Packing always seems to be the biggest struggle for most people. It can be a daunting task because you do not want to overload yourself, but at the same time you do not want to forget anything. Some people, say the Grupo Mayan experts, fall at one or the other end of the spectrum and some of us fall somewhere in the middle. It is always a great idea to sit down before you drag out the suitcases or luggage and make a packing list. This way, you are less likely going to forget what it is that is important to you for this trip and believe it or not, it does prevent over-packing as well. Sometimes packing can be compared to shopping because we have the impulsive packers. You might even be an impulsive packer if you are someone who is packing and while packing you walk by something that you had not originally intended to take with you and you convince yourself to pack it and most often it is not really anything you need.
The following is in general a packing list that will help you remember everything you absolutely need and try to eliminate the things you do not really need.
Clothes are an obvious item, say the Grupo Mayan experts, unless you plan on visiting those beaches where clothing is optional, most of us are not. The best thing to do when you are trying to decide what to take with you is to pick out two basic colors, like black and white, or navy and white and then you can pack whatever else might go along with those colors well, mostly every other color of the rainbow, just make sure that you pack 1 outfit per day for going out. Do not forget your loungewear or pajamas so that you can relax when you get back to your hotel room or wherever you are staying. It would be a good idea to pack at least 3 pairs of shoes including the ones you wear to leave and one should be a business or dress shoe and the other a shoe for handling rugged terrain. Grupo Mayan experts recommend wearing your comfortable shoes until you get to your destination and you will probably find that you are wearing your comfortable shoes more than the other 2. Make sure you take plenty of socks and hosiery, pack 2 pair for each day of the trip. This might be too many but itís better to have too many here and not enough and they are small and can be squeezed into pockets.
If you feel you must take some accessories, pack a small bag of your accessories such as scarves, inexpensive or costume jewelry, belts, etc. You can also shove this into a pocket of your luggage, say the Grupo Mayan pros, instead of putting it in the main compartment where your clothes are.
Cosmetics and toiletries are also something to pack but this is an area of compromise. If you are traveling to a place where you can easily purchase soaps, shampoo, conditioner, shaving items and lotion, leave that stuff at home. The airlines have strict rules regarding this stuff now, say the Grupo Mayan experts, so why create yourself a headache you do not need. Cosmetics are expensive so you would not want to purchase those again wherever you go, but once again you can put cosmetics into a small bag and put them in a compartment of a main piece of your luggage, or you can also put them in a Ziploc bag and put them in your purse or carry-on.
Medications, if any, are probably something you should carry with you at all times so make sure those are in your purse or carry-on luggage, say the Grupo Mayan experts. Any other gear you might need should be able to be packed inside your main luggage bags and checked.
