AFTER travelling south-east Asia for two months with just a backpack, one woman shared her go-to essentials.
The influencer explained that she strategically packed for her trip, avoiding a common mistake when it comes to haircare.
Speaking on her podcast Here For The Craic, Emma Neil shared her top tips and tricks for packing before a long-term trip.
The 26-year-old explained that she went backpacking around south-east Asia with her boyfriend.
Having previously travelled around Australia, she learned from some of her past mistakes.
“Whatever you think you need, honestly half it,” she advised her listeners.
The podcaster recommended investing in packing cubes ahead of your trip.
She credited these items with helping her organise her belongings, which she had cut down to just one backpack for the trip.
“Packing cubes, for sure, they’re so good, especially if you’re in hostels,” Emma said.
“If you’re in dorms, you don’t have the floor space to be fully opening your bag and taking everything out and making a mess, that’s other people’s space.
“So if you have it all in cubes and you can just take out the nice little cubes and set them on your bed, take whatever it is you need out and put them neatly back in your bag.”
According to the veteran backpacker, packing cubes “just make your life so much easier”.
She recommended the £19.99 Stori Three Pack Packing Cubes from Nere.
Emma described the cubes, which come in three different sizes per pack, as “really good and really sturdy”.
“It’s good to have a mix of sizes, so you can have one for all your bottoms, one for all your vest tops, one for your swimwear, one for your underwear,” she explained.
“I try and keep everything really separate so I just know exactly where things are.”
And Emma also shared her top tip when it comes to packing your toiletries.
Holiday packing tips
Jemma Solomon, aka The Label Lady has got 5 packing tips to help you get organised for your next holiday.
1. Write a list
Think about all the essentials you need to take with you; suncream, medicine, a few games for the kids, beach towels, and write everything in one list, which you can tick off as you add it to your suitcase.
Or for complete ease, try Google’s AI app – Gemini – which will create a list for you and help you not over pack.
2. Involve your kids
Jemma said: “My girls are getting older, they’re 11 and nine, and they enjoy helping to pack. So I send them a list, and say ‘this is what you need’ and they follow the list.
“And then I give them a rucksack each – and say to them ‘you can have whatever you want in there as long as it’s not liquid’, and they can take that on the plane. And that’s their ‘home away from home’ items.”
3. Try a hack or two
She said: “I think they all work, but for different reasons – and you’ve just got to pick the right one for your trip.
“Rolling your clothes is really good to stop your clothes from getting creases. And if you’re trying to get a lot of items into your case, it’s a space saver.
“Packing cubes are great – for example, I’m going on holiday with my three kids and we’re all using the same suitcase for our clothes.
“These handy compartments let you separate your clothes, toiletries and tech into designated cubes, maximising luggage space by keeping your items compressed and neatly stacked.
“I love taking them abroad with the family and it means my kids can easily take charge of their own items once we’ve arrived.”
4. Decant beauty products
Do you really need to take full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner with you? The beauty industry has evolved so much, you can now buy shampoo bars or sheets – which are much lighter and smaller.
Or, if you’ll be popping to the shops when you’re abroad, consider buying some items when you arrive.
5. Get organised before you come home
Jemma said: “When you repack on holiday [before coming home], the trick is to separate clean from dirty clothes.
“Also pack it in some form of order – so lights, darks, colours for items that need washing, or if you wash your clothes by person in the household, piles for each person.
“Then you can put it straight into the washing machine. Do it straight away, don’t leave it.”
“See those little mini travel-friendly bottles of shampoo and conditioner?” she asked her audience.
“They’re great for a weekend away somewhere but they’re terrible for a long-term travelling trip.
“Those bottles, honestly, they’ll do me for two washes if even, there’s really not a lot of product in it.”
Instead of forking out for a new bottle of shampoo and conditioner wherever you go, Emma revealed a budget buy that you can use instead.
And it’s carry-on friendly so you can take it with you even if you’re not checking a bag.
She recommended picking up the Honey I Just Washed My Hair Shampoo Bar for £10 from Lush.
“I’m not joking you, I’ll buy new one of them before going and I’ll come back and they’ll not even look like they’ve been half used, they last you so long,” she said.
“They’re so much lighter than bringing a full size bottle of shampoo and conditioner and they’re just way handier I think.
“They take up so much less space in your wash bag and everything.”
The influencer used a shampoo bar from Lush to keep her hair fresh during her travels[/caption]
