One Packing List So Nothing Gets Left Behind
Packing throws up the same problem every single time, which is exactly why it’s worth sorting out once. The charger, the adapter, the one thing you only ever need on this particular kind of trip.
Write the list from scratch each time and you’ll keep forgetting whatever you forgot last time. Keep the same list and it gets a bit better with every trip.
Build it once, then keep it
Treat the list as permanent and the ticks as temporary. Keep one per kind of trip — beach, snow, work — and when you get home, clear the ticks instead of deleting the items.
Standing at the airport realising you’ve left the adapter behind is annoying, but it’s also the best moment to add it. Next trip it’ll already be on there.
Packing with other people
Travelling with a partner or the family adds the other failure: either you both pack the first-aid kit, or you both assume the other one has.
A shared list sorts out both. Whoever packs it ticks it off, and everyone else can see it’s handled.
- One shared list for the communal stuff — chargers, adapters, medication, documents
- Separate personal lists for clothes, so the shared one stays short
- Photos on anything easy to mix up, like the right cable
- The Watch app for ticking things off with your hands full
Set up a packing list in Listr
- Make a list per type of tripBeach, snow, work travel. Each one keeps its own contents between trips.
- Share the communal listSend the link to whoever you’re travelling with so the shared items only get packed once.
- Untick rather than deleteWhen you get home, clear the ticks and leave the items where they are. The list is ready for next time.
- Add whatever you forgotThe moment you notice a gap, put it on. That’s how the list gets good.
Pack from a list that remembers last time. Get Listr and stop buying replacement chargers at the airport.
Get Listr: Shared List
Shared lists that stay in sync with everyone. Download now on the App Store.
