How To Pack

One of the things that I don't enjoy much about travel aside from the actual process of traveling is having to pack. I just find it tedious and such a chore. Packing effectively is one of the keys to having a good trip. How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip is a useful guide for how to pack for any type of trip. The author, Hitha Palepu is a seasoned traveler who has been dispensing travel and lifestyle tips and hacks on her blog Hitha On the Go for a number of years.
The premise of this book is that when it comes to travel, the journey is just as important as the destination and packing is the first step in that journey.  How To Pack starts off by helping you find your packing personality to determine the areas where you need the most work in that first step towards becoming an efficient traveler.

Then it breaks down into guidelines for everything from selecting the right luggage, how to pack to trip specific packing lists. The guide to clothing selection talks about how to choose clothes based on on power pieces vs. fantasy pieces is a very practical approach as is  Hitha's accessory math equation which will keep you from ever overpacking accessories again. Her best practices for selecting and packing toiletries and makeup was of special interest to me since I'm always anxious about forgetting something there. The book doesn't stop at packing and also includes helpful airport, in-flight and arrival survival tips. Her advice for repacking by reassembling your bag as closely as it was before for your return is foolproof for making sure nothing gets left behind.

How to Pack is well organized and nicely presented with charming illustrations. It was a fun and easy read. A good deal of the advice is common sense like packing well in advance of a trip instead of at the last minute and keeping your toiletries and electronics handy for easy access at security checkpoints. Then there are tips like looping your belt inside the collar of a blouse to keep it from being crushed which most people who are not frequent packers would probably not think to do. This book is informational and enjoyable but I would say that it is geared towards a female audience.

Are you an advance or last minute packer? I usually start my packing a week before I leave because I have anxiety about forgetting things.

Disclosure: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. All words and opinions are my own. It may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to the Policies page of this blog.