With my house sitting life, I sometimes find myself living out of suitcases for multiple months at a time… without an option to refresh my suitcase. Those types of trips used to stress me out packing wise, but now I have a nice 2 step system in place and it totally takes out that stress! So of course, I want to share it with you.
Step 1: Create a master packing list
Through the last few years of full-time house sitting, I have noticed how much easier it is to start with a Master Packing list at the beginning of each trip - the things I need no matter where I go like my toothbrush, computer, chargers, etc. It really helps in making sure I never forget those essential items. If you want to take a look at my “Master Packing List” you can grab a copy of it here and personalize it with your own essentials.
Step 2: Personalize it for each trip Starting with the basics I have from my Master Packing List, I know I’ll need some things outside of those essentials that are specific to this trip. So my next step is to take that Master Packing list, make a copy, and personalize my packing list for the trip I’m going on.
Just like Step 1, I don’t want to worry I’ll forget something and have the constant anxiety of questions like “I wonder if I’ll need XY or Z.” To solve for this, I made a “Packing Planner” and essentially what I do is write out the dates, activities and weather for those dates out on this doc to help me plan appropriately.
Once that’s done, I add those items to my Master Packing List Copy for this trip and start packing!
If you want more details on my packing process, you can download my Master Packing List and my Packing Planner here and you can check out my packing essentials below.
What's in my suitcase: