc bags for longer trips - this allows me to shrink wrap my clothes and makes for easy access. You can easily shift through the outfits this way without messing up the rolls.

Packing cubes offer a similar solution. These are available at local stores: REI, Nordstrom Rack, Walmart, Home Depot.

All of these options are a great way to avoid ironing and dealing with wrinkles while traveling.

Tip # 4 -- Keep your in-flight essentials in a separate bag.

Ever finally let that sigh of relief because you are on the plane, in your seat, ready to take off and you realize all of your in-flight fun is in the overhead bin above your head? There's an easy solution to that. Keep all of those things together in a easy-to-grab bag before you stow your carry-on above you. In my in-flight fun bag, I always have:

• Phone and/or iPad

• earbuds

• wallet (for sake keeping and drink buying)

• Book (a must!!); for you, maybe it's a magazine

• Eyemask

• Socks (anyone else always carry a nice, warm pair of socks on a flight?)

• Any health needs: Advil, Lactaid, Melatonin (for international flights)

Tip # 5 -- Keep all liquids and/or bathroom essentials in separate bag, too.

This is really in the same vein. This makes going through security a cinch. If you are carrying on, remember all of your liquids have to be less than 3 oz. If you are checking your luggage, then I would advise you to carry-on your bathroom essentials that you can't live without for 48 hours. That allows you to freshen up on the plane, as needed, and at the airport once you arrive at your destination. Also, this will be a life saver if your luggage is lost (trust me, I know)!

Tip # 6 -- IF THE PRICE OF TRAVEL SIZE COSMETIC AND HYGIENE PRODUCTS ANNOYS YOU, BUY A BATHROOM PACKING SET

These are the ideal solution if you don't want to pay $2.50 for each product you need. Also, you may use products that don't come in travel sizes. I invested in these empty TSA-approved travel bottles and containers years ago, and it's been a lifesaver when traveling. I just keep mine filled, so that they are ready to go on a trip at a moment's notice.

You can find these on-line or in stores for a range of prices: $5 to $30, depending on what you are looking for. I have been lucky to find durable sets at the Dollar Store and Marshall's.

Tip # 7 -- Going international? Start eliminating what you don’t need.

Every single time I travel, I pack at least 2-3 outfits I never wear. And sometimes, I only pack an outfit a day. It never fails. Therefore, my advice to you is keep it simple. Traveling internationally may mean that you are schlepping your luggage through busy streets, carrying it up the stairs of your hotel or sitting next to it on a high speed train. You want to make the most out of the smallest suitcase you have.

Some experts to pack everything you think you need and then cut it in half. I'll let you decide if you can do that!

Tip # 8 -- pack 1-2 pairs of underwear and your emergency medicine in your carry-on.

In August of 2015, my family planned a trip to Italy. We all met in Canada to fly together overseas. We arrived in Rome, and everyone's luggage was rotating on the carousel... except mine. Prior to the trip, I had been told by someone to pack a pair of underwear in case the airline temporarily lost my luggage. So I planned to just wear the same outfit for two days until my luggage arrived. My luggage never arrived. For eight days, I went to Rome, Pisa, Florence and Venice - not to mention all of the little day trips - without my luggage. Luckily, my sister was also on the trip, and she was kind enough to share what she could with me. I bought two pairs of underwear - bringing my total up to 4 - and a bralette, tank top and shorts. This made the trip somewhat bearable. Having my medicine made the trip bearable. I'm lactose intolerant, so in Florence, my family and I had to fake our way through a conversation about Lactaid pills in Italian with the pharmacist. I remember grabbing my stomach to gesticulate what would happen without the pills.

In July of 2016, I was in New Zealand traveling with high school students. The stomach flu traveled through our group. It was awful, but I had learned my lesson, and I had a mini-pharmacy in my suitcase. So I had everything I needed to survive that 48-hour bug.

Point being: you will never regret saving some room in your carry-on for underwear, deoderant, Excedrin, Immodium, Ace ankle wrap, etc.

Tip # 9 -- Pack a soft, collapsible bag and Ziploc bags/plastic grocery bags.

These are the item you pack that you don't know what you will need them for, but you will inevitably need them and you'll be so relieved that they're there waiting for you. I have used them for:

• Storing dirty laundry

• Packing wet clothes

• A trash bag while at the beach

  • For carrying a change of clothes

  • For being there when the suitcase or backpack breaks

  • Avoiding the surcharge for a shopping bag overseas (most countries charge for this now)