3 Keys Thursday: 3 of My Favorite Packing Tools

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Sometime last summer, I bought a notepad out of a dollar bin somewhere. It's a packing checklist, with the phrase "I Love to Travel but I Hate to Pack" at the top of the page.

That about sums it up.

Packing is one of those things that inspires both my procrastination and my perfectionism. I need to find just the right combinations and just the right bags. In addition, I'm always afraid I'll forget something, so I either start tossing things into a bin a week ahead of time or I wait until the last minute. There's rarely an in-between.

Having the right tools is a big help. Here are three of my favorites:

• A checklist. My little notepad is a bigger help than I expected it to be. I've always made lists, but they've been more the random, don't-forget-to-bring-this variety. A checklist not only makes sure the real stuff gets on the list, but it also sparks ideas for other things that need to make the list as well.
• Zip lock bags. The quart and gallon sizes can corral everything from snacks and first aid supplies to toiletries and dirty clothes. If we're going to be gone for more than a weekend, I typically pack a box of quart bags and stash a few extra gallon bags in with any food we pack.
• Small pouches with zippers or drawstrings. I use these mostly for cosmetics, but I also

• 

  Bags with a distinctive design make it easy to find
  what you're looking for in a full suitcase.
  mythirtyone.com

  house my chargers, electronics and all the family medicines in zip-top canvas pouches with waterproof linings. When I'm packing, the bags themselves serve as reminders because each item or group of items travels in the same pouch every time. Perhaps my favorite small pouch use is re-purposing the drawstring bags that linens sometimes come in to use as shoe bags. Bags that hold queen size sheets are the perfect size for one pair of my shoes, keeping the shoes from getting smushed on the bottom of my bag and, at the same time, protecting my clothes from getting dirty. If you prefer to pack your shoes in a separate bag, using these bags keeps shoes neat and unscuffed when you travel.

Much as I love these tools, I don't think they'll cure my procrastination, but they definitely take the edge off my perfectionism by keeping my suitcase neat and organized.

What are your favorite packing tools?