Most of us have a packing list of some type.  And, most of us have probably forgotten to bring something important on the a trip.  Our family of four once left home for an extended trip with only two phone charging cords.  After days of listening to arguments over who had less battery life and was more deserving of charging cord time, I gave up and bought another cord.  Which I brought home and stored with the 10+ cords we already owned.

I have learned that the best packing list is one that is editable and accessible.  If you are traveling and realize “I really should have packed more conditioner”  it’s far better to update a packing list on the fly rather than hoping to remember that thought next time you are packing a suitcase.  The best packing list travels with you and captures lessons learned while traveling!  Three ways to make your packing list easy to find and easy to change are:

Use an App

I use Evernote to save all my lists as templates.  I can quickly search for any packing list (beach, winter, sports tournament) and check off items as I pack.  I can access and update information where ever I travel.  There are also specific packing apps like this or this.  Some apps even sync with Tripit – my all time favorite way to keep up with travel info like flight, hotel and transportation details.

Use the Cloud

Elevate your standard list by saving in the Cloud.  There are tons of packing list templates available to customize and save on a Google Drive or Dropbox.

Use Email

Save your packing list as an email template.  It’s easy to edit and easy to share with others.