It’s 3 am (hence this article’s title), and I’m packing for a flight that leaves at 7 am. Which in order to catch, I have to leave my apartment at 4 am.

It’s at times like these that I wish I had a car – or didn’t book redeye flights when I live an hour away from the airport. I should know better, but the redeye is cheaper!

The issue with packing right before a flight – or any type of trip – is that at least one of the following three things will happen:

  1. You’ll forget something essential. Like your passport.
  2. You’ll haphazardly throw your clothes in your suitcase, and thus risk forever wrinkling that beloved dress. Or worse, forget to screw that sunscreen bottle tighter, and two flights later, your entire suitcase will smell like wet cocoa-butter.
  3. You’ll overpack. Be honest with yourself, you really didn’t need four pairs of sandals, and two pairs of jeans for a weekend at the beach.

To help you avoid the aforementioned errors, several travel websites have assembled together “packing tips” over the years. Many of which are more detailed, and broad than my lonely tip – don’t pack at 3 am.

Personally, I like this list from Travel Fashion Girl the best. It’s comprised of over 60 packing tips from various travel bloggers. Check out this link to see the full list. Real Simple, SkyScanner, and Tortuga BackPacks also have useful lists for you to peruse.

Just remember, don’t leave packing to the last minute. Future you will love past you for thinking ahead. Right now, I hate past me.

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